Yet another Lotus mouthpiece review

[JeffTheHornGuy]

Long read incoming...

I recently purchased a 3M in Nickel from a TH member a few months ago, and I've now played it on at least half-a-dozen gigs in addition to many hours in the practice room. I'm certainly well past the "honeymoon phase" at this point! My playing is on the commercial side of the spectrum, mostly pop-oriented horn lines and backgrounds with some extended blowing thrown in there. Since a lot of the parts are quite high and need to cut over a band, I've been playing on lead mouthpieces for the past couple years since we've started touring, although I don't consider myself a "lead player." Despite my chops being in decent shape, I began feeling very dissatisfied with my accuracy and intonation below a top-staff G. For this reason, I decided to try something with more cup volume. Enter the Lotus 3M.

Before the Lotus, I had been playing ACB mouthpieces for the past 7+ years. They are terrific and Trent is an amazing person to work with. Despite the Lotus 3M being larger in diameter and depth than both the TA-4 I'd played for 5 years and the TA1L2 I picked up more recently, I have noticeably better endurance during gigs with the Lotus. Interestingly, I believe the reason for this difference is intonation. With my ACB pieces, I could rip through the band's 90 minute set by myself in the practice room without hassle, but on stage, my chops would begin to feel gassed only an hour or so into the set. In hindsight, I'm almost certain this is because on stage I'm constantly using my chops to adjust intonation when playing with other people, but in the practice room intonation issues aren't as obvious. The "constant pitch center" jargon described by Lotus is absolutely real, and the intonation differences were apparent from my first rehearsal using this mouthpiece. I'm interested to see if ACB's Custom Reserve line would offer the same feel of the ACB pieces I've loved but with this improved intonation design.

Now, the Lotus 3M doesn't sizzle like the TA1L2, but it's not a lead mouthpiece. It's a commercial-oriented all-rounder. I practice Charlier etudes and Clarke studies on the Lotus and it hardly sounds out of place. Compared to other mouthpieces with somewhat similar designs to the Lotus that I've tried (large throat, slightly shorter overall length) like Monette and AR Resonance, I have found the Lotus to require the least adjustment period. Articulations are quick feel very similar to a "traditional" mouthpiece, and the blow feels slightly more open than my Bach 3C, but not as open as my AR Resonance MC40. As a player who has always found comfort on pieces between a 3-5 diameter with a flat-ish rim, the Lotus 3 rim is absolutely perfect. The inner bite is somewhat sharp. Since I haven't played any brass or bronze Lotus pieces, I can't say how the nickel is different.

This piece works very well on my primary horn (early-Elkhart Bach 37), as well as my Puje and my B&S. It's not as comfortable on my Benge MLP, where I still prefer to use a more traditional mouthpiece. To anyone on the fence about buying a Lotus piece, it has done nothing but help me as a player. I find it comfortable and predicable and easy to adjust to coming from "normal" mouthpieces. The intonation is the real selling point, but the tone and overall playability is also excellent for a medium-depth mouthpiece. There is definitely a reason I keep seeing more and more pros switching to these mouthpieces. I'm excited to eventually try out more Lotus pieces in different depths and materials, and also the new competition from ACB.
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Trumpet player in Couch
Puje "Super T"
1970 Bach Stradivarius 37
Custom Lawler C7
Electronic music producer

[Brassnose]

Very interesting indeed. I still have a 3S in nickel in my backup pouch but hardly ever use it because for me the AR pieces are much more precise to play. Better intonation and flexibility, too. Looks like you found in the Lotus what I found in the AR pieces.

I should add that the Lotus does not work on the rotary horn at all. I was referring to using it on my Bach in the signature.
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2019 Martin Schmidt eXcellence
1992 Bach 43GH/43
1989 Kühnl & Hoyer Model 15 flugel
1980/2023 Custom Blessing Scholastic C 😎
1977 Conn 6B
1951 Buescher 400 Lightweight
AR Resonance, Klier, (Frate or Curry)

[acritzer]

If you want more sizzle maybe you could try an S sometime? I have one in brass and it's pretty nuts. I imagine the nickel version is even more so.

[ericmpena]

I liked the way my 1XL Bronze felt, but I wish I had it in brass instead. The bronze was way too dead sounding for me. It had minimal projection over a loud audience or a band.

I also tried a 2XL and 2XL2, but both were too small for me.

They seem like quality mouthpieces, but it wasn’t the sound I was looking for…so back to ACB for me.

[kehaulani]

I read all the hype. I paid my cash. No value-added. Will sell to anybody who wants a new one at a huge discount.

I have o reason to believe that Lotus aren't good mouthpieces for others. And maybe I like slightly more leeway in slotting, but it didn't add anything for me.
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"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird
"I wouldn't play like Wynton Marsalis even if I could play like Wynton Marsalis." Attributed to Chet

Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
Benge 3X Cornet

[acritzer]

[kehaulani]

[Jaw04]

[SMrtn]

op is a great review. enjoyed reading it. this is my own less than extensive review.

i own two curry mpc's, a 7c, and a 3c, a schilke, and three bach - 3c, 3e and a 3cw. the curry 7c was the one i used the most before investing in a lotus 3xl in nickel plate six months or so ago.

lotus is good. lotus rocks. i'm gettin' another one or two for my xeno and me.