Lotus Strat Copy

I have 3 of these. One Korean I believe and two Japanese. Not much to say, Strat style guitar.

The reason I have three is because I like 'em. I bought a tele style in the late 80's and decided I wanted the Strat version. There is considerable differences in the three so it seems there was a lot of building methods over the production run. These sound better than most real Strats I have owned. I own a MIM Strat I bought in the early 90's and is OK but I don't like the vintage frets much. The Lotus has nice big frets, Jumbo I guess. One of the ones I have has the most perfect neck I have used on a Strat, it is SUPER, and sounds really good. They all sound good but this one sounds REAL good.

I got them all used so there was a lot of set up work involved, not a problem. I was a guitar tech at one time so actually enjoyed this process. They are heavy but I like this also, so no problem. Very solid, since the average age of these when bought was 20 years or so it shows they hold up well. One of the ones I have has a beautiful tobacco sunburst finish in super shape, one red which also is wonderful, and a black one, also nice. I will say the tuners could use an upgrade, I have done this to two of them but the other stays in tune fine with the stock tuners so will not fix it if it ain't broke. Since I got these used I leave this as no opinion since I can't say how they were new.

I have played out with my tele version for over 20 years so I would have no problem using the Strat version even without a back-up.

guess there isn't any

Been playing 40 years. Nothing you could really add to it, it does the strat thing just fine. If it were stolen I would still have two so would be mad but would get over it. I have a Fender '62 reissue, a MIM, and a few other knock-offs and like my Lotus better than any of these. Of the ones I played/owned they all have great necks. I have a slew of tele's but when I'm in the mood for a Strat I grab the Lotus. I have a total of 40 or so guitars, some very expensive so appreciate what you can get for 40 to 50 bucks. If I see another one around I just might buy it too.

Got this off ebay so don't know where it was made. I have a Lotus tele copy I got back in the late 80's that I believe was from China. S/S/S configuration. Basic Strat knock-off. Cheap tuners but hold tune fine. I have tons of parts laying around so may upgrade but everything seems to work fine.

This suits my styles fine, Classic Rock, Country, Blues. I have a simple set-up, TS 808 and an H2O chours/delay. This guitar has a very good sound, not wimpy like most Strats. I have 5 or so other strats including a '62 reissue, Squire with Dimarzio Virtual Vintage pickups, ect. The pickups in the Lotus are the normal Asian Ceramic bar magnet jobs but they seem more mellow than any other pickups I have used of this type, maybe because the guitar is over 20 years old they may have mellowed out. I like the sound a lot but I like a little harder sound than most Alnico pickups in American Strats. I was expecting noisy electronics but this thing is very quiet, no crackling switch or scratchy pots. I don't plan to change anything unless it needs it, everything works well, much more than I expected from a 40 dollar used guitar bought sight unseen.

This thing most likely sat in somebody's closet for the last 20 years. No fret wear at all. Did some minor adjustments and started playing. One of the best necks I have played on any guitar just like my old Lotus tele and the reason I bought this guitar. The finish is pretty good, a little orange peel but not noticeable unless you really look. One nice thing is the neck has turned a nice amber color. When removing the truss rod cover to adjust the relief a bit you can see how much it has aged. The bridge was all gunked up but took it all apart and polished it up and found the cheap chrome bridge shined up like new. I may replace this for a heavy steel sustain block but maybe not, it actually sounds fine as is. All screws had some surface rust but most of this came off with a little lighter fluid, all in all very good shape for a 20 year old guitar.

I used my other Lotus when playing out many times and wouldn't have any reservations doing the same with this one. Everything seems solid. I keep a few tools in my gig bag so should be able to fix any minor thing that comes up.

Been playing guitar 35 years and music for 40 years since I was 8. If it were stolen I'd just find another one for 40 or 50 bucks. I have no complaints with it, it plays better than my '62 reissue I think mainly because I like the fat frets on the Lotus. It may not have the thin vintage sound but that ain't a bad thing, it does have a nice full sound, the bridge pick-up is snappy without being annoying, the neck is nice and bluesy, and the in-between positions are strat like to me. I have some expensive guitars that don't sound as good and as good as this one plays I can't complain.

My Lotus "strat" is PROBABLY an early- to mid-80s one and I'd guess Japanese in origin. Since Lotus was just one of those anonymous "Let's build guitars" companies, it's hard to know. They were made in Japan, India, and possibly Indonesia and Korea over the years but were originally Japanese from what I can tell. I think the reviews below are all over the map because the guitars themselves varied so widely from factory to factory. Mine says "Electric Guitar" after the logo on the headstock, has the truss rod adjuster at the butt of the neck, has a slightly aged gloss lacquer over the neck and maple fretboard, a pretty heavy-duty Fender-styled traditional Strat vibrato with chunky saddles with tiny allen adjusters, a beveled pickguard, and overall is a REALLY precise copy of a Japanese Fender Stratocaster. And that is not a bad thing. It LOOKS precisely like the $4000 David Gilmour Strat.

It sounds like a Strat. The "sounds like garbage" reviews may be for ones that were a different vintage or were abused or set up wrong. I do see a lot of 'I BEEN PLAYING 8 WEEKS BIT I M PRTY GUD, SLAYER RULZ AND THIS GUITAR IS SUCKY THRU MY 15 WATT RANDALL THAT RULEZ" reviews. Also Professor Single Coils Are Superior... please tell Jimmy Page, Peter Green, EVH, George Benson, Steve Vai, etc. They'll be grateful to know their tones suck. This guitar has staggered poles, and the 5-way switch makes it sound like it should. I used to have a G&L Legacy and while I'm sure A-Bing them would be fun, overall this guitar makes Strat sounds like one would expect.

Hard to say on a 25-year-old (more or less) guitar. Weighs a LOT, well-finished. Med-jumbo frets are finished as well as a normal guitar. Neck is straight. Had dramatic tuning problems until I spent a couple hours doing a setup on pickups, neck and bridge (kids at home, Google "Strat vibrato setup" and follow the instructions) so once it was floating 3/16" off the body, parallel, intonated and with the action low... played fine. A very good tech-to-the-local-heavies here in Atlanta checked it out and congratulated me on getting a guitar that played as well as a David Gilmour Strat guitar for forty bucks.

Built well. I added Schaller straplocks and have gigged with it.

N/A

I've played a long time, and hobnobbed/jammed/recorded with/opened for some big shots. I'm just a competent player, nothing special. But I know tone and how to play professionally. I use 30-watt EL84 combos, whatever brand, with 2 12s, and few effects. Usually play Guild Bluesbirds (I have two) but this guitar is perfectly good and I won't be upset if I scratch it. I'd give it an 8 but if you can find a JAPANESE EIGHTIES Lotus Strat, GRAB IT. It's a "10" for sheer value.

I dunno some type of Korean job. Typical strat copy, 22 frets, S-S-S configuration, double cut, 5-way, cheap factory imitation Gotoh tuners and stock tremolo. Pickups servicable, but no great shakes. Nice maple neck and alder body though.

Doesn't really apply now, since it's been totally rebuilt, but I did plug it in and play it right after I bought it. Sounded like ****, but I dunno who owned it before. The action and intonation were not set up (the previous owner had taken all the saddles and adjusted them flush with the back of the bridge) and the hole for the tremolo arm was stripped out. The slots in the nut were all gouged out. The electronics crackled like a bad transistor radio, and the paint job looked like it had been done with a paintbrush using old black exterior house paint - atrocious! It's not fair to blame that on the guitar in orignal condition however.

I bought this thing because I liked the weight, the neck, and the way it fit together, oh and it was cheap. My sole purpose was to strip it down and make it my project guitar, which required only that the neck and body fit well together, I didn't care about much else.

Yeah, the neck and body are like a rock, but they're the only original parts I still have.

I don't know if they're still in business. In any case I definitely voided the warranty.

This is an awesome guitar for the Dr. Frankenstein lurking within each of us. Body and neck wise, it's damn near indestructable. I've refinished the neck twice, the body innumerable times. I've had it in the original S-S-S configuration and modified it to S-S-H. Of course, I've changed everything out. New electronics tuners, nut, bridge, etc. I agree with one of the users that commented about how hard it is to get the original nut removed, I used a hammer with a nail set to pop it out and then filed the slot to get all the gunk out. I only paid $60 at a second hand music shop whereas if I had gone through Stew-Mac or Warmouth I would easily have spent 3 times that for a new neck and body and who knows if they would have fit together as well. Right now, it's painted in a glossy seafoam green with a white sparkle pickguard (very vintage looking) with Duncan SSL-3's and a Pearly Gates in S-S-H configuration. I play it mostly through a hot-rodded 70's era Princeton or this homemade beast I built from a gutted out Sears Roebuck bass amp. As you can tell, I'm a very hands-on type of guy.

Basic strat copy as all the other users here have described. This one is all stock as far as I can tell. Had the stock tremolo with handle (now disabled) and was missing the little knob for the 5 way pick up switch. Mine is gloss black with white trim. I have no idea what year (how would you tell?) or woods used (Rosewood neck maybe?),or country of origin, however this thing is heavy as hell and appears to be built like a tank. It's actually one of the heaviest electric guitars I've ever handled. Extremely cheap tuners, rest of the hardware is ok, nothing great.

I have some trouble judging this as I'm an acoustic player and a huge part of getting a good sound with an electric is what amp you're using and how you set it, which I'm still a novice at. To me the pickups sound kind of thin and reedy, harsh actually. I typically play it with the neck and center pickup together. I think with some level of trial it could sound ok, however I'm sure these are crappy pickups to start with so that's a limitation. I'm used to playing a Martin HD28 which sounds beautiful amped or not, but that's hardly a fair comparison. Ironically enough, I play this thing almost all the time WITHOUT an amp because I can practice with it and not disturb anyone late at night. I love it for that.

This is what actually attracted me to the guitar(and of course the price)in the first place. The neck was totally straight and felt great. The frets were good and the body just "felt" right. For a cheap guitar it's put together pretty well. I found mine in an antique store with old strings on it and who knows the last time anyone did any adjustments on it and it just felt really good. One thing I DON'T like is the tail piece/saddle assembly. The saddles are adjusted up and down with little allen head screws and the ones on mine stick up 1/8" or so, and they're kind of sharp. I tend to rest my struminng hand right on this part of the tail piece and if I played it a lot I think it would be uncomfortable after a while.

Seems ok, however I have changed some of the items to improve it. I blocked up the tremolo solid to the body because a.) it was chaep and wouldn't have stayed in tune, b.) what the hell would I do with a tremolo anyway? I also installed some decent tuning heads off a junked Yamaha strat copy I had laying around. After setting the action and intonation, it holds a tune and stays in tune as you move up the neck. I do a lot of giging but it's all with my Martin. But I'd say it's a decent product.

Are these guys even still in business?

I've been playing for over 20 years, however it's pretty much acoustic guitar or electric bass. As I said, I bought this at an anique store for $60 on the off chance that it would need some work but might be playable. Just for the hell of it really. I've been very pleasantly surprised, delighted in fact. The action is great and it's a lot of fun to play and handy to practice with. The few times I've run it through an amp and jammed with people I've had mixed feelings about the sound, but it's still a lot of fun to play and a nice guitar to have around. If you can find one cheap (up to $125 maybe) check it out. My guess is that there's a lot of variation in these, and I happened to get a decent one. The next one you see might be pretty worthless.

