Is there a mp similar to the Tommy Johnson N4, but heavier?

[manatee]

When I started playing big tubas a few years ago, I got a 24AW Megatone from Bach that was outstanding. Even though I played a 24AW Benge mp in the Army as my sousaphone mp, it is not a mp for one who has advanced so I started my quest. Along the way I did buy, and get rid of Bach Megatones 12 and 18. Neither of them resonated, at all, like the 24 AW did. I wonder if anyone else finds this to be the case among the Bach Megatone series?

[poomshanka]

It is my understanding that the Loud 10 was designed for Tommy Johnson. You could check with Joe Murphy on that, but I'm pretty sure that is correct. I have one and they look very similar. The Loud is of course much heavier. Take a look at the Loud website also to confirm. I hope this fills the bill for your needs.

Richard Murrow

The story, as best I can remember parts of it:

Marcinkiewicz copied an old mouthpiece of Tommy's for Gene Pokorny (perhaps a Minick, or maybe a Harrick - I can never remember). This may have been done by Norm Pearson while he was there. I had a old copy of that piece myself, and turned it over to Joe. It became the LM-10. Turns out at the time this all went down, Tommy was using a copy of the original piece made for him by Kanstul with an exterior almost identical to the Marcinkiewicz. Joe sent a copy of the LM-10 to Tommy, who really liked it, and agreed to be an "artist endorser". I believe Tommy alternated between the Kanstul and LM-10 is his work.

Design on the LM-10 is more similar to the N4 than something Helleberg-ish, but it is a bit different than the N4. As I always say, think "C4 on steroids".

...D