"Ribbed" Body Construction for Saxophones - What is it?

One of the most common questions that I receive for saxophones is "what does ribbed body construction mean?"

On a saxophone, every key is suspended up from the body by no fewer then 2 posts. These posts can be attached to the body of the saxophone in one of two ways.

Post To Body - Each post is individually soldered on to the body.
Ribbed Body - Large groups of posts are soldered to a large plate of brass, aka a "rib". This "rib" is then soldered on to the body.

With ribbed construction, you add more weight to the saxophone. This changes the vibration of the instrument. Typically, ribbed body saxophones will give a warmer overall sound because of the added weight.

Ribbed is not always better!
It is a common misconception that ribbed is better. The reason behind this is that all student level saxes are post to body construction. Most intermediate models are ribbed. So many sales persons will use this as an explanation as to why the intermediate model is more expensive, quoting it as better.

There are many professional model saxophones that do not use ribbed construction. Keep in mind that the weight of the sax can negatively effect the playability if the construction is too heavy for the design.

The design of a sax effects the tone of the sax more then the weight does. So if you have a design that by nature is already dark in tone, then adding more weight can actually be a negative thing.

For instance, all modern professional Keilwerth saxophones do not use ribbed body. Instead they use post to body construction. Many vintage professional horns also did not use ribbed construction.

Post to body models vibrate easier then ribbed body models. This is why student models are made this way, it makes it easier for a basic beginner to play. However, depending on the design of the sax, the more vibrant body may be the better bet.

NAMM Report - 2008

Well the NAMM show in Anaheim has come and gone now. This is the big industry show for retailers. This show is not open to the public.

Because of this, I will typically post a "NAMM Report" on the popular saxophone message board, "Sax On The Web". This post is usually a rather long post so I will simply give you a link to it instead of reposting the whole thing here:

http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=75833

There were several highlights of the show for me. They include:

Leblanc "Bliss" Clarinets by Backun

Avanti Flutes designed by Bickford Brannen

Selmer Series III Baritone Sax

as well as MANY other items.

Go log on to SOTW (short for Sax On The Web) and give it a read.

NAMM Convention 2008

So coming up this coming weekend is the NAMM show in Anaheim, CA. This is industry convention where are the manufacturer's display for the retailers all of their newest products. It's a great place for us as dealers to evaluate new instruments, accessories and new opportunities in the music industry.

Each year, we spend several days at the show evaluating everything from the best saxophones in the world to the newest low cost Chinese products. Not many of these items actually will make it in to our store, but every year, there are a few things that catch us by surprise.

Check back here to read about these changes to the industry. We already know of a few new products that we cannot wait to put our hands on! Two new items that are already on our agenda are the new Avanti Flutes as well as the new Leblanc by Backun "Bliss" Clarinets. Both of these are products of Conn-Selmer, Inc.

We are also looking for the next great accessory to compliment our store's product offerings. Some of the previous highlights of the show have been the High Spirit Native American Flutes, Chopsaver Lip Balm, Petersen Music Stands, and of course many more then I can remember.

So check back next week for updates from the NAMM show!