Okay, this is just a regular strat styled guitar. I don't know what kind of wood the body is made out of (it might even be plywood), but I am most definite that the neck is maple, and the finger board is rosewood. The electronics are standard strat electronics 3 sweet sounding singles with a 5way switch and one volume and two tone controls. Mine is slightly modified(will explain in the sound section). The tuners are really cheap and I might replace them eventually. The bridge is a standard vintage style tremelo. 21 frets. The 10 rating is for the tone.

My setup right now is this guitar to a DOD fx50 overdrive preamp (almost the same electronics as the 250 overdrive preamp) from that to a DOD fx57 hard rock distortion (slightly modified you can read that in my review of the pedal) to a DOD fuzz, to my own creation (not patented yet, can't share), to a morley PWA wah (best wah) to a Laney GC 50A amp (best amp ever at least check one out if you see one.) I also have a DOD fx90 delay that I am fixing. I also just won a dod phaser on eBay they will both probably go in my amps effects loop. Well anyway my style is something that I like to call Funk/Metal or Hard Funk Rock. Sometimes it goes to a straight funk or straight metal, but most of the time I write songs in between. I would start a band, but I don't think that anyone is interested in playing George Clinton and Black Sabbath at the same time (email me if you are). Well anyway you could really describe this amp as being twangy. It almost sounds more like a Tele than a Strat. This is perfect.To be honest single coils will always have better tone than humbuckers. Humbuckers should be described as toneless, but if you get a good single coil that sound actually has life into it. If you think that guys like Linkin Park have good tone, then your ears are probably not developed enough. I am not saying that I never listen to music that uses humbuckers, but I can always wish that they used single. The guy with the single best tone in all of hard rock is Tom Morello most of the time he is playing a standard strat with the neck single coil pickup. Try to think about that when you are trying to develop your tone.
I mostly use the middle pickup because it gives you a great funky hitchainyochest punch, the bridge is fairly good for leads and the neck is fine for some other stuff. My slight modification is that on the five way switch I switched the wires for the middle and the neck pickups. You might ask, Why in the hell would this guy do this? Well because .......... At this setting the middle pickup is used when the switch is all the way up (where the neck position usually is). Because I use the middle pickup alot by itself this makes alot of since. If I am using any other setting all I have to do is flick the switch all the way up and I am there for some great punch. The neck pickup is still of course easily accessible. The second reason for this is because I wanted to be able to use the bridge and neck pickups ath the same time. This is a really awesome rythym tone for hard rock riffs. If you have one of these (or almost any strat) you should try this. All it will cost you is a little solder, and it won't even take five minutes to switch back if you don't like it. There is two draw back to this mod though. One is that you are losing another pickup combination (the bridge and middle together) this was no big deal to me, but it might be to you. The other is that NONE OF THE SWITCH POSITIONS CANCEL HUM. This again is no big deal to me because I never use gobs of distortion. I am also into noise guitar so sometimes single coil hum is useful anyway. Oh and by the way anyone that complains about this or any other guitar with single coils being noisy is a dumbass. I mean get real that is what single coils do. Unless you get some Kinman's or Fender vintage noisless or something like that you are just going to have to live with it. Either that or get some crappy humbuckers! Oh yeah and by the way the tone controls are really responsive even before I replaced them (you will see why in the reliability section.)

Okay this section should almost not even be in here. No offence to the guys at harmony central, but action and setup is a personal thing. I don't care if you just bought a $4,000 guitar from Fender the setup is not going to be exactly how you want it. Why? Fender is not psychic (the morons at Gison aren't either.) That is why you either need the money to pay someone to set stuff up for you or do it yourself. It isn't rocket science so I suggest the later. There don't seem to be any real flaws, but I got this guitar used and REALLY used so I am not counting the abuse it took as flaws. Not the guitars fault. The finish doesn't effect playabilty so I don't give a crap.

This guitar would probably be able to be played live. Fact is guitars are not that hard to be wired up. Unlike effects and amps as long as they hold up physically (i.e. the neck doesn't snap in half and the body doesn't fall apart) they should be fine. The electronics are so frickin' easy to replace. If you google "strat wiring diagram" you will find like 5,000 or so sites with the right wiring diagram for this and other guitars like it. That said this guitar did have some major problems when I got it. This again was due to some abuse (possibly) and the fact that it sat in somebodies attic for like 10 years or so. When I got it the switch was just fried. It would only work with the middle pickup position. On top of that the volume pot would only work if you turned it all the way up. Before I changed the strings I opened it up. I took out the old switch and the volume pot. I had the entire guts for a strat put together anyway so I just wired up the pickups to the other "guts." This is why the tone controls where also replaced because they were already wired. I did the slight modification that I mentioned earlier, slapped it back together, and it was ready to rock er... FUNK in my case. That said for most guitars there almost really isn't a reason to rate durability. The electronics are so easy to wire a trained monkey could do it. I believe that the body and neck will hold up. If the pickups ever failed I would be ragingly pissed. I don't know if I could ever find another pickup set like that so funky. I would probably have to make my own. I don't believe that they will ever fail though. I don't plan on pooring Dr pepper on them any time soon. If they did go out I would probably buy another one on eBay. These things only go for like $20 so it wouldn't really matter. Then I could maybe expirement with the other Lotus strat.

Don't know who the hell lotus is so I can't rat this category. Maybe if I ever need assistance (which I never will) I could call the car company. Hey maybe that's a good idea for a prank call. "Yeah, I've got this Lotus and my volume pot just went bad." They will probably think that I am talking about drugs that would be funny.

Well anyway. This guitar was literally just given to me. I was playing a Washburn 7string and missing single coil sound BAD! A friend at work told me that he had a guitar sitting in his parents basement. Apparently it had been sitting there for about 10-15 years or so. He bought it (he doesn't even know where) for his first guitar, but gave up playing before a year even went by. I told him about how I had to sell my guitar for $200 on eBay (the truth) to make my house payment. He then offered to give me this for free. I sell guitars and other musical equipment on eBay all the time, so I figured I could just play it for a while and just use it for parts. I was totally blown away by the sound. The tuners do need upgrading, but I already have those if there aren't any guitars that I am selling that need them. This guitar literally outshines any $500 Fender that I could sell in both the tone and playability category. I am almost shooting myself in the foot for saying that because I don't want one of my customers to find out a dirty little secret. When you buy a $500 guitar you are buying a $100 guitar and a $400 name tag. When you buy a $3000 Les Paul (talking of the modern not vintage ones) you are buying a $500 guitar and a $2,500 name tag. There are plenty of guitars made overseas that match or outperform their name brand counterparts. Don't let it bother you that it is not "Made in the U.S.A." because contrary to popular belief people in China, India, and Indonesia need to eat too! Well anyway back to about the guitar. This guitar is perfect especially for getting it for free. I will eventually be getting a SX brand strat copy from Rondo music. They sell one with a Floyd Rose a middle singl and two humbuckers for only $150. You can't beat that. Unless of course you want to pay another $500 for a name tag. This will probably be my main guitar and the SX will be for stuff that needs a Floyd rose. Also there are some guitar tricks and noises that I do that unfortunatley need a humbucker (or a Kinman single) so that guitar would be useful to. When I get this other guitar I don't picture needing anymore solid bodied guitars for a while.

Okay, I'll try my best to discribe this guitar. The one I have is a Fender Strat copy with 3 single coil strat style pick-ups, 1 volume, 2 tone, and a 5 way selector switch. It's black with a white pickguard, and has the usual recessed jack input like on a real Stratocaster. I think it's a 1998 model. It has a bolt on neck that is unfinished the same as the headstock. It has 21 frets, and what I think is called a "zero fret" near the headstock, behind the nut, up where the cheap vinyl truss rod cover is located. It has string spacers on the headstock, and a flower decal next to the "Lotus" Logo. The tuners are cheap, but it seems to stay in tune fairly well.

Presently, I am using this Strat clone with an MX-120watt CRATE Combo AMP w/2-12's. While it does imitate a Fender Strat with the 5 way selector switch, it seems to be "extremely twangy" to the point of being harsh and annoying. A very bright sound, able to cut through just about anything. Output is fairly hot even with pick up hieght at lowest position, and it will make your ears bleed if you have the trebel up too high on the amp. While it has a variety of sounds, there is only one that I consider "usable" for the clean style needed for the classic rock that I cover.

This guitar seems to have absolutly no tuning problems, or fret buzz. Since I bought this used, the nut had a small chip out of it, but the string still stays in place alright so far. The string height is very playable, and the neck seems rather wide...something like on a Gretsch Duo Jet.

I havent used this guitar live outside of a practice session. I would hesitate to use it without a back-up in a live situation, but would use it as a "switch over guitar" for certain songs. The finish is very durable, and the guitar is like a piece of petrified wood... very heavy and hard. This could take some fairly heavy misuse or abuse or unfortunate accident.

Never needed to contact them, or cared to.

I have been playing guitar for 37 years. I have quite a few guitars, but no Fenders. The closest thing I have to this guitar is an old Harmony brand strat copy, and a TOKAI 38 Special, both of which sound better than this guitar for a Strat sound. I like the extra heavy duty pick guard, and how well built the whole guitar seems to be. Compared to anything else you would find at the price I paid for this, I think I got a great deal. If it was lost or stolen, yes, I would be checking out the other flea markets to see if it reappeared again. The only thing I compared it to, was "what else" I could get for $25. At that price, I didn't care what it sounded like, it was "a guitar" and it was in very good condition. It makes a nice addition to the family, even if it is a LOTUS that seems to get a lot of bad reviews. It's my Lotus now, and I don't plan on getting rid of it anytime soon.

Well here's what i think. I totally agree with Nathan Sheridan. My friend has this guitar. He got it from his grandfather and it was supposed to be a nice guitar. I'm not sure of the year, probably an '80 sumthin based on the lookes of it.
Its a peace of crap, exact copy of a strat. It has the standar lotus pickups and is hard to play. The wammy bar has mad the peace of junk bridge come up making the strings higher off the rosewood fretboard.If by chance your playing it in tune and break a string the whole thing goes out of tune. It has a five way selector and the same knobs as a strat. The only good thing about it is the 15w crate amp that came with it.

I play punk and rock, Green day is a major favorite. I'll admit with a decent amp you can get a fairly good sound, however I;d still rather spend 1000 dollars on a real strat than it. It's pickups are noisy and they scream alot. I'll say it again its hard to play which make it sound worst because the strings are so high of the neck. It would be beter if it had parts that were worth something.

Well it has terrible action and shard frets. The neck is wider than a real strats. The finish is dull and un even in someplaces.In the places were it it went inside the wood, like under the pick guard are poorly sanded and have a very bad paint job.

It is durable i'll give it that thought it isnt reliable. I have a Gibson les paul and a fender telecaster and this guitar is junk compared to them.

For people that cant afford a decent guitar, it is okay for starters. If it were stolen my friend would be happy becasue he could get a fender mexican made. I love nothing about the guitar aside from the fact that it looks like a strat.

This was my first electric guitar (1994). I believe it was made in India, but the sticker rubbed off years ago.

purchased in package with 15w crate amplifier, two sets of strings, and guitar cord.

