The Saxophone FAQ - Mythbuster
Mouthpieces
Should I put putty in my mouthpiece to make it play better?
I have seen at least one popular mouthpiece refacer and a “have putty – will travel” top professional player(?) who advocate using putty to match mouthpieces to various horns for performance. Here's something to consider before following their advice.
The physical characteristics of putty which make it so practical for quick mouthpiece experimentation – being soft and pliable – also make it very effective in industry for noise control. It is often used as a lining inside machine casings to dampen vibration and sound waves. I just put 5lbs of it inside the base of my mill. Previously, it rang like a bell at the slightest vibration. Now it is dead quiet. Simply put, putty absorbs sound energy. If rock guitar players complain that your unamplified, acoustic saxophone is drowning them out on stage, then I’d suggest perhaps putting some putty in your mouthpiece to make it a bit less lively. Otherwise, I’d steer clear of it, other than to use temporarily for mouthpiece design testing prior to using a permanent hard epoxy.
Putty in my mouthpiece for performance?
Never.
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