LAVA Music’s credentials in the acoustic guitar realm have grown over the past few years, following a slew of releases that aimed to shake up the six-string status quo and bring the humble acoustic into the modern age. Such examples include the sub-$500 BLUE LAVA and LAVA ME 3.
Now, LAVA Music has added an all-new range of instruments to its ever-expanding catalog – the LAVA ME 4.
Notably, the LAVA ME 4 marks the first time the brand has sought to address the need for an authentic acoustic aesthetic, and while the LAVA ME 4 Carbon continues the company’s penchant for space age six-strings, the Spruce option follows a far more traditional route – perhaps in an effort to convert conventional acoustic fans to the smart-screen, tech guitar revolution.
LAVA ME 4 Spruce (Image credit: LAVA)
We use the word “traditional” very loosely here, because although some more common construction materials are used for the build to harness a more classic acoustic appearance – something that apparently took 18 months to design – it’s still very much a guitar of the future.
Indeed, the spruce top and High-Pressure Laminate back and sides accommodate LAVA’s standard touchscreen display, which is powered by the HILAVA operating system and responsible for giving player’s access to its futuristic features.
Such features include more than 30 onboard effects – such as delays, reverbs, wahs, EQs, phasers and more – backing tracks to jam along to, and more than 100 drum grooves, as well as a tuner, metronome, looper and dedicated learning app for strumming, scale training and chord transition practice.
LAVA ME 4 Carbon (Image credit: LAVA)
It’s also worth noting the FreeBoost 2.0 system that the Spruce model utilizes, which uses the rear surface of the guitar as a speaker to increase output and sound projection.
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The exact same apps and effects can be found on the LAVA ME 4 Carbon, which is of a similar ilk to LAVA’s preexisting guitars. Available in Purple, Soft Gold, Pink, White and Space Grey, the guitar is practically the iPhone of the guitar world, and is fitted with a Super AirSonic carbon body and an updated C-to-U-profile FlyNeck 2.0.
Although on the surface it looks to be the same as the LAVA ME 3, this iteration introduces (strangely for the first time) a truss rod system, and offers an updated FreeBoost 3.0 projection system for “larger, deeper effects sounds”.
It’s also got an enhanced battery capacity, and an advanced Sharc DSP audio chip, which promises seven-times faster audio-digital processing.
Despite the varying feature sets between the two LAVA ME 4 models, both new units are united by the updated HILAVA 2.0 operating system. Effectively, it’s HILAVA 1.0 with some updated visuals and a fresh UI interface.
In terms of price, the LAVA ME 4 Spruce and Carbon start from $699 and $999, respectively.
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