-5-way selector
-s/s/s wax-filled pickups
-maple neck, ash body
-sunburst finish (well, it was...)
-tremolo bridge
-21-fret scale

pups were noisy, bad wiring job (you could stop the buzzing if you smacked the pickguard, though). decent sound if it wasn't buzzing.

since i upgraded it (s/s/h configuration), guitar sounds awesome.


rating is for original sound.

nice action on the neck, it just feels right to play, better than a real fender, in my opinion. it seems to be made for smaller hands. refinishing the guitar in tung oil makes the neck even faster.

this guitar lasted for over twelve years until the nut finally broke, which was the whole reason i refinished it. as others have stated, the nut is sealed in with some sort of epoxy, which makes it nearly impossible to remove. i had to use a lighter to melt mine out, which i thought charred the wood, but came right off with a sanding sponge. a graph-tech nut solves the tuning problems.

the finish was perfect before i power sanded it off.

i never had to deal with the company, and i don't think they exist anymore. can't find them anywhere. i figure it's a guitar, how much customer support could you need?

i've been playing since 1993, and i don't own any other guitars (i'm offically a keyboardist).

if it were stolen, i'd be pissed, it being my first and only guitar, and the work i put into it.

in stock form, i don't like the buzzing electronics. but modified, it's damn near perfect. the only guitar i've like as much was a jackson my friend had, and the lotus sounded better.

if you want to try customizing a guitar, you could do a lot worse than picking up one of these. even a guitar kit is more expensive, and the body is almost indestructible (i've played baseball with mine).

try to find one made in india, as those are the best ones.

Year unknown, paid $80 for it. 21 fret maple neck, ebony board, s,s,s w/vol, and 2 tone pots. The body's wood is whatever the other people's are. Had the fender style tremelo non-lock bridge. Sported 500k pots and 5-way selector. Light metallic blue w/black burst finish. Original features get the average 5.

New features. 24 fret made into 22 Ibanez RG-470 neck w/lock nuts(shimmed w/micro router to fit pocket), Fender h,h loaded pickguard, EMG HZ-4(passive)humbucking that replaced the bridge pup, Schaller licensed Flotd bridge(the first mod after I got it in '01). The only original parts are the body and strap buttons!

Then. Bright, due to the 500k pots. Next to no popping on vol and 5-way. average 5 again

Now. I never payed attention to the new pickguard's pot size. The original bridge pup that came w/the guard was a vast improvment. The HZ-4 is yet another step up! The neck pup is great, warm and jazzy!

Overall, action and finish were standard, nothing to brag about. 5

Now. The color change finish is cool, but needs repainted(soon to come) The action is LOW and very fast. The RG neck had 2 frets removed due to overlapping onto the neck pup, fret dressing, and the frets were flattened to make the action LOW. Having that done to the frets only will knock it off about 1-2 cents(not noticable to the ear)

Its held its ground on live performances, and various droppings from the strap buttons. An easy fix is to remove the "horn" button and undo one of the neck screws(bolt on only)then tighten the screw w/the button on it. All the hardware is good to go and I bet will last for quite some time! As far as having a back up for it, only to change over to the drop d tuning.

Heh, I am my own customer support on this one!

This thing has been going since '01. Since the first mod(Scaller, '01) to the RG neck('05). It runs through a Digitech RP-80, that goes into a mid to late 80's Crate G-212 thats hooked to a Behringer(spelling)cab. The only thing that brings it down is the lack of the EMG acitve pups, but I'm not going to install them in it. If it were stolen, I'd be screwed and PISSED! Wouldn't remake it, thats for sure! I chose the Lotus because it was cheap, and I was looking for a neat custom project.
Got a pic of that(new ones on the way) and of others I own or have owned on my site. www.geocities.com/bokkire_jin hit up the music button.

INTERESTING TIDBIT for those considering upgrades to their Lotus str@ts:

Several months ago I decided to replace the generic pickups in my Lotus with Kent Armstrong units. Not only did they just barely fit the cutout holes in the pickguard, but the pole pieces didn't fall directly under each string as they are supposed to. They still pick up okay, but obviously something wasn't right. How could that be?

The answer is this: at least on MY Lotus, the string spread at the bridge is only 1 7/8" or 1 15/16" or so, compared to a real Strat's 2 1/8" string spread. In layman's terms, the bridge--and string spread--are between 1/8" and 1/4" narrower than on a Fender Stratocaster! It's a very subtle difference, and I didn't realize it until I took a ruler to my guitar. The neck itself seems to be the right widhth, however; the narrowness seems to be caused by the design of the bridge. Be aware of this if you're planning to do any fixing up or hot-rodding.

I bought it in 93, Normal guitar features, nothing special

Sounds like a 150 dollar guitar I use it as a backup and I play with a Jcm 600 4x10 marshall. Practice with a Ibenez gt-10 Sounds well That depends on who plays it. A good set up and great players makes it sing. It sounds good to me.

I dont remember how it was set up when I bought it because i was a new player. I have adjusted it over the years. And it plays fine

Fell off the truck, Breaks strings constantly= burr on bridge, Thrown into wall, covered in stickers, slamed on the floor, smackd the wall and other people, lit on fire, Still plays

What

Bottom line, This is a beginers guitar. Dont bother upgrading it that would cost too much, just keep it working. If some one stole it I would be pissed cuz no matter how crappy it sounds It helped me learn to play/adjust the guitar.

For a quick visual; a strat copy, i.e. s/s/s pickups, vintage style tremolo, three way switch, master vol, two tones. Maple neck, maple fretboard, thin vintage frets, and a thin veneer top over plywood (which I now affectionately refer to as "polylaminate"). I'll explain later. Overall, a very close likeness of a str@t. Made in Japan, per the back neck plate. Started out as a robin egg blue with white pickguard, and aged knobs and pup covers. I have since changed the color to a copper metallic, painted the pickguard black, bright white pup covers and knobs, jogger reflective tape striping, a hand painted mural, str@t replacement trem, a second selector switch for 7 possible combinations, bridge and middle(rwrp) mexican str@t stock pickups with ceramic magnets, and planet wave trim-lok (r) machine heads. I don't know how old it is, but the serial number started with an 82xxxx, so, if they were around then...it looked like it could be that old.

the first thing that pops into my mind is twangy! very twangy. The bridge and middle pickups would get "muddy" with the volume above 7. changing those out helped alot, and I will soon upgrade them again. The neck pickup is perfect, well, it has a really sweet, smooth, warm tone. Not real hot, but great for bluesy type stuff. The sustain was really lame at first, and overall sound was kinda trebly. However, with the tremolo and tuner upgrades, it really sings. I play through a Roland GP-100 processor into a '71 Kustom tuck and roll 150w combo with 2x12 speakers. I can get chunck or squeal or grind. It plays nearly as well as my old '76 american ash strat. sustain is really good now. I can't say it was ever noisy.

In redoing this guitar, I became aware of 1. copyright laws, and 2. cost cutting in production. The hardware was cheap, just awful. the tuners were especially crap, and the tremolo block was not a block, but a stamped metal piece. No str@t parts would fit directly, but with some filing and grinding, bingo! The action is adjustable, so if it isn't right, do something about it. when I got it, the robin egg blue was sanded off (except inside the body cavity). previous owner attempted to do it in a natural finish...except when they found out it was plywood, brush painted it in a pink floyd look (natural with black edges). The headstock was broken and reglued almost squarely, the nut was chipped, whammy bar missing, short in the wiring, neck warped, rusty strings. It was a project, but, my wife bought it for me at an antique auction out in the boondocks for christmas...I couldn't hurt her feelings. The neck fits tightly, and the neck angle is good. the clear coat finish was on there like armor. I won't rate this catagory.

This thing is fun to play! as much or more as my nicer pieces. Its heavy, and with the upgrades, has gobs of sustain and tone. I would use this as a regular tool for strat type sounds. I have replaced all the screws, mostly with brass. It feels solid. I plan to keep it for a long time. The frets show little if any wear. the fretboard shows NO wear, like its bulletproof. The nut is chipped on one end, but the string doesn't come off...I have a bone blank I'll cut to shape soon. Replacing the cheap hardware made this Lotus a real mover, rock solid. It looked like it had been through hell, but a fresh coat of paint and some decent parts; its dynamite.

At this stage of the game, there is plenty of support from other players on the internet. A ford works the same as a chevy, fender like a lotus...there is plenty of info to keep your axe working. Seek and find.

I've been playing off/on since 1967. I've had some nice pieces like a '76 american strat, a '76 Electra Super Magnum 2258, and this lotus with the upgrades, is every bit as much fun to play. At first I hated it for the plywood body, but to be honest, I don't think it makes that Big of a difference. The hardware was crap, but easily changed. Strat parts don't fit it, but mustang parts don't fit camaros either. I now have a custom, personalized, great sounding axe for 100 bucks...I can take it to work, or the park, and not have to worry about it getting stolen. I would do another...although next time I'll try for a wood body.

I have no idea what type of wood it is or when it was made. I believe it was made in Japan. It has a maple neck and a crappy bluish/grey paint job. 3 single coils with black hardware-yes it looks like crap. It was my first guitar and for some reason I always keep it around. I have owned every Fender model you can think of and for $100 you just can't beat this.

I play a Victoria Double Deluxe and a National Resolectric. I know tone. I use this guitar for "junky" strat tones when I record. It's not a reliable guitar, but it doesn't sound that much worse than the 62 american vintage reissue I had. I want to put Fralin pickups in it and do a pro set up, but it would cost more than the guitar and I don't want the guy at the guitar shop to laugh at me-you know what I'm talking about. I am rating the sound based on the value of it for the money I spent.

The hardware is grade A crap. The finish has a total "relic" appearance that's endearing because I put all of the wear into and didn't pay Fender $2000 to do it for me with a power sander. It's fun and with better components you wouldn't be able to tell it apart from any Fender.

Tuners are garbage and the bridge is junk, but I only play with it at home. It would be fine with better tuners.

Puh-lease

I have owned or played everything you can think of. I play in L.A. and you can get anything here. I have seen Tom Morello of Audioslave play crappy guitars and make them sound great. Tone is in your hands. You should sound good with any guitar and a pignose if your good. For the price you can't beat these. Fender guitars past the 1970's are just junk. The new American standard guitars are nice, but no character. Save money on a guitar and buy a good tube amp first.

THIS IS AN UPDATE.

Except for the nut, nothing has physically changed on this guitar.

My usual effects chain is: Lotus>DOD Supra Distortion or Classic Fuzz>DOD Stereo Flanger>amp.

Having joined a second band (http://www.twiggyandfrollywog.com) for which I handle lead guitar chores, and having thus made my turquoise-and-toilet-seat Lotus my main guitar, I can wholeheartedly vouch for the guitar's sound in a live situation. The lead pickup is now not weak, just ear-piercingly trebly...so I use mainly the mid and neck pickups, and properly EQ'd they sound wonderful, even through my LAMEy HC-50 combo amp. Played clean through the flanger it makes for an excellent chimey 12-string simulation which I use a lot. I also used this setup on our 4-track demo/EP disc, with both the fuzz and the amp's overdrive channel on different songs, and it came through sounding absolutely schwinnngghhh. I recently bought a Kustom K200B head (see review) and the Lotus takes to it like butter to toast.

My only complaint now is that the string to string balance is a bit unevn. In some cases the high E string sounds very weak, especially during solos. I credit this flaw with the fact that while pickup pole pieces are of uneven height, they are NOT actually STAGGERED in the fashion of old Fender pickups. The pole pieces follow (roughly) the arc of the string heights. except more extreme, so that the low and high E pole pieces are further from the strings than the D and G, and that loud unwound G is uncompensated for, making it "honk" sometimes. It's not usually a problem, but it is a problem nevertheless, one that can be fixed (I assume) by swapping out the pups.

