LAVA GENIE Sampling Guitar: A Tech Gimmick?
Could you rock the LAVA GENIE Sampling Guitar?
3,1 / 5,0 | 
LAVA GENIE is the latest iteration of the modern guitar for which the brand is known, and this time, they have released a sampling guitar. But will it be a viable instrument for guitarists or just another tech fad?
LAVA GENIE
The LAVA GENIE promises musical results in just 60 seconds, according to its manufacturer. While a white version has been available for several months, the LAVA GENIE Black is now launching.
Sampling Guitar
Shaped like a guitar, the LAVA GENIE makes music creation intuitive with its multi-touch fretboard (the side lights up to let users know where they are and what notes/chords they are triggering) and trigger pads for chords, rhythms, and individual notes. It boasts over 500 sounds and even includes drum patterns, so you can quickly build a small arrangement.
Plus, it has a built-in speaker system. Despite its size, LAVA claims it has a powerful, rich sound thanks to its bass and dual-driver speaker system.
For connectivity, there’s a 6.35 mm output jack and a 3.5 mm input jack.
Is This a Fad Or A Functional Instrument?
LAVA has licensed over 10,000 songs for you to play and jam to live, ensuring even beginners can quickly have fun. This potentially makes this “guitar” a viable tool for music makers, especially those who ars just starting out and maybe don’t have any previous musical inclination.
Travel Guitar?
Weighing just 1.9 kg with dimensions of 77.5 × 31.2 × 7.1 cm, it’s designed for portability. The internal 2500 mAh battery provides up to 6 hours of life with integrated speakers or up to 8 hours when using external speakers, and it conveniently charges via USB Type-C.
Smartphone App
The system provides chord progressions and can help players stay in the key of a song.
An accompanying smartphone app guides users through every step of the way, showing them exactly where to place their fingers on the fretboard and using colored lights to help them stay on track.
This LAVA state makes it easy to learn your favourite songs piece by piece while developing a strong feel for rhythm and melodies.
Price & Availability
The LAVA GENIE will be available in stores from the end of June, with a recommended retail price of €459. The LAVA GENIE is available in both white and black colour options.
Verdict
I’m happy for any product to help new musicians learn how to write songs and create music with, so as a learning tool, it could be fun.
I guess that this is a bit of a tech gimmick and will probably be of limited use over time. I would rather spend my money on a guitar or a keyboard, and go the traditional route of learning music. Primarily, as with a standard guitar or keyboard, there are no limitations.
My preference is that my musical instruments don’t rely on a smartphone app to be viable. If they cost $99 or less, then I would buy one for my kids or to mess around with in the studio.
More Information
This might also interest you
2 responses to “LAVA GENIE Sampling Guitar: A Tech Gimmick?”
I have seen dozens and dozens of attempts to do guitar-shaped stuffs like that (and tried a few). It NEVER works.
The guitar shape is great for guitar… but for anything else it’s uselessly cumbersome and really impractical.
I suppose we are doomed to see a couple products a year trying and failing to deliver a non-guitar-guitar for all eternity.
I’m a music producer and I love my tech. So, I bought one to see if it really did live up to the hype and I actually think it does everything it claims to do.
What people seem to be missing this is a digital sampler that is shaped as a guitar that lets you play numerous instruments and nothing more.
I mean, it’s got to be shaped as something right? So why not a guitar?
Anyway, it’s true that it is a breeze to learn and it is incredibly fun to play.
And because of that, it is great for providing those people who have always wanted to play music, but couldn’t because of things like Arthritis, physical disabilities, mental health etc. Or even for young children or those that fancy having a go at busking a chance to now do so.
Now don’t get me wrong, it isn’t perfect. But what is these days? However, the app is good, the Lava it’s self is very responsive and it has the option to go from 7 chords to 21.
The only complaints I hear are from those die hard guitarists who scream that it’s not a guitar and those saying how tiny the speakers sound. Which to be honest, is the most ridiculous thing I have heard since they are not there to busk with. If you wanna do that then you are going to buy an amp.
The only two niggles I have is that I can’t seem to find a way to separate the bass from the drums?
Plus, I can’t seem to get my mic to work in the jack that clearly says mic next to it?
Other than that, I’m still glad I bought it, but you’ll never replace a real guitar with it. But I don’t think that is the point anyway.