Lotus' Largest Trumpet Mouthpieces - Worth It?! | Mouthpiece Spotlight

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Hope you enjoy this video! We’ve already got a couple more Lotus reviews on the roster-specifically concerning some of their brighter-sounding pieces!

[@joshuarowley7587]

I love this review! I ended up switching over because of my needs and wants in my playing, but the fact that even though you have your Bach preference, you are still respectful and honest about all companies. Principled fair reviews! Excited to see more reviews!

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

Thank you so much!! Yeah, I noticed you primarily play Lotus these days! I went into this a little nervous but all too aware that this video needed to happen soon for a few reasons… - There is a distinct lack of candid reviews compared to brand marketing surrounding Lotus online. - People deserve to know from an unbiased source that these mouthpieces aren’t magic. - Even if they aren’t magic, and even if I’m still sticking with Bach mouthpieces, I found Lotuses to have a lot of good qualities that deserve to be highlighted, with appropriate caveats.

[@harleyzeth]

I'm not claiming these mouthpieces are a scam, BUT those videos of Adam watching young players test mouthpieces do remind us that musicians are a relatively easy group of people to scam. Adam could convince an alarming number of trumpet players that they sound better on mouthpieces made of rubber.

[@Scjdrilldesigns]

Played a Warburton for over 20 years, and my ears are well trained, but I switched to a Lotus the day I played one. Intonation and the lack of effort needed to play up high, are the reason I changed.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

@@harleyzeth This is an extremely important point and a big part of the reason I expedited making this video. They’re not a “scam” per se, but there’s some rather dirty marketing. “YOU and YOUR MOUTHPIECE have X/Y/Z issue, and MY mouthpiece will fix it. See? It’s fixed now!” Are Lotus mouthpieces bad? Absolutely not. They’re very good. But it’s important to hear it from a candid source with no ulterior motives.

[@domepiece11]

Well, I think MOST kids in school and even college should stick to the tried and true general purpose mouthpieces to be fair. Most trumpet players would do well to focus on their technique over using lots of mouthpieces.

[@Scjdrilldesigns]

@@domepiece11 I kind of agree. Kids go through things. Braces, physical change, some get serious, some do not. The equipment needs to match. The 7c, 5B, 3C route might not be what they need. I keep most of my High School students in a 3 of some sort, but a deeper cup than the 3C offers. Hammon Design 5ML is becoming a favorite to use with students; full sound, rich overtones, and you can back off on it. Some stay in their 5B if they’re not too serious, works fine. I think there is a big misconception that gear heads don’t practice. While I stayed with one mouthpiece for over 20 years, I found an advantage to short shank designs, and willing to find one that works and stay with it for 20 years. Might go the custom route, and do a AR type with a rim I like.

[@volkar8422]

love seeing a review like this on youtube. there is barely any information on youtube from other sources than lotus.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

@@volkar8422 That was indeed a motivator for getting this review done sooner rather than later-a distinct lack of candid video reviews online. Thanks for watching!

[@calvinbawesome7715]

My one gripe about my 3L after dailying it for months now is how unforgiving it is with tension. Tension is something I’ve struggled with for years, and even on my good days the mouthpiece will close down on me as I get tired hours into rehearsal or practice. In which case I switch over to a Yamaha and am able to rough it out for the rest. Other than that tho, very impressed with it. I find it easy and comfortable. I do hate how markety and manipulative their KZbin channel is though.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

@@calvinbawesome7715 For sure. My Bachs can still handle when I push a little too hard or tense up whereas Lotuses really want you to play with perfect technique. I just don’t think I’ll ever be that kind of player.

[@tomchojnowski9215]

I had the exact same experience with Lotus mouthpieces

[@domepiece11]

Your t-shirt is giving me flashbacks to the popular kids who made fun of me in school. 😂

[@hauke3644]

I stumbled upon a Lotus 2XL (brass) last year by accident and immediately found it very tempting, because it provides a fat, full sound while still supporting an easy and clean upper range. It only lacked a bit of brilliance in the middle register. Meanwhile I switched for good to a 3XL2 in bronze that has it all: fat, but clear sound, easy high register. And it works for all of my trumpets, even the rotaries! Only for piccolo I keep the 2XL (yes, a really deep mouthpiece for piccolo!). From the specs I got that they have a really large bore and from cleaning I noticed that the back bore is also large. If Lotus wasn’t that overpriced, I would recommend them to anyone.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

@@hauke3644 Funny enough, you are apparently far from the only one to prefer XL on piccolo. Very interesting though that you went slightly shallower for full-size trumpet, but I’m glad the XL2 was a good match for rotary. You’re correct about the large throat/backbore as far as I can tell. Dave Monette school of design. Not personally the biggest fan, but it can work well.