Remember that awful black plastic nut that I grumbled about? I replaced it with one of those preslotted white plastic nuts that they sell for a buck apiece. Major improvement in tone and feel! The tuning is much more stable now, too. The blue Lotus is now a joy to play.

Removing the black nut was a pain and a half, though. The chunk that had previously cracked off was easy enough, but the rest of it had been glued in with some kind of industrial strength adhesive, like epoxy, or it had somehow been poured in and molded, because it was dang near impossible to scrape the remains out of the nut slot. It kept crumbling into pieces, but there remained an almost impenetrable layer that just wouldn't come off. I finally got it reasonably flat (chipping the rosewood around the slot a bit, dang it), Elmer's-glued the white plastic replacement, tightened the strings on it, and let it solidify. Rock on.

I'd suggest letting your friendly neighborhood guitar tech do this, as this operation is likely to drive you up the wall, not to mention possibly ruin that nice Lotus neck. I was lucky.

The only possible problem I've noticed here is that my strings have a tendency to break, even with not so heavy playing, at the same place--right around the bridge saddle. (This happened at a gig, going into my guitar-wanker solo at the end of the last song, throwing the tuning all to crap. I heroically managed to finish the solo anyway by shifting up a fret.) Something about the bridge components or adjustment seems to make strings break right there. Perhaps a switch to better saddles would help. Otherwise, rock-solid so far.

No clue.

Every guitar has its faults, face it. The Lotus's don't justify docking it any points. I've become very impressed with it now that it's my main guitar, flaws and all. And as I said before, I can't reasonably complain about an ash-bodied str@t with this kind of playability for a piddly $60. Name-brand logos be damned. Get a Lotus, tweak it to your heart's content, and rock the crap out of it for years.

www.floorian.com
www.twiggyandfrollywog.com

OK I did the last review and I gave high points. I just bought another off the bay and it was new almost. Pure garbage! It looked cheap and played cheap.

Was lousy!

Just poor manufacture!

OK

OK what's the deal???? I have had several Lotus guitars that have been GREAT then I got this pile of newer trash! I did some research and here is the scoop I got: The GOOD Lotus guitars that I bought were made in India and they are great. Lotus went to another country in Asia and started producing garbage. The quality was so poor they may have gone back to India according to what I read.If you get an older (but not so old) Lotus they're great.

I bought this by recommendation of a professional luthier in Folsom CA...Nick at Nicholson Music. He said it has a solid alder or ash body. It has a very nice neck with jumbo frets. Tuners are ok nothing bad. Pickups are fair to good. I would give this a ten but it isn't perfect.

I use them for blues and they are perfect. I use a Fender Bandmaster Reverb and it sounds great. I put a Lace Gold Sensor at the neck position and it sounds perfect. I put a Dimarzio Chopper at the bridge and it sounds pretty good, I may try something different someday. I have another Lotus that is set up with two singles and a humbucker and sounds great for blues on a smaller tube amp. It is not too noisy all single coils can give some noise but read about potting with wax and shielding with the foil that one of the other Lotus owners did. Neck gives rich sound and bridge gives bright sound same as all strats. Variety is plenty.

Set up is fine although I had a luthier set up one for $100 to redress frets, install my pickups, etc.. THis guitar is set up fine. A luthier can enhance it if you want.

Just like any other solid body strat.

Who knows?? They have been making guitars since the 80's or longer. Recently they started making these in Asia but they were first in India. Maybe they went back to India???????? THe only gripe might be getting a different pickguard. You might have to make your own, I don't know.

Been playing off and on since the 70's. I own other gear that is inexpensive but good. Sure would buy these again. I love the price. I feel sorry that nobody can get anything out of these. These have very little value for resale. These are wonderful bargains and I have no desire to sell my three lotus guitars. I have owned Fenders and I am just as happy with these. The only thing I hate is the resale but like I said, I have no reason to sell them. These are the best deals out there. I paid $100, $75, and $50 for the three I own. If you pay $100 you have done fine. Total that up and see if you can buy a Fender with a solid body and jumbo frets. Buy one for the whole family or get one in every color for yourself.

i just bought it a couple of days ago. Its a strat look-a-like and its a dingy yellow.It looks to be modified,cause it has emg pickups,likehumbuckers but the ones esp use.only two. It also has a 3 way switch with another 2 way switch,2 controls one for volume and other for tone,it has no whammy connection.The bridge is basic like those of strats,and the nut seems to be bone,white not plastic.22 fret neck thats just perfect,WITH TREMENDOUS PLAYABILITY.THE PICKUPS ARE THE BEST, FOR ANY TYPE OF MUSIC.

I love to play alot of garage sounding blues,dirty but no pedals .Like a stevie ray style,sound like a bad ass outlaw biker but anyways,the sound is thick,no matter what setting,awesome for harmonics ,pulloffs,powerchords,soloing,or just clean playing.No buzz what so ever.I use b52 strings 48-9's which are soft enough to pull down on and thick for some crunchy barre chords

The action is the best I ever felt,the strings sit perfectover the frets,The fit and sound are awesome,Im a big fender and les paul fan but this guitar was probably modified by a guy that should work for them.fender is my favorite guitars but this one blows any strat.It has a couple dings on the paint but nothing a well used guitar wouldn't have.

It looks like the person who had it knew what he was doing,probably playing for many years,I live in a retiring town,so this guy might have passed away and his guitar sold to a pawn shop.This guitar looks like its gotten alot of fame in its time,and to sound like it does it must of been used for live gigs.

I looked to be sitting a long time.the strings were rusted,and missing one.but even like that I tried it and got an incredible sound. so thats why I bought it,plus its a strat alike that I prefer.

I think I plan to make this my main guitar,I just never heard a guitar like this,that feels great in your hands ,awesome looks,and action.But remember info lookers that not all are going to be like this one ,so choose wisely,But I think that these guitars are awesome when modified so if you have one I think its worth putting the money in it.

No indications of year or country of manufacture on the guitar itself, but based on other reviews I'm assuming that this is a product of India. This is your basic standard str@t configuration, so no need to go into details. The body is a heavy wood with pronounced grain and no sign of lamination--possibly solid ash (!). It's finished in what once must have been a stunning transparent turquoise blue finish, but the previous owner had destroyed portions of the clearcoat by applying and then peeling off a bunch of stickers. Over this is a mother-of-toilet-seat pickguard, a nifty combination. Maple neck (satin finish) with rosewood fingerboard; feels like the fingerboard radius in considerably flatter than a regular Fender neck--kind of a "heavy metal guitar" feel IMO. Generic sealed tuners, however not of the best quality. Nut made of some kind of brittle, crumbly black plastic, not good at all. Generic str@t pickups have staggered pole pieces, a nice touch.

Basic str@t sound; pretty good emulation of Hendrix/Stevie Ray sounds especially using .010 or .011 strings. I do think the bridge pickup sounds a bit weak, but that may just be an adjustment issue. Pretty decent sustain. One problem for those for whom it applies: I cannot get this thing to cooperate with an E-bow!

My particular guitar was bought used. The previous owner must have been a metal/punk kid judging from the shape it was in. Finish ruined by sticker removal, pickguard screws loose. But of course those are purely cosmetic things that I blame on somebody's raging hormones, so I won't dock Lotus for those, obviously. Besides, it drove the price down to $60 asking, without even having to haggle. Who can complain?

My main complaints that you can lay at Lotus's feet are the substandard tuners and the really crappy nut which has already disintegrated on me. A chunk broke off during a string change which irritated me, then made me curious. So I examined it...it actually looks like some kind of hard rubber or tar derivative rather than a hard plastic, not like something you should make a guitar nut out of.

Oh, I'm sure the basic chassis (body and neck) of this guitar will take a beating with flying colors. It's the hardware and little things that are gonna give out. Plan on replacing the tuners, the nut, maybe some of the electronics. Think of this as a really awesome project guitar.

Never dealt with. Not sure how I would anyway; I can't find any contact info.

My specimen was beat up, but outside of a couple of matters of cheap parts and/or materials, I have no complaints. The Lotus str@t seems to be a gem, especially if you can land an ash(?)-bodied one for cheap like I did. $60...shiiit. As I said, for project-guitar enthusiasts this is an excellent foundation for a cheap-but-kickass str@t. However, being a recent purchase for not a whole lot and therefore not being terribly attached to it, I probably would not sweat its theft but rather go shopping again (and believe me, exploring the universe of str@t clones is a mightily satisfying hobby).

Now the usual biographical info: 29 years old as of writing, playing and teaching self to play guitar since age 10, currently in my second band (the space-rock quintet Floorian--www.floorian.com), love mostly older rock and many many other styles. Also into keys and vintage synths, and have reviewed a bunch of my gear on this website. Booyah!

Don't know where it was made or when. It's just a standard strat copy with 21 frets, 5 way selector switch and 3 single coil pickups. Fretboard is definitely rosewood, and it has a tremelo comparitive to what you would find on a standard strat. I rate it a 7 because this is exactly what I would expect from a strat copy.

I play a lot of diffrent music styles with the most predominant leaning more towards metal. I pretty much only use this guitar for at home practice through a Fender Champ 10 amp. It doesn't sound too bad then, but the pickups suck. When I tried to play through my stack (Randall head, not sure what, and Crate stack), the feedback and noise was unbearable, though I also had to change the pickups in my Fender Strat as well. In my opinion, the majority of stock pickups suck.

I bought it at a pawn shop for $135 and it's a lefty, so for me it was a good deal. I've only used the whammy a few times and don't anymore because it goes out of tune right away. I haven't taken the time to try to fix this but it probably just needs new springs, which are cheap. I had the same problem on another guitar and the springs corrected the whole problem. Other than that, everything is adjusted well; intonation was great when I got it, and the action is pretty decent; about the same as my genuine strat. The finish is a little thin, but unless you really study it you won't see any flaws. As far as my Fender, the pickup mounting holes were drilled wrong, so they sit at a screwed up angle. (and I paid 5 times as much for it) The quality of construction is great. Not sure on the wood used, but it's just as heavy as my $600 Fender.

For the most part, everything about this guitar is solid. The tuners, tremelo, etc. are generic, but of good quality. I would play with it live besides the fact that the pickups are cheap and tinny. (I have heard worse though. I can't complain for the price I paid being a lefty.) I would use it during a show (besides the fact that a have a couple of much better guitars) if it weren't for the pickups. The construction is rock solid!

Does anyone know if this company still exists?? I haven't tried to get a hold of the company, but than again I haven't had to.

I've been playing guitar for about 7 years and have played in bands for about 3 years. Like I said, being left handed I wasn't too picky when I found this one at a pawn shop, but it's actually very comparable to the strat I bought new for 5 times the price. There's a lot of guitars out there, but not many that are left handed. If anything, I'd like to complement Lotus on making lefties. The quality is good though, and overall I'm pretty content with it.

I got this guitar sometime in the mid 90s, it was made in India. I never count frets, so I am not sure how many there are. I am sure it is a solid body, but who knows. It is a typical strat , 3 PUs and three nobs, 5 way switch. I am not sure what woods are in the guitar, except the fretboard looks like indian rosewood. It is blue sunburst with a mother of toilet seat pick guard. The body is heavy, just the right weight to balance the guitar well while standing up playing.

