Mouthpieces

The Mouthpiece.
Updated Nov 18th, 2014

by Andrew Hadro

Finding a great mouthpiece can be a lot of work. Most solutions lie in practicing and
developing a good sound, not in changing your set up. Many players don’t like their sound
and go out and buy new mouthpieces only to delay the resolution of the problem.

If you can not play with a good sound buying a new mouthpiece will not
suddenly fix everything!

It may make things worse or at least more complicated. Practice long tones for at least 6
months before deciding the problem is in your set up. If you do have to look for a new
mouthpiece, the best advice is to find something that works and stick with it (although keep in
mind that mouthpieces can need replacing after a few years of use). Here is some gathered
information to help you in the arduous task of finding a mouthpiece to use.The first thing to
know is that mouthpieces come in all shapes, materials, sizes, brands, and styles. Below is a
chart we’ve compiled listing the different tip openings for models of different brands.

Baritone Saxophone Mouthpiece Tip Opening Chart

70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130

Beechle
– – – 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 – –
r
Berg
70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130
Larsen
Brilhar
– – – – – – – – 9(108) – – – –
t Metal
Dukoff – – – D4 – D5 – D6 – D7 – D8 D9
Guy
Hawkin – – – – 3 4 5 6 – 7 8 9 10
s
Jody
– – – – 5 – 6 – 7 7* 8 8* 9
Jazz
Lawton – – – – 4* – 5* 6 6* 7 7* 8 8*
Lebayle – – – – – – 6 6* 7 7* 8 8* 9
5(9 6(9 7(1 9(11 10(1
Meyer – – – 4(86) – 8(110) – –
2) 8) 04) 7) 24)
1C( 8
Morgan – 6 – 7 – – – – 7J – 8J
68) 6J(108)
60( 65(108
Ponzol – – – – – – – – 70 – 75
98) )
Otto
– – 4 4* 5 5* 6 6* 7 7* 8 8* 9
Link
RIA – 3* – 4* – 5* – 6* – 7* – 8* –
Rousse
– 3R 4R 5R 6R – – – – – – – –
au
Rovner – – 5 – 6 – – – 7 – – – 8
1(68 4(79
Runyon
) ) 8(9 9(9 11(109 12(1 14(114 15(1
(Custo 3 6 7 10 13
2(71 5(82 4) 8) ) 14) ) 27)
m)
) )
B*( C*(
Selmer C C** D E F G H – – – –
73) 79)
Theo
6* 7* 8* 9* 10
Wanne
B75 B95
B25
[V5](1 [V5](1
[V5](73 B35 B5
Vandor 08) 22)
– )B27 – [V5]( – – [V1 – – – –
en B7 B9
[V5](77 83) 6]
[V16]( [V16](
)
108) 122)
Wolf
– – – – 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 –
Tayne
Yamah 5C 7C
– – 6CM – – – – – – – –
a M M
Yanagis 6(9 7(9
– – – 5(83) – 8 9 – – – –
awa 3) 8)
70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130

This Chart is definitely not complete. Numbers in ()’s are actual sizes. Contact us if you have
other, or better information! Tip Openings are measured in 1/1000 of an inch. The below
article is mostly referring to Baritone Saxophone mouthpieces.

Brands
 Alto players have the Meyer, Tenor players have the metal Otto-
Link, but baritone players don’t have a single common/standard mouthpiece that is sought
after by everyone. (Not that I recommend using the most common mouthpiece). However, the
most common brands I see for baritone are Berg Larsen (metal and rubber), Meyer, and Otto
Links (usually metal). I have noticed recently that the variety of mouthpieces being used in
the last few years is definitely expanding. Hopefully this is a continuing trend. The time
honored “beginner’s” mouthpiece is the Selmer C*. This is also a very common mouthpiece
with classical saxophonists, however someone playing anything other than strict classical
music might benefit from a mouthpiece with a larger tip opening and chamber. Pepper Adams
used a metal Berg Larsen, Gary Smulyan uses a vintage metal Link, Scott Robinson uses a

hard rubber Vandoren, and Ronnie Cuber uses a custom made

metal Francois Louis. Gerry Mulligan and Harry Carney generally used rubber mouthpieces.
You can find out what your favorite players used and use that, but there is no guarantee that
their type of mouthpiece will work for you or sound at all like it did when they played it.
Everyone’s embouchure is naturally different. The diameter of your throat, the density of your
teeth and bone, the size of your tongue, the length of your throat, the size and shape of your
lungs; these thing are all different and all affect the way the air vibrates when producing a
sound on your saxophone. The saxophone doesn’t just vibrate air in the horn, your entire air
column is vibrating, and the room you are in are contributing to the sound. So do not be
surprised if even with the exact same set up as your favorite player that your sound is quite a
bit different.