[@musicalcubes]

Great video and demonstrations Sam! I've taken to playing a modern VB 3C on both trumpet and cornet and I really like it on both instruments. Not a traditional brass band choice but it is more reliable and consistent than say a DW3 or 3B. A lot of problems went away with the 3C.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

@@musicalcubes Thank you! To be honest, I’m very surprised to hear that you are doing all your cornet work on a 3C. I have a slightly oversized Corp. 3C with a nice narrow 1-1/2 style rim that is almost a lead mouthpiece for me because of how shallow that nominal 3”C” cup is.

[@musicalcubes]

Mine seem to be a pretty standard C cup depth - not as shallow as a Yamaha 14B4 or Bobby Shew Jazz for comparison. It's brighter than the Wick, but it doesn't kill my chops and I don't have to fight to keep it in tune above the staff. Fluffs up nicely for the soft stuff and lights up for the big stuff.

[@ЖеняФихельман]

Ребята, всем привет! Хочу сказать, что я 15 лет был на 5B Bach и недавно решил найти ему замену, потому что - Bach мой стёрся, а за годы работы на нём я точно знал что хотел бы получить и что хотел бы улучшить в звуке. У меня на родине сейчас совсем плохо с выбором и мундштуки приходится покупать практически наугад. Но, прежде чем выбрать, я конечно много читаю описаний и отзывов. Взял сначала Schilke 13C4 и ободок явно отличался от 5B и мне пришлось привыкать два месяца. В целом 13С4 мне понравился, я к нему привык, немного скорректировал амбушюр. Исполнительский диапазон даже немного вырос. Но мне не нравился бедный набор обертонов и тусклая вторая октава. Решил попробовать Lotus. Было очень любопытно, по понятным причинам:) А достать Lotus в России ещё сложнее. Но я нашел то, что искал и немного промахнулся с размером, к сожалению. Сейчас играю на 2L GEN3 Brass. Хочу сказать, что все перечисленные мундштуки по-своему хороши. У каждого мундштука свой характер. И кстати, не знаю почему, но именно на Lotus 2L я расширил диапазон ещё больше. Теперь у меня есть ноты, которых у меня раньше никогда не было. Да, Lotus требует сильного амбушюра, я это чувствую, но кто сказал, что третья октава должна быть лёгкой?!🤭 Lotus не делает волшебные мундштуки. А кто делает???🙄

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

@@ЖеняФихельман I am glad that the Lotus has worked well for you-it’s truly a pity that the options for instruments and mouthpieces are so limited in Russia. Additionally, I’m not surprised that the Schilke 13C4 did not work for you, because the Bach 5B is a famously rounded rim and most Schilke “C4” rims are very flat. Good choice with the Lotus 2L.

[@ЖеняФихельман]

@@SamuelPlaysBrass Большое спасибо тебе за сочувствие, я тронут! И спасибо тебе за твои обзоры! О! Да-да! Я прекрасно понимаю разницу между 5B и 13С4!☺ Мой переход на плоские поля был осознанным и может быть ещё и поэтому 2L мне понравился. Но, рассчитываю всё таки скорректировать размер и купить 3L2 N Gen3 , думаю будет в самый раз. Конечно, я уверен, придти в магазин и перепробывать всю линейку выпускаемых любой фирмой мундштуков - было бы надёжнее. Но...приходится поступать так же, как сделал ты и это тоже в некотором роде нормально. 🙃

[@peternaryd_operasinger]

Great video Samuel 👍👍

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

@@peternaryd_operasinger Thank you Peter!

[@peternaryd_operasinger]

@@SamuelPlaysBrass You're so welcome!

[@Johan-mi2ji]

thanks for this review

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

@@Johan-mi2ji Thanks for watching!

[@Quadstriker]

This was useful to me if for no other reason than a good explanation of their numbering system.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

@@Quadstriker Glad I could help! It’s always important to understand the specs of anything you’re trying in my humble opinion.