This was an excellent guitar off the shelf, as most strats from everywhere overseas are. The machining on the metal parts is fantastic, the pickups were typical strat pickups, good tone and reasonable sustain, for a strat. It does exactly what a strat should.

The action on this guitar was easy to adjust, and, typical of overseas guitars, the neck is well made and straight. The fret work was great, I set my strings low, so I had to file a little here and there, but less than I have had to on fender models that I have had. The guitar was in excellent condition, no factory flaws, and again, typical of overseas guitars, they were identical in production, every lotus I picked up felt the same.

I depend a great deal on this guitar. After having it a while, I yanked the frets and put in jumbo frets (personal preference, the frets in it were fine> I also put some inlays in the fretboard, and used water based urethane to coat the fretboard, which insured the frets stay seated, and gives the neck a nice smooth feel, not to mention the fact it protects the wood from finger wear. I also put EMG pickups in it, because I record with it and wanted quiet pickups. The finish sucks, but, for the price, I can paint it, I use my guitars and expect them to wear, so the finish is not an issue with me. I not go on a gig without a backup, no matter what the guitar is. I have my guitar synth pickup mounted to it, and rely on it quite a bit more than my other guitars, both in the studio and gigging. I would rather take a 200 dollar guitar onstage anyway, I keep the nice stuff put away for the studio....... It is an 8, only because the finish is thin.

I am my own customer support, I mean, this is america, where customer support is a recorded message somehwere out there in telephone hades. I do my own custom work and repairs, and, the warranty, as with Japanese cars and Korean VCRs, is the name on the product. I buy brands I know I can trust, not ones that are just highly advertised names...............

I have a lot of gear, I am not sure how many guitars. I have been playing since 1965. I would replace this guitar if it were lost, and probably will eventually see one in a hock shop that is the same model in a different color that I like. The thing i like about this guitar is what I like about the Japanese guitars of the 70s, it is made as well as and in many cases better than the name brands, and is at a price that makes customizing it and gigging with it not a worry. I cannot see taking a instrument out on a gig that you have to hire a guy with a shotgun to watch over.........

1990(I think)
22 frets
Volume, 2 humbuckers, 4- way selector, 2 tone.

I play in a Jazz band for my High School and the Lotus fits me just fine. I use it with a 20 watt B.C. Rich amp and it works well. I have found that after 5 years teh wiring tends to loosten if you play it too hard.
I don't suggest it for anyone who is just starting.

The action is easily adjusted and I find it ok. I have never had to touch the pickups. The bridge was set poorly, the person before me must have used light strings (.009-.042) all the time because as soon as I put medium strings (.011-.048) on it I had to adjust it. I love the finish. It has never chipped or cracked and i have repaired and changed everything.I bought this guitar as a new player and it looked ok. If you repair this guitar even if you are a new player, you will love this guitar.

I could hit an amp with this guitar and still play with it. I would use it at a gig. If you have never played it at a gig bring a backup.

I have no idea where to get any info. Who ownes this guitars anyways?

Use it if you plan on fixing it or learning about mechanics of a guitar. Get another guitar if you plan on using it right a way. I would call the CIA if my guitar was stolen because I put so many hours into it.

I don't know when it was made. It was made in India. 20 frets. Top is not solid. Volume, 2 tone, 5-way selector on 3-single coils. Don't know anything about the pickups except that they are bad.

For rock and jazz you need a pickup simulater for this thing. Then it sounds ok. I have a digitech RP100 on a little Crate amp. It is noisy and buzzes on all settings. You can't get a full sound with this guitar. No variety. I don't like the sound that it makes w/o effects but if you have enough to cover up the natural sound it's ok.

It was set up poorly esp the bridge. The pickups were decently adjusted. No flaws.

I play it live but it's only because I don't have enough money for a decent guitar. Hardware will last. Finish will last. I replaced the strap buttons w/ straplocks because it kept falling on things LIKE MY BIG TOE! I can't use the whammy w/o going out of tune. I usually have my friend'd guitar as a backup.

Don't know the company. No warranty.

I've played for a year and a half now and have owned all my stuff for a year. I knew it was going to be a cheap instrument, but it was my first electric guitar. I liked how it was cheap, but it was cheaply made. My favorite feature is that it looks like a strat.

I bought this used Strat copy in a Kentucky pawn shop in Dec of 2000. At the time I didn't know anything about guitars nor did I know how to play. I bought it because it was red and I like red. Anyway, it was a red Strat copy with 3 single pickups, five way selector switch, one volume and two tone knobs. It has a vibrato arm. It had a black pickgaurd. The action was crap. Strings were too far up, no intonation was set. I guess the original owner didn't know anything either? Machine screws were absoulute crap. Basically this thing was sick, in a bad way.

When I first got it I didn't know how to play, so I can't really say if it was bad sounding then. Now, after being "super modified", It can compete with any fender out there, no kidding. I'll explain later.

Like I said, when I got it, it sucked. As I learned how to play and how to set up and what is good and bad, I fixed everything myself. By the way, I recommend the book "The Complete Guitar", as it helped me know everything I needed to know about construction, quaulity, setup, and playing. Now this guitar kicks ass. It stays in tune a long time, does not buzz, action is set very low, and pickups have little to no microphonic effect. Body is made of plywood covered in heavy plastic. This is not a bad thing! The worlds most expensive loudspeakers are made of particle wood and plywood. It is very dense and has a tight sound to it. I believe exotic woods in electric guitar construction are overrated.

I could throw this thing off the roof and still play it (if the machine screws were not damaged). This is general for solid body guitars anyway. Unless you pull a Townsend on it ass, it will not break or malfunction. A tank.

Support? Who the hell makes Lotus Guitars anyway??? The neck, body, and hardware are all patterned after fender in fit, so you can replace anything you want to with real fender parts.

Been playing for two years now. I sound fairly good now. Not bad for being self taught. The book "Guitars for the Complete Idiots" is fantastic. I play rock, metal, a little country. The first thing I did with this guitar is take it completely apart and rebuild it. The machine screws were ruined, so I put a set of high quality Grovers on it. It stays in tune now unless you go crazy on the tremolo. I threw the stock plastic nut away and built a homemade brass Floyd Rose locking nut. I don't suggest you make one, but they are nice and you can get one through Warmoth. I Shielded the whole inside of the guitar with aluminum foil. Now outside interference from fans or flouresant lighting will not mess up the sound. Then I Potted the pickups in paffarin wax. This keeps the pickups from working like a microphone when standing near a loud amp or when you knock in the guitar. Then I re-wired the guitar to eliminate a common ground loop. This eliminates noise too. Now the only noise my guitar makes is the noise I want it too! To learn how to do these mods go to guitarnut.com. I made a new pickgaurd out of a white marbled plastic from a plastic shop. It looks pro. Did the back cover too. Remember to foil the back side of the pick guard! When I built the new nut, I lowered the action on that side and the bridge, then filed down the frets that were buzzing. Now my action is at 0.008 of an inch off the frets. It plays like a dream. Basically I turned a piece of shit guitar into a nice instrument with a little ellbow grease. Investigate, get info, and improve your axe! I have let seasoned 20 year guitarists play my guitar and they are blown away at the tone and ease of play from a super cheap Korean beginer guitar. I paid $75.00 for it and bought $60.00 tuners and $3.00 worth of wax for the potting and it sounds like a $1000.00 guitar. Yeah, I could have just got a good guitar from the start, but I feel like I "created" this thing now. I'll have it for the rest of my life.

my guitar is a mahogany wood neck its a strat body, a thin neck, my bridge style is tune o matic, it has volume and 2 tone controls, it has a solid top, it has 22 frets. it was made usa like 6 yrs ago for me it was a custom since i am a lefty

it suits it because i go from heavy to light rock its very versatile.
its got pretty rich sound, its pretty regular so thats what i dont like but its a sweet guitar

i encourage anyone to get it for a first time user

its reall durable seeing that i dropped it once and im still playin it

its sweet

2001 model distributed by Midco and bought from the music store I am employed by.
22 frets.
Solid body instrument.
5 way selector, 3 single coil pickups and master vol-tone-tone control arrangement.
Mahogany body
Rock maple neck w/rosewood fingerboard
Metallic white finish on body, clear satin finish neck
Strat-style body
Traditional style tremolo
Stamped tuners
25.5" scale w/ medium frets and perloid dot inlays

Off the shelf this guitar wasn't much in sound. Just another bargain guitar. I sell these every day to beginning guitar players with a 10 watt Gorilla amp.

Off the shelf... Setup was mediocre to okay. Action a bit high, but not painfully so. Pickups were in the right positions and the neck pocket tight and well fitted. The body's finish was almost flawless. A nice thick polyester coat just like all the imports wear in metallic white. The neck, finished in clear satin was nice and clean, no buff/sand throughs or rough spots. The fret ends nice and smooth... That's right.. Smooth. The fret slots well concealed with the right color of putty. Side dots nice and clean. One small wormhole in the fingerboard was ill repaired at the factory.The black nylon nut a little sloppy in the string slots and not properly shaved on top, but functional. The ugly truss rod cover, ill fitting. The metal hardware nice and had almost no flaws. The pickguard routed cleanly and well protected under the plastic wrap stuff they use. Plating a bit too thin, as I scratched it quite easily on the neck plate when I tried to remove the "serial number" sticker.

As it is, this guitar is not well suited for live playing. The tuners are okay for the bedroom, but not the stage, the tremolo under duress will fracture (The metal seems a bit cheap) And the pickups are on the "cheapy" side. However, the finish is strong and will last seemingly forever. Strap buttons...? Strap buttons never stay on. What a stoopid question. A longer screw will always be needed. As is, the model would probably work onstage if you like your sound as such, but I wouldn't depend on it solely.

We sell these in the store where I am employed. My mission was to prove this guitar as a base model and not solely a beginner's guitar. Customer support for me is impeccable. LOL! My distributor wants me to keep buying these, of course. Warranty...? I long voided my warranty already... Keep reading below.

I have to admit... I was out to prove a point. With better hardware and some minor setup/repair/modification, this guitar would be a decent strat-clone. A base model, you could call it. Like a Camaro without the mag rims, CD player, A/C or ground effects package. A place to start. Just like all those Mexican Strats everybody wants to buy and upgrade.

I am an experienced luthier with 15 years under my belt, but this was an extremely easy job to undertake for anyone.

I simply began by disassembling the guitar and reshaped the peghead to my liking (not a necessary mod, but I wanted to do it) I then sanded the front and back of the peghead and re-lacquered them... I will admit to changing the logo with a readily available water applied decal that I got at a hobby store (Okay, it was the SPAM logo if you must know) After a final coat of lacquer and drying and sanding and buffing I reamed the tuner holes and mounted a nice set of Schaller mini's with perloid buttons. Prior to refinishing I had plugged all the screw holes on the front and back of the peghead with a groovy flourescent plastic rod. I decided to leave off the funky truss rod cover. The hole bothered me less.

Now, the body was fine is almost all respects. Cleanly finished, but a little rough in the cavities. I guess the asian species of mahogany they used rough routs that way. It doesn't appear that they bothered to fine rout the cavities. Now I said mahogany... It's solid and slightly aromatic (I've got Jacksons hanging in the store that are made of this as well), but there's no plywood in this guitar. I wouldn't have bothered with this project had it been plywood. Without putting too much money into this, I routed the pickguard to accept a humbucker in the lead position and left the neck and middle alone. I did, however, use a flat metal humbucker ring to "cover my tracks" where the old rout was. I did replace the pots and wiring and had to do some minor routing where "real" sized components didn't quite fit.

