LAVA MUSIC has received a lot of attention since the 2020 Winter NAMM in Los Angeles, mainly due to the striking looks and style of their instruments. So who are LAVA MUSIC? In basic terms they are a creative instrument company based in China, who research and develop their materials and electronic systems, then implement them into the design of their musical instruments.
Whilst these days, there has been criticism toward the price of LAVA’s instruments, claiming they are far too expensive, we decided to go through some of the finer details and have a look whether the LAVA U ukulele specifically, is value for money or not.
The newest offering from LAVA MUSIC, the LAVA U, is a carbon fibre composited ukulele with a novel pickup effects system. Whilst the material they are using for this ukulele is not pure carbon fibre, it is a carbon fibre impregnated composited material, that LAVA has named “AirSonic”. This material according to LAVA MUSIC, which comes with about 30% to 50% carbon fibre, can resist varying changes in temperature and humidity and is both low density and high stiffness.
As a result the material would not be considered delicate in any way or be susceptible to warping and potential cracking like hardwood. Although this sounds very grand, similar materials have also been used for a couple of new brands and for this type of “carbon fibre” uke, the tone would be the most important factor to consider.
But - LAVA did get the material right for the tone, it is quite pleasant, with a nice range to the sound. The brightness in tone shines and it is totally not “plasticky”.
Along with the bright acoustic sound, the LAVA U is also fitted with a scaled down preamp system that has a range of integrated options for playing effects, without plugging into an amp. It is also a clever feature that LAVA links the effect controls to an actuator stick on the inside back of the ukulele and applies the effects (reverb, chorus and delay) to the acoustic tone by vibrating the instrument itself, essentially allowing the LAVA U to use the back of itself as a speaker, that allows for playing without plugging into an amp. There is a minor problem with this preamp system however, in that the ukulele cannot be played with delay and chorus at the same time.
To hold, the whole thing is very pleasurable with no sharp edges and the neck is comfortable for the user but may be considered narrow by some people. The tuners are nice and smooth, with an interesting screw-less design, which provides a great aesthetic from the head to the body of the ukulele.
One more noticeable thing that needs to be mentioned is the LAVA U’s transparent case, which is one of the most striking-look cases out there and is definitely one of the things people are talking about the most. This unique case design does look special for a ukulele but there are questions that the clear front surface will be easily scratched and need to be carefully looked after to avoid this.
Overall, the whole thing shows LAVA’s commitment to producing an instrument of superb quality, with no real defining faults, making the LAVA U a well thought out and attractive ukulele proposition. It oozes 'high end' vibes and seems almost “apple-esque” in a very good way. For anyone looking for a quality, high end product, the LAVA U is one to recommend.
For more information visit:
here.
