Luva® Arm Pad for guitarists

Guitar performance with comfort and protection:

More fluency in moving the fingers, less fatigue, greater playing ease

"The ideal solution for the problem of the guitar edge!"

- That is the enthusiastic opinion of guitarists around the world about the Luva armpad of Matepis!

News 2011

Luva® Arm Pad with long sleeve

The Luva Arm Pad with long sleeve - with soft or with hard support - was designed as an alternative
for fixation of the arm pad on the arm, atempting for individual preferencies.

With a long sleeve, the Luva armpad is also attached at the elbow and arm.
Thus, even when the Luva armpad becomes a little looser with use, it can hardly slide from its position.

Luva Arm Pad with long sleeve

Detail of placement on arm and forearm

The Arm Pad with long sleeve will be offered as an additional model together with the Arm Pad with short sleeve.

Luva size MG

The Luva Arm Pad has a new intermediate size - MG.
This is because for some guitar players, whose size of the forearm, is at the limit between M and G,
the sleeve size M was sometimes a little bit tight while G was a little bit loose.

New protective splint

The protective splint of the arm pad (with rigid support) is now more durable and resistant.

We offer the Luva Arm Pad in two models:

Luva®Hard - Arm Pad with rigid support and Luva®Soft - Arm Pad with soft support

Each type in turn, has two models:

with short sleeve and with long sleeve

What are the advantages of using it?

The Luva armpad allows a more efficient functioning of the guitarist’s right arm and hand, which will become speedier and more secure, allowing more fluency in moving the fingers, resulting in less tension, a more relaxed right hand, less fatigue and greater playing ease.

How does it work?

The Luva hard - armpad with rigid support - is provided with an inner piece called a pressure distributor, which is its essential part. The pressure distributor has the function to eliminate local pressure of the guitar edge against the forearm, distributing the pressure along almost all of the inner surface of the forearm.

The Luva soft makes use of a rubber layer which allows a soft distribution of the arm pressure against the guitar edge. In this case the localized pressure is not completely eliminated, but softened.

Note: For the guitarists, who have a lot of arm pressure against the guitar edge, it is advisable to give preference to the Luva hard - armpad with rigid support.

Adaptation phase

The inner splint – the pressure distributor – of the Luva hard has the exact rating of rigidity necessary for its function, for it was tested for a long time with materials of different consistencies and densities. The result is considered ideal.

For the guitarist accustomed to playing without any protection it may require a few days of use to adjust, until he or she gets familiar with the application of the Luva. The insertion of a foam layer of higher density makes the Luva® armpad now more comfortable, giving a better feeling.

For the guitarists who have had difficulty in adjusting to the Luva® armpad with hard support we recommend using the Luva soft, which gives partial protection to the forearm, with a natural feeling of arm contact with the guitar.

Why was it created?

The Luva armpad was created for the protection of the guitarist’s forearm. When positioning the guitar (classical position), the guitarist normally applies pressure with his right forearm against the guitar’s edge. Thus, the action by the fingers is inhibited: the muscles do not work freely, the blood stream becomes hindered and tension in the forearm is increased.

All prior trials, looking for a solution to the problem of the guitar edge, were focused on building certain accessories to be fixed on the edge itself, trying to make it less sharp. Thus, – while the edge broadened, the muscles continue to be compressed, - it results in other problems to the guitarist, such as: a) aesthetics, because of the alteration in the instrument’s traditional appearance, and b) stability, because of the means of attachment, like suction cups that could come loose abruptly during a performance.

Medical Appliance

The use of the Luva armpad is highly recommended to:

• Avoid muscles and finger nerve compression

• Prevent calloused tissue formation, maintaining muscular flexibility

• Help in the prevention of lesions, like tendonitis and dystonia

The following photos show the arm with and without the protection of the Luva armpad:

Without the Luva armpad:

the localized pressure restricts the free muscular action, provoking tension

With the Luva hard - Arm Pad with rigid support:

the pressure is distributed, allowing the normal functioning of the muscles

With the Luva soft - Arm Pad with soft support:

the pressure is distributed partially, allowing better functioning of the muscles

Characteristics and Presentation

Antiallergic product. Fabric: 92% cotton and 8% elastano. The Luva hard has an internal splint (the pressure distributor), provided with holes in order to allow the skin to breathe, made of 100% polyethylene (for the small sizes) or polypropylene (for the medium and large sizes) + a layer of textured foam. In the most recent model a foam material of higher density has been applied and the foam layer (thicker than before) is now fixed on the fabric in order to prevent it from moving its position.

The Luva soft utilizes a inner sinthetic rubber layer, in place of the half-rigid pressure distributor, combined with textured foam, in order to soften the contact between the arm and the guitar edge.

The Luva armpad can be easily handled and used unperceptively under the arm sleeve, if one wishes (for example, during performances). It is appropriate for right-handed as well as for left-handed guitarists.

The standard color is black. Other options are: dark moss-green, beige (skin color), dark blue.

Luva hard + Luva soft
Size	Circumference of the forearm	Length of the Luva with short sleeve	Length of the Luva with long sleeve
PP (C) = small, extra narrow	18 - 21 cm (7 - 8 in)	14,5 cm (5.7 in)	26 cm (10.2 in)
P or S = small	21 - 24 cm (8.2 - 9.5 in)	14,5 cm (5.7 in)	26 cm (10.2 in)
P/M or S/M = small/medium	21 - 24 cm (8.2 - 9.5 in)	18 cm (7 in)	30 cm (11.8 in)
M = medium	24 - 28 cm (9.5 - 11 in)	18 cm (7 in)	30 cm (11.8 in)
MG = medium/large	27 - 29 cm (10.6 - 11.4 in)	18 cm (7 in)	30 cm (11.8 in)
G = large	28 - 31 cm (11 - 12.6 in)	18 cm (7 in)	30 cm (11.8 in)
GG = extra large	32 - 36 cm (12 - 14 in)	18 cm (7 in)	30 cm (11.8 in)
Note: In order to get your appropriate size, please measure the circumference of your forearm and then compare with the above table (the columns 'Size' and 'Circumference of the forearm').

Measuring the circumference of the forearm:

In order to measure the circumference of the forearm, you can make use of a tailor's tape or a paper strip (and then measure it with a rule), measuring the forearm at its widest, near to the elbow.

The Luva length with regard to the forearm length for the sizes P and P/M:

a) Size P (Luva length = 14.5 cm or 5.7 in) for a forearm of about 20 cm (approx. 7.8 in)
b) Size P/M (Luva length = 18 cm or 7 in) for a forearm of about 24 cm (approx. 9.5 in)

The length of the forearm is to be taken from the inner surface, starting from the junction arm/forearm (in an angle of 90º) until the wrist.