I've already used this guitar on three tracks of a new song I'm recording and have been quite happy with its clean tone from the stock neck pickup and with the crunchy sound I'm getting from the DiMarzio replaced lead pickup.

My point was proven.
I had a solid foundation on which some poor components were placed in the sake of economics.
This guitar was a winner in all respects... BEFORE the mods!
This guitar is as good as or better than any mid priced import after the mods.

2000 Lotus L625
21 Frets
2 Single Coil Lotus Brand Pickups
1 Humbucker DiMarzio X2N Power Plus Pickup at the bridge
2 Tone Control, 1 Volume, 5 way selector
Ash Body
Made in India

This thing sounds better than my Ibanez on the diMarzio but the Lotus pick-ups, well, they suck. I can hold a note longer than any guitar I've heard. I use a Black Widow equipped Peavy amp and Ibanez DS7 Distortion and it's awesome.

This guitar kicks ass and looks good too.

This guitar is very dependable. EXTREMELY STRONG. The finish is thick and doesn't chip. The Ash body gives it the strenght of a rock.

n/a

If this thing was stolen I'd call the FBI in because I dont think I could replace it. I cant find it anywhere.

I recommend this guitar for anybody who jumps around on stage alot.
It may be a Fender Strat Copy, but no Fender can put a fight up against this thing.

Note: This guitar belongs to my son. My wife's new husband bought this for him, and the dumbass didn't know what he was doing. It's about 2 years old. I just recently played it a bit, when my son brought it over so that I could teach him a few things. I was dissappointed.

This clone is just like a standard Stratocaster. Three single coils, 5 way switch. It has 21 frets and it was made somewhere back east. I think Indonesia. One volume, 2 tones. The bridge pickup isn't connected to a pot (it could be if they were 500k pots). Sometimes the 5-way switch gives out and won't let you select the middle or bridge pickups. It has a red finish and a black pickguard. It has white hardware, which makes it look rather ugly, in my opinion. It has a shitty tremolo bridge. The tremolo-bar has fallen out and won't go back in. It doesn't stay in tune very well, and notes buzz out very easily.

My son likes to play alot of punk rock (Bad Religion, Social Distortion, The Suicide Machines, The New York Dolls, The Ramones, Bad Brains) and the single coils on it did not suit his style very well. You need humbuckers to get a good heavy sound. He is using a Fender Champion 30 that I gave him for Christmas last year. It's noisy on all of the settings. As prementioned, it did sound crappy when I used an Ibanez distortion pedal on it. I dislike most everything about the guitar. It's hard to learn on such a crappy guitar - I know, I've been there.

My son set the action himself to what he preferred, and it wasn't too bad. The neck seems to curve forward a bit at the top, so lower frets buzz out. I haven't tried to adjust the truss rod, but that may help it a bit. The frets are different heights, showing that they haven't been filed correctly.

It's a heavy, sturdy guitar. It had a few dents in it, and scratches, I'm guessing that's from my son. I would never gig with it, nor would I let my son. The finish seems okay, but the hardware seems very tacky. I know it's tacky, in fact. I would never trust the straplocks, either, but they don't seem too bad.

I have been playing for 14 years (since I was 16), and I own three guitars: Hamer USA Studio Electric (Dual P-90's, Cherry Red), Hamer Californian USA Electric (SC+HB, Matte Black), and a Kramer Pacer Electric (SSH, Dark Blue). I play through a Randall RG100 Head and a Crate BV412 Cab. I have mulitple effect pedals, mainly Ibanez and Marshall.

I've already stated what I hate, this guitar is aimed towards idiots like my son's step-dad and unknowning kids.

The guitar was bought for my bro but he didnt like playing so it kinda got to sit around for about a year.So I'd say it was bought about in 98.It has 21 frets w/3 singles.Not sure what the neck is made of.The finish is tight metalic blue w/white pickguard(every review said they had the same).

The soung is ight not the best but its not a peice of sh*t but it does have that twang that everyone is talkin about.I do have a peice amp but i have played on other amps and it does sound pretty good.its a good beginner guitar but once you play for a while you can tell the its not that perfect clean crisp sound that you want.

I read all the reviews and it must be the pickups that make it sound kind weird.Im not into the whole changing all your stuff on your guitar.Their are nothing wrong with it as i can tell it play perfecty fine.

This thing is built like a rock.It has gone through a lot of sh*t.It been droped so many times(prolly b/c its heavy as hell I will admit that)but it feels strong.I played on some ibanez's and they just felt cheap like they would brake.If I had to throw a guitar out of a 3 story building they play it after I would definatly want to have this guitar.So I would say get this guitar if you beat the hell out of your guitars and if your on a budget(b/c you can get them cheap).

i never messed with them it prolly be crazy tryin to talk to some arabian people.(I ment that not as racial comment so if you are arabian that please dont take offence)

All the other reviews made it sound like this guitar was a total piece and you cannot make it sound good.What i have to say to them is basicaly if YOU suck the guitar is going to sound like sh*t.But if your good you can make anything sound good.Im prolly goingto get a new guitar just b/c I want to blow some money.Dont get me wrong I love this guitar and will play it till it totaly brakes(even then I'll prolly still keep it).Its never let me down so Ill never get rid of it.Just wait some day you'll see some bada$$ band and their guitarist band playin a lotus(that will be me)

ok, i got suckered it to buying this on sale, it really blows, the features...or the feature would be the body its pretty sturdy ive dropped it a bunch of times no scrathces at all, but the neck and the pickups suck

the sound buzzes, and the high notes suck, i play metallica so this isnt really for me, but with a boss metal zone petal the distortion isnt too bad

the neck seems straight, the finish is nice and shinney, its got a 3 ply pickguard, but came with no unintentional flaws (unintentional is the key word there)

i acctually dared to play this live, and me and the guitar came out alive, i didnt have any problems, although the fat neck makes power chord changes hard when your standing up, but the strap buttons are solid, it is soild as a rock, (its super heavy so i guess that would make it solid...)

i never called the company (i cant speak those weird ass arabian languages)

i wouldnt recomend buying this if you already own a guitar, but if you are a begginer i would suggest, to buy this guitar, change the pickups and the neck, the body isnt too bad, but if you soup this up you can save alot of money. thats what i did, and im glad i did it, now the only thing that bothers me is the 5 way swith sticks, and the wammy bar sucks, but i dont use the wammy bar much and the swith is good enough, but dont buy this and try to soup it up with humbuckers, you have to rewire the whole thing, and the wireing is kinda different on it so it would be more trouble than its worth, just put singles coils in it!!

I bought this back in 99...it was my first guitar...it is pretty decent for begenning....the neck is slow and fat, which i dont like..the single coil pickups dont sound great distorted either..so i use my ibanez for most of that stuff...but like i said.good for begenniers...

eh..sounds ok clean...sounds crappy distorted...i like humbuckers better then single coils....i play metal..so doesnt suit great...but as a begenner i learned all metallica on this..so it works...

Slow neck...too fat for my liking.harder to do bar chords on...the whammy is cheap....but i dont use it much anyways...

pretty reliable.havent had problems with it.except the G string likes to go out of tune an awful lot....

Havent dealt with them....

Ive been playing over 2 years now..this was my first guitar..i now own 5..im a junkie..hehe....but i use this one least..i always keep it in standard tuning...havent changed the strings in awhile..why even bother....theres something about corroded strings i like though...hehe

5 way selector
3 single coil pickups
better than a fender headstock
the logo is attractive... at least something is
this is dark blue with a white pickguard

I would rather listen to someone puke chunks all over and over and over and over again. You can tell it's supposed to sound like a guitar, but this is a sorry copy.

the action is low
the finish is too thick and tacky and makes this Lotus like 10lbs heavier than even the heaviest bass I have owned

Oh it's sturdy. Heavy.
The claps broke off once. That's when I threw it away.

Others say they are out of business.
Good riddance.

Don't buy it. Not even for your kid.
Get a Squier or an Epiphone. Those sound actually really good.

---
On a side note, I've been playing for almost a year now. My friend sold me this when he taught me how to play. I can't remember for how much. It wasn't reasonable.. $5 is more like it. Hell not even that.
I own a Squier Affinity Stratocaster now and a Yamaha BE4XC Jazz Bass. I play through a Squier Champ Amp and a Fender Bronco Bass Amp (I play bass mainly, it's funner). I use a rocktek distortion pedal and a Rogue overdrive pedal.

This guitar was made a while ago over in India. The top is solid. It has a 5-way selector that sticks, a volume and 2 tone knobs. It has 3 strat style pickups, which, I might add, SUCK. The neck is I believe rosewood, and doesn't slide well. The fingerboard is also very awkward, weird to play on; it doesn't feel or play good. It has a 3-ply plastic pickguard (probably the only good thing about this POS). It's exactly a Strat copy. Nothing original about it.

The sound sucks. There is alot of weird background noise, which I believe is from the pickups it uses. I am using it with a Marshall Lead-12 Stack, and Marshalls do not sound shitty, so I know it is the guitar. It's noisy on all the settings, even clean, which is odd. I don't like it very much.

The action is very low. It causes everything to buzz. The guitar is very uncomfortable to play on, and usually Strats feel pretty good. The finish is shiny red, and it scuffs easy. It's plastic I believe. Probably nylon. The neck feels a bit crooked, also. The fretwire is all screwy. The wood is low-quality. Has a noisy pickup selector.

The guitar's exterior is sturdy, but it's full blown crap.

Once (I have since fixed it), I was tuning it, and instead of the string breaking, the string-mounting piece actually broke out of the headstock. It was the lower E piece.

The knobs are loose (I can fix that easily though), but the 5-way selector sticks like it has rust under it.

I have been playing the guitar for 2 years. I own a few other guitars, nothing this crappy (I won't make that mistake again - don't believe the myth that you can make any guitar sound good, or sound even remotely like you want, it's not true). My favourite feature is the.. uhh.. NOTHING. I do not like Lotus. I have had better budget, no name guitars that costed less and lasted better - even sounded better. The sound is icky.

Features
1999-India
21 frets
1 volume, 2 tone, 3 pickups
Glossy black finish
stock hardware w/whammy

I got this for my 40th birthday last year after being 'retired' from music for almost a decade. I got it with a Stone amplifier. Here's my verdict.

I really like this guitar. The action is reliable, the harmonics are crisp, and it has an in-your-face tone to it whereas others I tried have been rather muddy.

My only caveat is that, when I crank on that whammy, the G string comes up sharp. My guru tells me that is more a matter of intonation with than anything.

Any of the rest of you that gave these a bad review and want to put your's out on the curb, email me at mills224@theramp.net. You can ship it to me and I'll pay the freight.

My musical style runs from Dwight Yoakam to Metallica (which isn't as much of a strech as you might think!).

I have a Cry-Baby wah pedal and a Danelectro compressor. I have a noise problem on the #2 and #4 switch settings, but this may be bad wiring at my house. I'm not gigging yet, so the jury's out on that.

The action is easy, with the pickups suited just fine for what I need. Again, the whammy is the only flaw.

I think that this model would survive the apocalypse. Its just that durable. The finish hasn't chipped with two kids, two cats and a dog along with (most damaging of all) a wife who is religious about cleaning.

