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$80... and here I was griping about Kellyberg's at thirty.

I love my Loud Mouthpieces. All of the ones I have are the older style. I spent 20 years playing on whatever mouthpiece I had laying around...so when I finally got a real horn of my own...I tried a few, and I stumbled upon the Loud. I've got an LM-3, LM-6, LM-7, LM-10, LM-12, and LM-15. I really would like an LM-4 and an LM-5 to round out the series. I also have a couple Bach 18s and all of the Kelly Lexan mouthpieces.

As my playing has matured over the last few years, I have started to fully appreciate the nuances of different mouthpieces. My favorites are the LM-3, LM-12, and LM-7. I kind of like the LM-10 as well, but not as much as the others. All of the other mouthpieces get used occasionally, but I revert to my main four most often.

For a sousaphone application, I definitely think the LM-12 is perfect for it...unless you want a fat Tuba sound...then I like the LM-3.

I have been intrigued by the Loud Buzzer, since it was introduced, but thought it might not be any good. Ian's post changed my mind...and I just ordered one! When I use my mouthpiece on a horn outside, I am so afraid I am going to see a $160 investment go crashing to the ground. This way...perhaps I can mitigate that a bit.

Bloke, I find your idea of a "plastic" underpart with a stainless rim intriguing. I wonder how well the threads would hold up...but then again...you probably shouldn't be transferring rims that often for it to matter anyway.

jc

bloke wrote:I already sell (threaded) Lexan rims...as (I believe) does Doug Elliott. Lexan demonstrated its strength (years ago) to tuba players...How many times have Kelly mouthpieces fallen on concrete without leaving a scratch?

True...forgot about the inverse....and as for how many times can a Kelly fall on concrete without leaving a scratch? ....No idea...I generally don't fling my mouthpieces on the ground on purpose.

I am a weird player...I "only" have a King 2341 as my main concert player. I bring a towel and put the bell on that rather than on a tile floor. It's 5 years old and I can only find one small ding in it. I hate loading onto a stage since inevitably someone bumps into me with their horn. I am weird. I figure this will be the only nice pristine horn I own...got to keep the silver looking nice.

I have since bought two "nice" sousaphones....but for some reason I still want to keep that 2341 looking brand new...well that and I know I'd get a scowl from my wife in the tenor sax section if I damage it!

....at any rate...a new rim is much cheaper than a whole new mouthpiece. I really like the stainless two piece designs. I've been wanting to try a blokepiece....but I am already not good enough to justify the mouthpieces I have!

jc

Holy Crap!

I just got my Loud Buzzer... I like the Kellys. They are very good mouthpieces....On a sousaphone, I really don't think it is going to adversely affect your sound. I haven't done any real comparisons with a concert tuba in an orchestral or serious band setting. ...but again they are very good and are a good inexpensive option for someone who can't afford a better mouthpiece or likes to destroy them.

...anyway...just got my buzzer...this thing weighs about the same as a "normal" mouthpiece. It's quality is every bit on par with its stainless steel counterparts. It is in a different league as the Kellys. I have no reason to believe it won't perform exactly like my stainless LM-12 (I got the lM-12 buzzer)...however due to a painful ear infection...I'm going to have to wait a while before I give it a thorough testing. ...but first impressions....these are impressive. If I recall, the Kellys have an obvious mold line...the buzzer definitely looks to be turned on the same equipment as the stainless mouthpieces....I doubt that makes much sonic difference....but build-wise this thing looks perfect.

jc

Just my little imput: I emailed LOUD about this a month ago here is my email and their response:
Me: Can the LOUD buzzer be used as a mouthpiece or is it solely for buzzing? I would like to have a plastic mouthpiece for cold weather games other than my KELLYburg. If it can be used as a mouthpiece to play, will I need to add weight to it so it doesn't vibrate a lot?
LOUD: Hi Edward - We do have players using the LOUD Buzzer for just that purpose. It will not have the same sound as our stainless models, but for outdoor and especially cold weather it is a great alternative. We also have high energy groups and sections using them to protect themselves from flying metal mouthpieces during horn flashes and maneuvers. In this instance, the lightweight Buzzer stays put much better and doesn't become a projectile. Have not had anyone say they needed to add weight to the mpc. It's a different type of synthetic than the regular plastic mouthpieces out there.

Living LOUD,

Mary
Client Services
LOUD Mouthpieces
http://www.LOUDmouthpieces.com" target="_blank
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It seems as if I need to try these out, as I now have money vs. marching band season. Do you guys think the stainless one sounds better? I probably won't get a stainless one (as horn movements will be going on in our shows and in the stands) but I just wish the price was about $15 less and they had it in more colors (doesn't have to be anything crazy but a white, a chrome metallic, and a gold metallic). Anyway one more thing people should know about these mouthpieces is not to try to sterilize them by boiling them in water or using chlorine (not sure why you would use chlorine but I'll mention it anyway) as the material it is made out of can become brittle from exposure to high temperatures and many different chemicals http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyoxymet ... egradation" target="_blank

Dutchtown Sousa wrote:(not sure why you would use chlorine but I'll mention it anyway)

Chlorine is a common ingredient in household bleach and other cleaning solutions.

arpthark wrote:

Dutchtown Sousa wrote:(not sure why you would use chlorine but I'll mention it anyway)

Chlorine is a common ingredient in household bleach and other cleaning solutions.

True, I didn't think about that but why would you use household cleaning products for something that will be on your mouth? I would much rather use just regular soap and a mouthpiece brush and maybe some warm water