[@Brian.Martin.Trumpet]

I play on a 3XL2 Turbowood for trumpet most of the time, 3M brass for more endurance intensive pieces, 9S brass for piccolo, and 9XS brass for lead. For whatever reason, the 7L in Turbowood works best for my cornet (custom cornet backbore). It’s what like a .01 inch difference in rim diameter but the smaller rim just seems to work endurance-wise on cornet. Overall though, switching to Lotus has been beneficial for me. Luckily there’s a music store near me that has them in stock so I’ve tested as many as I could. I really wanted to try the 3XL3, but apparently they all went to a different store.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

@@Brian.Martin.Trumpet You might be the first person I’ve heard of to have five different uses for five different Lotus mouthpieces. Sounds like they do well for you. I love the XL2 cup myself, but you’re also one of the first I’ve heard of to primarily use a Turbowood. I’m curious as to what you like (or don’t like) about the Turbowood material. Also, who did the conversion for your 7L on a cornet backbore? I haven’t ever seen Lotus do custom work with cornet shanks.

[@Brian.Martin.Trumpet]

@@SamuelPlaysBrass The Turbowood being softer can definitely help with endurance. I will say the articulations don’t feel as crisp as the metal ones though. Also I have to make sure I’m completely warmed up, otherwise the tone doesn’t feel fully established. Karl at Hammond Design made my cornet backbore. I have a friend who’s having him make a backbore for his 3S in Turbowood that he’ll use on Eb cornet. Our Brass Band program has been quite intense this season.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

@@Brian.Martin.Trumpet Very nice! Karl does great work. I do recall seeing another person have a Lotus adapted to cornet shank specifically for use on Eb. What a bugger that horn is. I played it last season, and on one hand I loved it, but on the other I sure don’t miss it and am glad to be back to Bb cornet.

[@ronzgarage]

Sam, would you consider doing a similar exploration on trombone mouthpieces?

[@dingerz4lifegcv775]

Love the videos bro!!!!

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

@@dingerz4lifegcv775 Thanks man!!

[@Thenoisendadark]

I'm going to give lotus a try. I play on a Bach 1-1/2c for low work, and I still play up in the high register if i need a richer sound. I also play a giardinelli 7m for jazz just to get a brighter sound. Talked to the lotus "mouthpiece" guy via email, and I'm getting the 2L2 to try out ( I might do the free trade for a 1L2 as my lips take up some room). After we talked for a bit about what my needs are, I've been playing for about 20 years, and all the mouthpiece I've played just don't seem like they fit me. So I'm going to see what trying to find something for me will do. I might get that spark back and see if i can get a gig band.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

@@Thenoisendadark Good luck with the trial and let me know how it goes. I am a firm believer in using gear that makes playing exciting, regardless of what it is. That’s why I collect all the crazy vintage stuff!

[@Thenoisendadark]

@SamuelPlaysBrass I'm really intrigued by the lotus trial process. I believe it's that if you don't love it before 30 days is up, you can trade for a different setup (cup, metal, size, etc) or get a full refund less shipping. I'm really curious what a 2L2 N will do in my Bach with a 72" bell. I have a dark, rich tone already, so I'm looking to get some sparkle with the nickel. Next, i need to replace my mutes, which I've lost or destroyed after moving around the country.

[@campas7182]

In between Monette and Lotus he was with AR Resonance if I'm not mistaken.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

@@campas7182 Thanks for the info! I guess it makes sense that most of Lotus’ machining takes place in Italy with that in mind.

[@Scjdrilldesigns]

I play a 1L and 1XL2 in brass, and I find the Lotus pieces have less “middle” overtones vs my other pieces. So I wouldn’t say they sound just like other brass blanks from other brands.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

@@Scjdrilldesigns Actually, I think you hit the nail on the head. I found the 1L to sound a little “boring” and I chalked it up to me being used to the sound of brass, but it could definitely be down to a dearth of mid frequencies and thus a lack of body to the sound. My trumpet teacher had a similar impression to yours.

[@Scjdrilldesigns]

@@SamuelPlaysBrass I like that sound on the 1XL because the bottom end balances out that sound. I also have an AR VLC (1C) and an MLC (1 1/2 C). The AR responds quicker, and has a more “refined” sound, but… my intonation is so much better on the Lotus and the AR has a flatter rim, and high alpha angle) that doesn’t do it for me. I’m actually going back to a more conventional piece so my students have more of an overtone blend that they can match.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

@@Scjdrilldesigns Ooh, yeah, flat rims are a massive no-no for me. Some of Lotus’ Gen. 3 mouthpieces have this stupid new “marathon” rim design that Rapa insists is better for upper register playing, when all it does is put a dent in my face.