New vs. Vintage

There are both new and vintage mouthpieces out there. A large difference between the two is
that vintage mouthpieces were hand crafted. Unlike the horn itself, it is actually possible to
find modern hand finished mouthpieces today. Newer mouthpieces tend to be far more
consistent from one mouthpiece to another of the same model, because most of the work is
done with precision machinery. This is a blessing and curse. It means that if you find a new
mouthpiece you love and you lose it or break it, you can buy another and easily replace
it. However, with vintage mouthpieces you have a greater chance that it will be unique (or
flawed) and that difference might give the mouthpiece a better or at least special sound.
Although this makes the mouthpiece nearly irreplaceable. Unlike horns, I believe that some of
the newer mouthpieces can definitely hold their own against vintage ones. Vintage
mouthpieces are far more fragile (especially rubber ones) and can be far more expensive.
Newer mouthpieces tend to be much more reed friendly and forgiving to reeds, as they are
more physically symmetrical and well defined. The bottom line of course, is that nothing
matters more than if it sounds good or not.

Trying Mouthpieces Out

There are a few things to remember when trying out mouthpieces. First, if possible, try and
keep the conditions and variables the same between all mouthpieces to give a fair
comparison.Don’t change rooms, don’t change horns, use the same reed, same ligature, and
play the same things to try each mouthpiece. This is tricky as a more open mouthpiece will
need a softer reed and if you try them in different stores or rooms the sound of the room will

undoubtedly be different. Do the best you can, bringing a small recording

device is not a terrible idea. Bring a tuner! See how the mouthpiece plays in tune on your
horn. Most mouthpieces and horns will sound and play best when they are adjusted to be in
tune.

Most importantly: Try as many as possible! Many online sites will send you a few (after you
pay for them) and allow you to try them for an extended period and send them back for a full
refund if you do not like them. Also, many mouthpieces are hand finished, so if you find a
mouthpiece you like and want to purchase see if you can try out 2-3 of the exact same
mouthpiece, they will each be slightly different. Most stores will let you try any mouthpiece
before purchasing as well.

Tip Openings

The tip opening is the distance between

the reed and the tip of the top of the mouthpiece. A good starting place for baritone is around
.090 inches (around a 5 on the ‘Otto Link’ sizing scale). But everyone’s mouth, teeth, tongue,
palate, etc. are all different. A wider (more open) tip opening generally requires a softer reed,
while a smaller, or more closed opening, will require a harder reed. A medium-open set up
would be .110 inches opening with a strength 3 or so reed (although remember strengths are
not consistent between brands). Its a good idea to try many different tip opening to see what
you can handle and what you like. If the tip opening is too large it will seem very hard to
produce a clear tone, or sound extremely stuffy or fuzzy. If you are trying a mouthpiece more
open than you are comfortable on it may squeak quite a bit because it is harder to control. It is
important to note that using a harder reed as opposed to a larger tip opening are not exactly
the same. Both options provide more resistance, but a small tip opening with a really hard
reed will have a different sound, timbre, and feel than a wide tip opening with a soft reed even
though they may have similar resistances.

Metal vs. Rubber

There are several materials used for

mouthpieces including metal, plastic, glass, wood, and hard rubber (ebonite). Metal and hard
rubber (ebonite) are by far the most common materials used for baritone saxophone
mouthpieces.There are a few basic differences between hard rubber mouthpieces and metal
ones. Metal mouthpieces are much less fragile as they can be washed with anything, they
wont crack, and wont shatter if dropped.

Plastic mouthpieces are usually worthless and just for students, they may come in the case
with a new saxophone. Glass mouthpieces are extremely rare, especially among baritone
mouthpieces – they are much more common for clarinet. Wooden mouthpieces are somewhat
rare as well, and can sound great, but may be hard to keep in shape and may be expensive.
They are affected greatly by changes in humidity (weather) and are prone to cracking.

The difference in sound depends mostly on the chamber, curve of the facing, and tip opening,
baffle, chamber etc, as opposed to the material. Metal mouthpieces are often perceived to
have a brighter tone while hard rubber mouthpieces tend to be much darker and mellow. This
is not necessarily because of the material they are composed of, but often metal mouthpieces
are designed to project a bit more. A good example of the difference is Pepper Adams Vs
Gerry Mulligan. Pepper played with a very bright sound using a metal mouthpiece with a
baffle while Mulligan’s sound was much darker – he used a large chamber hard rubber
mouthpiece.

Baffles + Chambers
For a complete list of the parts of the mouthpiece check this page out. Baffles and different
chamber sizes are used to alter the speed of the air as it travels through the mouthpiece, thus
changing the sound. A baffle refers to when the inside of the mouthpiece below the tip
opening is raised in a variety of shapes and sizes. This generally creates a more narrow
opening which forces the air through faster, and creates a brighter sound. High baffles are
fantastic for when you need punch in your sound or to play extremely loud – highly
recommended for rock and salsa gigs. There are a few mouthpieces out there with a movable
baffle, although none of these have been considered more than a novelty. Baffles can be
added or removed to existing mouthpieces by skilled craftsmen.

