Even if you’ve been playing trumpet for a long time, you may not have heard about Lotus trumpets.
Lotus is a new trumpet brand that is steadily becoming more popular in the trumpet community.
Here’s a rundown of Lotus trumpets to see if they are worth buying:
Here’s an Idea of How Much Lotus Trumpets Cost:
The cost of a Lotus trumpet is higher than the price of most professional trumpets. Lotus generally makes custom trumpets, which cost much more than mass-produced instruments. It’s rare to find a pre-owned Lotus trumpet for sale, but they typically cost around $5,000.
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Brief Introduction to Lotus Trumpets:
Lotus is a new trumpet brand that was created very recently.
The founder is Adam Rapa, a performer, composer, and educator. Lotus was launched in 2017, making it one of the newest trumpet brands available.
Monette heavily influenced the Lotus trumpet brand. Monette trumpets are extremely high quality because they are handmade. They are known for their unique design, which has attracted many famous trumpet players, like Wynton Marsalis.
Lotus has a similar reputation but on a smaller scale. Because they were only started a few years ago, not many trumpet players have reviewed their instruments. It will take time for Lotus to develop a higher reputation.
The chief of manufacturing for the Lotus brand is Andy Taylor. He is known for being one of the greatest bell makers in the world. He also works with the Taylor trumpet brand, which produces great trumpets.
To see a great overview of a Lotus trumpet, check out this review by Trent Austin from Austin Custom Brass!
For now, Lotus stands as a high-quality manufacturer known for its customizable trumpets with a high price tag.
1. Are Lotus Trumpets Thought of as Expensive Trumpets?
Because Lotus trumpets are handmade, they are expensive.
They have a similar brand as Monette, each wanting to make fully customizable and extremely high-quality trumpets. All of these factors contribute to the high price of Lotus trumpets.
A used Lotus trumpet costs much more than a new model from other brands. Even though it is a professional trumpet, it costs much more than other professional models.
You won’t be able to find Lotus instruments for sale in prominent music retailers. To buy a Lotus trumpet, you have to contact them directly to get a quote. Because of this, it’s hard to know exactly how much Lotus trumpets cost.
A new Lotus mouthpiece costs around $130. Although this is very expensive for a mouthpiece, it could be worth it. Lotus claims that their mouthpieces allow each player to have better accuracy, endurance, intonation, and precision.
Plus, you can always return your mouthpiece. Lotus has a great return and exchange policy.
Custom Ordering:
Each instrument is made to order, meaning that Lotus wants to make the right instrument for you.
If you find that your model doesn’t feel right, you can return it.
You can customize a horn and make a 50% deposit. Lotus will build your horn, and you can test out your instrument for a couple of weeks.
If you love it, you can pay the remaining 50%. If not, you can exchange it for a different model or get a full refund.
Because Lotus is a small, new brand, they will be more dedicated to meeting each customer’s needs. You might not have a great experience with a bigger brand that is mass-producing instruments.
2. How Do They Compare to Similar Trumpet Brands?
Other professional trumpet brands cost much less and are much more popular.
For example, a Bach Stradivarius trumpet is a very well-known, well-reviewed, and much lower price.
You can find a new Bach Stradivarius trumpet for about $3,000 to $3,500. In comparison, a used Lotus costs around $4,700. A brand-new Lotus will cost even more.
Plus, Bach is an instrument brand that has existed for decades. They originally started making mouthpieces in 1918, whereas Lotus was created in 2017. Well-known brands like Bach have more experience in making high-quality instruments.
Because Lotus is so new, you won’t be able to find many reviews online. This means that it is a bit of a risk to buy a Lotus instrument.
They may be worth the price, but the Lotus brand is not very known or reviewed.
3. How Much Should You Pay For a Used Lotus Trumpet?
Used Lotus trumpets generally cost around $5,000.
You won’t see many pre-owned Lotus instruments on the market, though.
Lotus is a very new brand, only being founded in 2017. There hasn’t been enough time for people to start selling their Lotus instruments yet. Once Lotus has established itself for a few more years, we may start to see more used trumpets.
Plus, it might be worth the brand-new price tag. Lotus instruments are handmade, often custom-designed for each player.
If you are a professional player looking for specific customizations, you’re better off buying a new Lotus.
4. Which Lotus Trumpets are the Most Popular?
Although you can order a custom Lotus trumpet from their website, Lotus does offer some general models.
It’s important to remember that many trumpet players haven’t reviewed these because the brand is so new.
Lotus trumpets are likely to be high-quality instruments because of their association with good brands like Monette and Taylor, but it is a risk to buy these instruments.
With that in mind, here are some of Lotus’s trumpet models:
Universal:
The Universal model was made to have a perfect balance and blend in an ensemble.
However, it also has enough presence and vibrancy to perform solo pieces.
With a medium-narrow taper bell, this model is very easy to play.
It also has a 137mm final flare diameter, which is slightly bigger than most trumpets. This allows you to have more projection.
Universal Max:
The Universal Max was originally known as the Lead/Solo model because of its ability to project a big sound.
The professional trumpet player Ashlin Parker loves this model and has been using it for years.
Solo Max:
The Solo Max is known for its full, rich sound. It has such a warm tone that Lotus gave it the nickname “dark chocolate.”
This tone comes from the copper stem and phosphor bronze flare.
The Solo Max can produce a range of tone colors and still have much stability and projection.
RAPA 4-Valve:
This Lotus model was specially designed by Adam Rapa and is one of their most unique models.
It has a 4-valve configuration that is still comfortable to hold. It is similar to a normal 3-valve trumpet, just with an extra rotor valve.
You won’t have to change your grip with this 4-valve trumpet. The 4-valve tubing is comprised of 3 pistons and 1 rotor valve.
This is wrapped tightly around the valve block, so it’s perfectly balanced.
5. How Much is My Lotus Trumpet Worth?
Most pre-owned Lotus trumpets are priced at around $5,000.
If you have a custom instrument with extra add-ons, it could be worth more.
There is currently not a lot of information about pricing Lotus instruments. Because it is such a new brand, it isn’t easy to know how to price your trumpet.
Final Thoughts
Lotus is a very new trumpet brand that hasn’t gained much recognition in the music community yet.
Because it was founded in 2017, the Lotus brand has not gained many customers or been reviewed.
Currently, Lotus is a very niche trumpet brand. It is similar to Monette in its pricing and handmade instruments, but Monette has had more time to establish itself as a designer trumpet brand.
Buying a Lotus trumpet comes with risk. There are not many reviews about Lotus trumpets, so you will have to buy one to see if you like it. Fortunately, Lotus has a great return policy.
If you decide to buy a Lotus trumpet, you could love it. Your horn could be customized to your wants and needs, unlike other trumpet brands.
Although it is expensive, the Lotus brand seems dedicated to quality.