I've used MUCH worse ata a gig without a backup.

I started playing when I was 14, went to sleep at 28, and took it up again at 40. I have a Yamaha acoustic 12-string and am looking to get some kind of tree to play on for electric bottleneck stuff so I'm not tuning one guitar all over the place.

This guitar ROCKS the nutz off the cherry tree! It has it all! I've never seen a guitar with so many totally cool feturs. I mean it has TWO tone nobs and THREE pick ups. It has WHITE pick guard that is tough and hasn't ever given me any problems! It also have a volume nob that could spank a mule!

This thing sounds like a FAT donkey on a hot day spanking it self! I mean come on people! I read some of the reviews and see that people think that this thing sounds like a misquito. Those people are liars! This guitar pumps out death metal riffs like none other DUDE! All i play is DEATH METAL and this thing craps out FAT riff after FAT riff! Dude.

This guitar seemed like it was setup by a professional! yes, a professional! This thing came out of it's awesome cardboard case and started playing for it self pretty much dude! finish is totally out of this world! it is BLACK with a tough as nails white pick guard that will never give you any trouble! NO LIE

This think is built like the planet mars!!!!!! It is hard as a rock!!!!!! This thing once fell off my bed and didn't fall apart!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

These dude rock! They are the coolest! They told me that my guitar sucked big time but i told them off and then went and craped out some FAT FAT DEATH METAL riffs.

i have been playing for atleast 50 years and this guitar has lasted me for all of them. Like i said i play DEATH METAL and this BUGGER pumps out like MOTHER! 50 years of abuse and it still is crapping out sounds like none other! EVER!!! Built like the planet MARS!!!! THis guitar rocks the universe!!!!!!!!!

The rhythm guitarist in my band got one of these as a first guitar. That was 75 bucks that could've been used for more profitable things, like flushing it down the toilet. That would definately be more profitable than playing this sore excuse for a stringed instrument. It's a 21 fret (that's fine) guitar with a solid-top. It has a volume, two tones, three strat (single coil Lotus) pickups and a five way selector. Rosewood fretboard with "ACK" medium frets. It has about a 25 1/2 scale neck (adequately comfortable) and a regular fixed tremolo. This means that the tremolo lies flat against the body. I have nothing against those trems. My guitar is an Ibanez RG-170 with a Seymour Duncan George Lynch Screamin' Demon in the bridge and a Seymour Duncan '59 in the neck position. Guitars do not necesarily "need" a tone nob, I mean, why would you want to turn a good tone down? This guitar is pointless. We're fixing his Lotus up with a custom neck and a new pickguard with humbucker compatibility. The wiring shouldn't be too tough, we might need to purchase a new 5-way switcher.

We play just about everything from punk (not "punk" like those metal bands that call themselves punk, but actual "punk" in the laiden term. We play music that suits the lifestyle. Upbeat at times, lazy at others. We sound like a mixture of Green Day, the Offspring... it's origonal music though. He likes Metallica, and our band's stuff.
He has a ZOOM 505 II (actually MK-II) and a homemade speaker enclosure. He has a JCM900 head (Marshall). I've never heard a Marshall sound bad. No, it didn't. It was just the guitar... Noisy? Hell yeah... noisy on all settings, even the clean. And that annoying TWANG pisses me off. I've heard better sounds out of a Fender American Strat. THOSE are NICE Strats. THe sound in the neck position is alright, you have to select the neck pickup and mid pickup. THe bridge pickup is too twangy, as is the bridge by itself, but all strats are like that. No tone whatsoever though. I like that the guitar can be dropped and not broken. I dislike... I dislike... the guitar itself.

Wired like a 12 piece puzzle put together by a chihuahua (spelling?) It's a pickguard mount, there's no adjusting to it for Lotus to do. Bookmatched top? Who cares? I like the finish, it's beautiful. It's a cool looking blue gradient sunburst into black glitter. It's the most beautiful finish in the world. The reason I rate it a "1" is because that finish is a deception and not a realistic custom-shop effect.

"Will this guitar withstand live playing?" I hope we never have to find out! The hardware will definately last, as long as you keep it well. The tuners suck though. The finish is great.. The strap buttons are solid. Don't depend on it, you'd be a fool to do that. I would never use this guitar. Period. I guive it a "1" because of it's unreliability. It totally cancels out the durability. Who cares if it is durable? If it sounds like crap it isn't worth it.

Lotus is out of business. Luckily.

have been playing about 2 years. I have an Ibanez RG-170 (as I said above) and I am getting an Ibanez JEM7DBK, which you can find on this site as well. Make sure you're not looking at JEM77DBK, there's only one "7" in the one I'm gettting. It's overall rating was a 9.6. I have a ZOOM 505 (first edition) and a Marshall JCM 900 Half stack. I use my own patches for the ZOOM and play a LOT of different kinds of music. My influences are Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Eric Johnson, Slash, Kirk Hammet, James Hetfield (his rhythms ROCK), Les Paul, Yngwie Malmsteen (neo-classical guitarist), Bucket-head (who is rumored to BE Yngwie Malmsteen) Dave Grohl, Billie Joe Armstrong (listen to him solo on Green Day's earlier albums!), Noodles, Joe Perry of Aerosmith, and many many many other guitarists. My absolute favorite right now is Joe Perry. He has the most creative riffs I have heard for rhythm guitar. His leads are badass as well. Joe Satriani is my favorite solo guitarist. My idol. I go to sleep every night, praying to God that this guitar is stolen when I wake up in the morning. He wants an Ibanez RG-570. I hate that guitar. My favorite feature is the color. I'd rather be playing a turd. I wish it had tone, I wish it had... I wish it was a guitar. Don't buy the guitar. Get an Ibanez GIO or GTX... even a Fender Mexico strat. It's worth the money for beginners.

Lotus strat copy: its black and looks like a strat, with a more attractive headstock. It has a tremolo, which I'm not too fond of, just that I don't like tremolos. (I'm not much of a cock-rocker and don't play surf...anymore) I'd prefer a regular bridge. Rosewood neck, 21 frets, I'd rather have 22. It is the nicest feeling neck I've ever played. Just the right width (fairly small), perfect rounding off on the neck's back, it fits my thumb great. If you like Fender strats, this is comperable.

I've had this guitar for over 6 years, its the only electric I've ever owned (NOT the only I've ever played). It sounds great with all the styles I used to play (surf, Metallica, classic rock, Pink Floyd, emo) and sounds even better with the music I play now (hardcore/metalcore ie. Shai Hulud, Poison the Well) Basically I've only used one setup ever. The guitar's highs are very clean but soft (i use the middle position on the selector switch). The mids are good, but I wouldn't ever expect to get a good crunch sound.

As far as I know, everything was OK. I just plugged it in and started playing. It was magical. hahaha

This is THE road guitar. I'd trust it before any other. It has been played live several times without a backup. Never had any problems. I think its universal that Lotus strats last forever. The selector switch plastic head came off, but I didn't like it anyways. 6 years, no problems. I use straplocks, but I would for any guitar.

Never had to.

Me:
6 years playing
Yorkville Stage 150 head, Boss Metal Zone pedal, Ampeg 4x12
Currently in hardcore/metalcore band based in the SF bay area
I love my lotus and my yorkville amps

Note: My friend got the exact same Lotus as me...Its apiece of crap. I guess its hit or miss. I liked mine so much, I bought a lotus bass.

This was my first guitar, I was kind 10 y/o and desparate to just start playing so when thte salesperson recommended this one, I obliged. As a result, I'm not sure what the body is made of, but the fretboard is some kind of cheap rosewood. It's a 1998 (I think) model that was made out in India. It's got some kind of cheapass pickups and a really crappy quality bridge. It's always going out of tune on me. *grr*

Ugh. Not good sound. I'm the alt-metal, death-metal, punk, grindcore type and this guitar, well, it just doesn't...ROCK! It doesn't sound that great with pedals, not even my bf's $90 Boss MetalZone. I usually use my trusty DOD grunge and death metal pedals, but with this guitar they give a lot of hiss and feedback (it's less on other guitars, I've experimented). I use a Leem amp, and while it's a kind of shitty amp (all I could afford) the sound isn't anything to rave about. It's kind of hard to get kool sounds out of, the whammy bar it comes w/ SUCKS! Kind of a bright sound. Not heavy enough for me.:(

Very cheaply made. Pickups and bridge suck, the bridge is mouned at a slight angle.

I've never played live, but the guitar is built like a rock. Once a strap button came off, but I was able to reaffix it with minimal effort.

n/a

I've been playing it for 2 years now, it's a pretty good beginner guitar, but I'd suggest renting and then after becoming a bit more experience, buying a more reputable guitar. Don't make the same mistake I did, which is just buying a guitar to have a guitar and taking whatever the salesman hands you. Also another downside is the fact that it's a Lotus. A fake Strat. Come on, Strats are only $50-$75 more and SO worth it. It's embarrassing to have a nonamie.

It has extremely well playability. Its neck is very thin and the frets are very low cut for solos. I like it a lot. It offers a volume and 2 tones nobs, just like yer regular Stat!

I play DMB all the way to In Flames, and have been playing for 12 years. This guitar sounds awesome!!!! It is definately one of the best sounding strat style guitars I have ever played. It has very rumbling lows, clear mids and when you need them, turn your tone up and get soaring highs! I think is sounds better than my stock PRS. I would definately use this on stage. No noise at all!

It was set up very well. Very low profile neck, stays in tune even in A tuning with stock strings! The pickups we very well adjusted, and these single coils really are top quality. The finish is sweet. If I were to scratch this beautifully finished guitar i think Id have to kill myself. The nut and bridge as I said were perfect. I haven't gone a day without thinking or playing about this beauty!

This guitar is my main guitar for my live stuff at smaller bars, I can depend on this like my own mother, by the way, my mother is very close to me. This guitar will last forever! What can I say, its my baby! I did have a problem witht he strap buttons though, they were screwed in too titely, almost tight enough like this guitar was supposed to last FOREVER! haha

These Guys are the nicest. Called them up to tell them what a beautiful guitar they've hooked me up with....and gave me a free strap!!!!! No Way!!!!

Ive been playing for 12 years. I own a PRS, and Les Paul Custom Flametop (No, not those Epiphone peices of shit)
I have a Mesa Boogie Tripple Rectifier with 2 4x12 Cabs loaded with vintage celestions. If my baby was stolen, I'd have to find that person that took my baby, and ask him/her politely if I could have my baby back, if they say no, well then we got a problem, how should we deal with this? I wish it has a Pu**y, so I could fu*k it.

This guitar has been described pretty well by other reviewers-- it's a very doctrinaire Strat copy. I bought it new in 1993. I've heard that these guitars were maide in India, supposedly at a factory that used to turn out Squier strats. The one thing I would like to call attention to is the tremolo bridge, which is an incredible piece of crap-- it's spring-loaded, but the springs are too weak to hold the bridge tight, so the only way I could get the thing in tune was to open up the back and disable the tremolo by driving wooden shims into the mechanism with a hammer.

This guitar has a flat, uninspired sound on every setting, as far as I can tell. It's as if you had miked the buzzing of the strings on an unplugged electric solid body. There's no low-end to speak of, and the pickups are noisier than hell. If you were into a really buzzy, insect-guitar sound, you might be able to get it out of this guitar. You might also be able to get it out of a plastic toy banjo.

