Piezoelectric ceramics of 0.6(Bi0.9La0.1)FeO3-0.4Pb(Ti1-xMnx)O-3 (BLF-PTM) for x = 0, 0.01, 0.02 and 0.03 were fabricated by sol-gel process combined with a solid state reaction method. XRD patterns reveal that all compositions possess pure perovskite structure with a rhombohedral symmetry. Upon using Mn substituents, BLF-PTM ceramics exhibited the characteristics of hard piezoelectrics, such as (i) low polarization, (ii) low dielectric constant and loss, and (iii) high mechanical quality factor Q(m). The dielectric loss, planar coupling coefficient K-p and mechanical quality factor Q(m) of 0.006, 0.338 and 418, respectively, have been achieved for BLF-PTM of x = 0.01. A large vibration velocity of 1.1 m/s has also been achieved for this composition, which is larger than that of commercialized Pb(Zr, Ti)O-3 (0.3 m/s) and Pb(Zr, Ti)O-3-Pb(Sb, Mn)O-3 (0.6 m/s) piezoelectric ceramics. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.