[@Scjdrilldesigns]

@@SamuelPlaysBrass same here. Flat rims + my face = ring of shame. I need the bite and lower alpha angle.

[@KerryLorah]

I noticed you not using slides. I take it that was intentional to check pitch from the mouthpiece.

[@johngoodfellow4776]

I play on a Schilke 24 Trumpet Mouthpiece, How do Lotus Mouthpices Compare To Schilke?

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

@@johngoodfellow4776 The Schilke 24 is massive. I don’t think anything from Lotus really compares. The following is my impression of Lotus sizes and their closest Schilke equivalent ranges… Lotus 1: Schilke 18-20 Lotus 2: Schilke 14-17 Lotus 3: Schilke 12-13 Lotus 7: Schilke 10-11 Lotus 9: Schilke 8-9 Lotus 11: Schilke 5-7

[@fueledbykyle]

I've been playing Lotus pieces for 3 years, and the one major disappointing thing about them is that they've had not 1, not 2, but 3 price increases since then. I bought my first for about $130. Now they start at $200. Sure, they're in their new gold-like plating, but that's a huge increase in 3 years...

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

@@fueledbykyle Very true. It sucks to see the prices get hiked up so quickly. And I wish they still offered the standard silver plate… not a fan of whatever custom formula they use for their “gold” plating.

[@loganwilliams7237]

What about TurboWood? It's amazing

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

@@loganwilliams7237 I have a Turbowood 2L review coming up. Spoiler alert: not for me.

[@Pastaxgood12]

I love my lotus 3l2, but I cant stand my endurance on it. Its sound is personally my favorite ive produced but since im playing lead in jazz ive considered going slightly shallower. Recently, while my endurance is better on it, ive been a bit unhappy with my tone and range (its a little less than the lotus) on a shilke 14a4a ive been using. Ive realized that I probably just dont agree very well with the tight throat and therefore have considered going back to my lotus, although in search of more support im considering a shallower cup like a 3s or 3m. Honesty a 3mb sounds very attractive to me as it has more support and the bronze will let me have a darker tone for ballads. I find my natural tone to be quite "boring" as youve described so I dont really think ill be too edgy on a 3mb or too dark on a 3s (brass).

[@rubenproost2552]

They say the generation 3 versions have slightly more compression, so maybe a new 3M?

[@Pastaxgood12]

​​​​ i guess I may have not been clear enough that the only lotus I own is the 3l2 b (gen 2). From what I can gather, since it has been by far the most comfortable rim ive played on, 3 seems to be my size, and since an m is only so much shallower, im fairly certain id do well on a 3m, sadly I dont have any lotus dealers near me so I may have to resort to a gamble

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

@@Pastaxgood12 Definitely keep the “2” cups in mind. 3M2 might be the superweapon you’re looking for (although I believe they’re all made in nickel by default). The S cup is probably equally shallow to that 14A4A-I personally can’t handle it at all. But while the M2 is not horrifically shallow it has a fairly tight throat entrance and backbore. I LOVED playing on a 2M2 nickel… until my chops swelled a little too much for the 2 diameter.

[@Pastaxgood12]

@@SamuelPlaysBrass i believe the closest they have to a shilke is an xs, if Ircc they comlare the 14a4a to a bach f cup and their S to an e. Either way ill probably go with the m, although the m2 does sound intersting. I more so wish I could test before I play

[@rogerlarocque8984]

11:28pm I pay to have KZbin without commercials but they allow the person who makes the video sneak in a commercial for whatever they want during the making of the video. I will always give them a 👎 when this is done. I will also stop my subscription I have of their site.

[@SamuelPlaysBrass]

@@rogerlarocque8984 That’s really quite rude, Roger. I go to school for mechanical engineering, work part time, take gigs, AND make content for KZbin that barely pays at all. If you don’t like that I kindly ask that my audience consider pledging on Patreon, skip past the announcement.

[@sumabatman]

Delete your account

[@jacobcasas5565]

@rogerlarocque8984 you sound like an entitled brat, go cry somewhere else. There's still going to be a lot of us that are going to continue to appreciate and support Samuel's content.