When I bought it, the intonation,action, and pickups were set completely at random. Surprisingly, the neck is reasonably straight, with only a few fret buzzes which i was able to fix by messing around with the nut. Also, the pots and switches are reasonably quiet, which was also a surprise. The finish is cheap but fine.

As I said, the tremolo was born broken, and the nut broke on mine for no reason two weeks after I got it and had to be replaced. Other than that, it's remained as good as it ever was.

Who knows? I wouldn't know who to call, and anyway I don't speak Hindi.

I was stupid to buy a guitar like this new, but it was okay to learn on, and it really made me appreciate other guitars (for years, I thought the crappy sound was because I was a crappy guitar player). Ultimately, though, I can't recommend it unless you find one in good condition for $50 or under, which you could then give to your little brother or smash at the end of a show.

I bought this in '94 i think, christmas time. This is a foreign (obviously) made guitar. Dont know exactly where from. 24 Frets Regular strat copy. Triple single coils, quite passive. Really friggin' heavy wood, whatever it is. I took off the pickguard when i took off the strings one time...all i saw was paint and stuff. Tuners were crap. Tremolo of some kind.

I play hardcore, to metal, to punk, to anything. This was my first guitar. This thing has lasted quite a while, through a teenager who was curious how this sucker worked and everything..it still works. The pickups suck royally. Quite noisy.

The frets are ok, the fretboard on the other hand, it is probably the slowest i've ever played. Pretty good i guess for a beginner, once you get on a real guitar, it makes it TONS easier.

This thing is a bunch of freakin' cinderblocks taped together!!! it must be like 30 lbs. It can take a beating though. I would not use this piece of garbage to gig with ever. The finish is heavy, i havent seen real wood on it yet. Its about an inch and a half thick. I think the neck is made of oak or something too...but it has lasted quite a while.

Never dealt with them...no warranty to be heard of.

This would make quite a sturdy baseball bat, but for a guitar, its a poor piece of machinery. I have a stern dislike for the strat body style after owning this thing. If it were stolen or lost, i'd feel sorry for the person who stole it. Its hardly worth stealing, you'd probably get a healthy $20 bucks for it.

$100 (That I should have saved!!) used Made in 94, Japan, it has 22 cheap ass frets on the crapiest piece of fake rose wood i've ever seen. It has the worst pickups in it and it is inpossible to get anything to sound good on it. Trust me, my friend had this guitar just to jag around with it, and he played it through a marshall half stack with a digitech pedal board, and it still sounded like crap. But i'll give it a two just to be nice :)

It doesnt' matter what you play, the point is you can't and won't play it on this worthless piece of fire wood. I play through a Crate GFX 212, awesome amp for a great price, i recommend this amp to anyone who's parent's won't buy them a half stack. ONCE AGAIN THERE ARE NO PLEASING SOUNDS THAT COME OUT OF THE AMP ONCE IT IS TURNED ON, FOR YOU OWN SANITY JUST PUT IT BACK IN THE BOX AND TAKE IT TO THE CURB!!

Factory, this guitar was carved out of a friggin log! The pickups sound much better once they aren't in the guitar anymore. I do have one good thing to say about this P.O.S. though, it doesn't have any visible flaws besides the fact that it is one big flaw.

You can throw this guitar out a second story window, (I have!!!), run it over with a truck, burn it and piss on it's ashes- btw, all of these i recommend to fix that twangy problem with the bridge pickup- and it would still play the same, like crap.

I seriously didn't know they existed, i thought they made cars??!

THIS GUITAR BLOWS GOAT!!! DON'T BUY IT! DON'T PLAY IT! DON'T EVEN LOOK AT IT! JUST GET AWAY, FAR AWAY!!

This guitar is a strat copy. Black finish w/ a white pick guard. It has 21 frets, solid top, 5-way selector, and a 3-Singles. I have no idea what kind of p/u these are but they are passive. I have no idea what the body is made of. The finish is transparent. The body is 2-cutaway w/ a strat style trem. The tuners i have no idea and the same for the frets,but the frets might be like medioum.

It kinda fits my music styles, but only in the neck position.I would use the bridge p/u but golly is it Twangy. I run it through a Crate GX-15 and Crybaby Wah. Simetimes it buxxes but not much. I hate the twang though.

I got this as my first guitar so I didn't really know much about this stuf so I didn't check

The finish has come off in a couple places. the thing goes out of tune like u wouldn't believe. One of the screws on the bridge came off but i was lucky to find it and put it back in but this thing is otherwise like a rock. You could take an axe to it and you would have a tough time gettin into it/

I ve been playin for a year and a half. this was my first guitar. if it were stolen i would be mad but not suicidal and I would not buy it again.What i like a about it is it's solidness. I doo however hat the immense twang from the bridge p/u. I suppose that is would be a good beginner guitar and a good fix it up guitar, which is what I might just do w/ it when I get my next guitar.

This was my first Electric guitar. Bought it back in 94 pretty cheap. It's got a Five way selector and three single coils, a rosewood neck and an unusually heavy body. The neck is good; wide if you like that, but its quality isn't the best. 21 frets. Tremelo Bridge with Whammy Bar.
This Guitar looks great. I know, it's just a regular strat shape, but because of the silver sparkle finish and the silver clamshell pickguard, it doesn't look like one. Every nick and bruise gives it more character. I hope to always to always keep this guitar

I can't give the sound a number. I've gone through stages of both loving and hating this guitar. It sounds suprisingly good unplugged, much better than it sounds plugged in, and actually, better than many other electrics sound with no amplification. This guitar sonds downright dirty; if that's what you want then I reccomend it as a backup or novelty guitar. It has the stangest tone I've ever heard. I don't like the bridge pickup too much. It's got too much bite and twang. It sounds like a imperfect parody of early surf rock. I rarely keep the tone all the way up when using the bridge pickup. The Neck pickup, though, sounds great. Try playing it with the tone all the way down. It's insane. Nothing sounds like it. It's dreamy and mellow, but not in a cute way; Rather in a sickly, dazed, confused, but strangey peaceful way. Put The Neck pickup on with the bridge pickup, turn the tone down halfway, and pile on chorus, artificial sounding overdrive, mids, and a little reverb, and it has character all of its own. Very unique, great for single string sliding style. Sounds BEST through an extra crappy amp. Was a perfect match for my worn down, fifteen watt Crate. Not a main axe. A true novelty guitar for the experimenter or lo-fi, makes a great practice guitar, too

Hah, hah. First thing I did when I got it was fix the intonation AND the action. luckily I got it done for free. Finish AND pickguard are gorgeous. The guitar floats, especially on the G-string. I think it had one dead fret when I bought it, new.

Oi. I don't give this a 2 because I had no problems for the first couple years. If you buy this learn how to do yr own intonation. It will be a real money saver. In fact, I reccomend this guitar, if only for the purpose of learning how to fix intonation. This guitar loses more harmonics every day. The hardware rusted a little, prematurely. However, it's strong as an ox structurally. You could kill a grizzly bear with this thing. real heavy. I've banged the body quite a lot and it's like brick. The Finish must be made of titanium or something, because, after the abuse i give it, It's great. maybe a little dirty, and the tiniest bit duller, but there's not a nick or a scrape or a flake.

I would not rely on the company. There is no need to when you spend $180 on a guitar.

If this guitar was still new I'd give it straight 7's, but I've seen what has happened to it. I love this guitar, it's got style and character. but I can't give it a high mark for practicallity reasons. A great buy for the lo-fi. Strange tone, makes a great cheap backup. Sounds intoxicating when set for mellow tone. Great first guitar if yr on a budget, If yr into alternate tunings, atonal music or brutal savagery. My main influences are The Germs, Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Marc Ribot, Tom Waits, and Beck, if that tells you anything about my review. (maybe the monkees should be up there too.)

22 Frets, Strat Style with Whammy Bar its basicly just like a Fender strat as far as looks go, White pickguard, Two tone color (Silver into Black) 3 single coil pickups , two tone controls, volume knob , etc. really nice looking

Well I like rock or metal Or really just anything that sounds good and i can play. This guitar is kind of like a fender in the same way you can make it your style. It handles good distortion and plays Great metallica riffs. I get a Lot of feedback though but that could be my amp too, I run it through a Prime amp (piece of crap, 15 watts) and a Ross 50 watt amp which it plays better on, I play on a line 6 spider amp soon though

I got it used it was in perfect condition, Ive polished and added new strings, that helps Ive gotten some dings and dents on the back side This guitar is Unusally HEAVY! Its even broke from the strap on ocassion. The toggle switch knob has came off but glued it back on which its fine now.

When I have enough for backup then sure ill always use backup I'd get a more reliable strap and strap locks then I'd think on it. the color make it great for a live looking guitar though.

Well I've never seen much from Lotus which is a dissapointment there not the same generic rip off guitars there really a good guitar brand I'd like to get more guitars, etc. by them but they do have an Email address

Ive only been playing for a Year now and ive played a lot of guitars and I like this one. Its my first guitar and im really comfortable with it and I enjoy playing it. If it were stolen id like to get a new one I do wish the bottom frets had more room or easier access (this makes lead a hard task) but overall im satisfied. An awesome beginners guitar. Email for any questions etc.

1984 Lotus Strat copy with orignal Pickups (s-s-s config except instead of 1 vol and 2 tone it is 1 vol 1 bass and 1 treble) and old fulcum tremolo with a 1974 Squire Strat neck that is wide as hell but is not fat...and stickered up like you would not believe(only reason I know it is black under is because the guy told me...it has half gotoh tuner(EAD) and then fender tuners(GBE) the reasoning is because the guy who "designed: the guitar was very, very particular about how the insrument played and worked...

It doesn't sound like a strat which is why I got it. I don't play jazz alot but except for the background noise coming thru the pickups is sound mellow and great thru a Roland JC-120 or a Marshall combo...yes the SOB will shred if teamed with the right amp settings.THe tremolo is useless, but acts as a nice fixed bridge...with this instrument I can ooze Stanley Jordan or scream like Jimmy Page...You name it JAZZ, METAL, PUNK, or Country it can do it....

Supposedly a black finish is on it but it is covered with stickers ranging from DOLE-KEMP 1996 to Holley Carburators to FATBOY SLIM. the necks finish is in some sad shape but it is off a 1974 Squire for god sake...white pick guard...did I mention stickers? But serious it look good almost perfect for PUNK

the 3rd month I had it the output jack went out but he fixed it free of charge. Holds up well in a mosh pit...especial when being used for self defense(is an usually heavy bastard strat).....

SEE ABOVE.....the guy I bought this off as does this work as a hobby between gigging and college but he can take a few pieces of crap and make a wonderful instrument and sell the instrument for what he put in them...plus he will repair other intrument for a six pack I can only give a rating of 10......but if I could rate like Spinaltap up to 11!!!!!!!!!!

I have played strat before and found them thin and weak but this Strat blew me away the first time I played it and still does. I would recomend this guitar to anyone who needs a verstile sound and does not have much money, but I as far as I know this is the only one like it. It is a shame it can't be mass produced. I can tell the the guy put his soul into this instrument each time I pick it up. I also have a late 70's Ibanez Musician model(for sale) a Homemade Les Paul made by the same guy, a mid 80's Crate G-40C, a Dunlop Wah, and finally a Art X-treme. the Ibanez has active pickups a TUNE-O-MATIC style bridge and a bodythru neck and sound great but doesn't mesh with punk alternative rock,but the other two rock...like...you would not believe....