Different chamber sizes can have similar effects to baffles. The chamber is the inside of the
mouthpiece towards the bottom of the mouthpiece. A large chamber slows down the airspeed,
and will usually create a much darker sound. A small chamber generally produces brighter
one. A large chamber may provide more resistance as well. When you see two numbers in the
size of the mouthpiece (e.g. 100/2) the second number (2 in this case) is the size of the tone
chamber (inside of the mouthpiece). The larger the number the larger the chamber, and darker
the sound. Note that a larger chamber may also affect the tuning, as it increases the volume
inside the mouthpiece, thereby slightly altering the pitch.

Mouthpiece Care
Mouthpieces, especially metal ones, don’t need much care, but they do need to be looked after
from time to time. It is a really good idea to swab out your mouthpiece every other, if not each
time you use it. If saliva is left on the mouthpiece after playing, it can form over a period of
months into calcium (carbonate) deposits which look like a crusty white substance that is
extremely hard to remove. Scraping these deposits off can possibly harm the mouthpiece and
if untreated they can eventually build up to the point where they will interfere with the
mouthpiece’s performance. Here’s a site with more information concerning this malady. The
best solution is to not allow the build up in the first place. There are some people that swear
by soaking a mouthpiece in liquids such as vinegar can remedy this, but best to avoid having
to soak your mouthpiece in anything. Some people prefer to leave their reed on the
mouthpiece, rather than putting their reed away after playing. This is a very sure way to build
up the calcium deposits and can ruin a good piece. It is also best to wash your mouthpiece
occasionally. However if you mouthpiece is a hard rubber mouthpiece, wash it only as often
as you need, and only with room temperature water! Be sure to use only water, not soap. Hot
water can cause certain materials in the rubber to leech out, specifically the sulfur used in the
firing process that hardens the rubber. You may notice that it turns green after you wash it in
warm water – this is not a good thing. This is evidence that some of the materials used to
make the mouthpiece are leeching out. Metal mouthpieces are much less fragile and can be
washed with soap and warm water. It is even possible to scrape out calcium deposits in a
metal mouthpiece without too much harm.

On thin rubber baritone pieces the most fragile place is sometimes the shaft or shank where
the mouthpiece fits onto the neck. It is very important not to force a rubber piece onto a neck
cork that is too thick. Always use cork grease, use a twisting motion, and don’t force it! If the
shaft does crack it can sometimes be repaired and have a ring placed on the end of it.
However, mouthpieces with this kind of damage are rarely repairable. Some new mouthpieces

come with a ring already on the end to protect against this type of
damage. If a mouthpiece is dropped and chipped it can sometimes be repaired by a skilled
mouthpiece repairman using different materials.

Hard Rubber mouthpieces can wear out in as little as a few years if played a lot. If you find
that the same reeds you’ve always been using seem to be getting worse, less reliable, or
strangely softer this could very well be a sign that your mouthpiece is starting to wear out. If
possible find a new version of your exact mouthpiece and try it out to see there is a large
difference.

Refacing
As your embouchure progresses you may find that your mouthpiece is restrictive. The reed
seems to clamp shut when you try to put your full air through it, and all reeds seem too soft. It
may be time to get a mouthpiece with a larger tip opening.
 However, if you love your mouthpiece and
can not find anything as good, you can have a skilled mouthpiece craftsman “open up” the
mouthpiece and give it a larger tip opening. This is a risky thing to do and will certainly
change the way the mouthpiece plays, perhaps not for the better. After many years of use, the
tone rails (sides of the mouthpiece, on the face next to the reed) may wear down. A skilled
repairman can also even these out. An artificial baffle can also be placed in a mouthpiece.
There is no end to how a mouthpiece can be customized, modified, etc. But it is certainly
costly, and it might be easier to find a new mouthpiece entirely. An older mouthpiece that is
beginning to wear down may also be refaced to restore symmetry and increase its consistency.

Price
Mouthpiece prices vary greatly. Student baritone mouthpieces can cost as little as $90 and a
new custom mouthpiece can be as much as $900. Vintage mouthpieces depending on their
desirability, age, and condition can be expensive or extremely cheap. Do not let price
determine its value, there plenty of great mouthpieces out there for well under $300.
Remember, the most important thing is how it sounds and how it plays.

Other resources
WWBW.com – Woodwind Brasswind has many new mouthpieces for sale, and has a trial
period.
Saxquest.com – Has a large variety of vintage mouthpieces.
Theo Wanne’s website – information about mouthpieces