Loudest Mouthpiece

[Bob Bigalard]

What kind of mouthpiece puts out the largest amount of sound?

[Beavis]

one that has TP in the hole

[ColeGAnderson]

If you are just looking for loud the the loud LM-12 is suppoed to be very good. I've never gotten to play on it but it sounds like what you might looking for.

[doublebuzzing]

If you want to sound like something other than a tuba, but with a lot of volume, LM12.

[Donn]

I think this depends on how we measure volume, doesn't it? I mean, it's sort of like axe vs. sledgehammer, which hits harder? Obviously the axe, because it leaves a deeper dent? Or not. A more specific notion of the purpose may lead to better selection of the tool.

[ghmerrill]

The original question is (strictly speaking) about the KIND of mouthpiece -- not necessarily the particular model. Maybe that wasn't intended? Maybe it was? If it was, I presume an appropriate answer would be of the form "Helleberg" or "German bowl style" or ???

Anyhow, in my experience this is a difficult question to answer for an Amati oval euphonium, but my guess would be a contra-bass trombone mouthpiece with the appropriate shank. It would, of course, sound like crap, but should be sufficient to terrify small children and most animals.

[Donn]

The original question is (strictly speaking) about the KIND of mouthpiece -- not necessarily the particular model. Maybe that wasn't intended? Maybe it was? If it was, I presume an appropriate answer would be of the form "Helleberg" or "German bowl style" or ???

Interesting semantics question. A model is also a "kind", so it's debatable. I mean, all we know for sure here is that the answer can't be "Warren Deck's mouthpiece" or something of that nature (if I remember right and he was among other things known for an ability to produce plenty of sound.) Though that really is the answer, isn't it? I mean, I've seen at least a couple of anecdotes here, where someone directs a lament to his teacher concerning the inferiority of his equipment in this respect, whereupon the teacher picks up the supposedly inferior tuba and mouthpiece and produces a sound that loosens windows, brings forth plaster dust from the ceiling and alarms the neighbors.

[PaulMaybery]

a. Heavy wall? b. deep cup? c. open throat?

It depends what you drop it on or hit it with.
I imagine that more metal makes for a louder klink on the concrete.

Serioiusly though: seems to me that a MP is only part of the equation, along with chops, open oral cavity, lungs, abominals and the horn.

But when I do want 'enormity,' equipment does matter. The Monette Prana 94 delivers a punch (a) as does the PT88+ (but with a little more depth a, b & c)

Different types of loudness.
Penetration Monette
Ambient PT88+

Do you want an easy "blatt" or a "serious earth moving quake with gravitas" that takes work?

[ghmerrill]

I imagine that more metal makes for a louder klink on the concrete.

I haven't done any formal studies using concrete. In some informal "studies", it seems to me that the lighter mouthpieces seem to make more noise when hitting a slate floor (that is in fact on top of concrete). I believe they produce more "ring" (higher harmonics and a bit more duration?) whereas the heaver mouthpieces produce more of a short "clank" (rather than a true "klink"). Of course, this depends on which part hits first.

Denis Wick mouthpieces seem to provide the best overall results. Bach mouthpieces, not so much. The Kelly plastic ones are very disappointing in this respect, though they do bounce higher and produce several distinct sounds as they go through multiple bounces while you chase them around the ... er ... laboratory.

[Donn]

I thought the usual way to drop a mouthpiece for maximum volume, was to let it fall on someone's French horn.

[ghmerrill]

I have an old All*Star BB-Bass mouthpiece that looks as though it should be VERY loud. I haven't tested it myself, but it looks as though someone has. It looks big enough to make a French horn out of it.

[doublebuzzing]

A shallow cup will more easily put a serious edge on the sound but, then again, I don't think a tuba should sound like a bass trombone.

[barry grrr-ero]

Sounds like the LM 12 is similar to a m.p. that I owned for years that was made by Burt Herrick in L.A. It was wide and shallow, with 'relief' cut under the rim. It also had a pretty long stem with a big back-bore. You could play on it all day long and it made most any tuba play really well in tune. The trade-off was that the tone was quite bright.

In the years that the Chico Bavarian Band played without amplification, I used a Conn Helleberg Chief with the throat bored out larger (I forget what size) to get a massive yet 'dark' low register. That's about as BIG as you could get. I remember that the bottom tuba of the Tubadours (Disneyland) used a Helleberg Chief.

I'm really dating myself now.

[Donn]

In the years that the Chico Bavarian Band played without amplification, I used a Conn Helleberg Chief with the throat bored out larger (I forget what size) to get a massive yet 'dark' low register. That's about as BIG as you could get. I remember that the bottom tuba of the Tubadours (Disneyland) used a Helleberg Chief.

For those who will never get a chance to see a Conn Helleberg Chief (including me) ... that's about as different from the LM 12 as two tuba mouthpieces could be?