Rampone & Cazzani

< R1 Jazz Alto - Old fashioned 24 carat gold plating for a warm, dark, deeper sound & a truly vintage look.
Made from red brass.
R1 Jazz Alto AUG >
Old fashioned thick silver plating, 24kt gold plating & additional engraving.

 Supplied mouthpiece & strap.

I've been impressed with the handful of Rampone saxes I've managed to test but I wasn’t sure quite how a small Italian firm could ever take on the big four of the sax world, until now!  This R1 Jazz alto compares with the very best France, Germany & Japan has to offer.

I must admit, I like my vintage tones and the R1 Jazz certainly has that edge. It has a defined clarity and projection throughout the range, with a sub-tone that is smooth and resonant. This superior tone & response can be contributed to the high quality red brass used. Although versatile in sound I found myself leaning towards jazz, especially Bebop! I couldn't help wanting to play 'Yardbird Suit', and believe me - how sweet it sounded! As with un-lacquered saxes, there is additional clarity and the thick 'old fashioned' gold plating makes the overall tone broad and rich.

To  blow, the sax is slightly resistant much like a Selmer, which I like. It gave me confidence that when I went for any note it would always sound consistent. The sax is very instant at the top, and those harmonics…wow! They just sang and how pure it was! Like the R1 gold plated, the intonation is outstanding and is possibly the best of any sax I've ever played.

The action is fairly open and it took me a little while to get comfortable. However, after just a short playing session everything started to feel good and responded well to fast Bebop runs. The LH Table keys are nicely placed, with fluid movement, which enables fast trilling on the G# key and easy chromatic like movements. I did find it a bit difficult shifting from Low B to Low C#, my pinkie kept getting stuck! A couple of other features are worth noting: RH thumb hook is made from metal to add to stability, the bell is off-set and is slightly smaller.

Like previous Rampone & Cazzani Saxes, there are slight imperfections in the finish due to the hand polishing. This is noticeable with the slight shadow of the seam on the bell, but I like it, it adds character, individuality and proves beyond doubt that this is a sax born out of the sweat of a highly skilled human being. The old fashioned 24k gold plating has style, class and is definitely very chic. The best way I can describe the look is that it seems to be in soft focus; no harsh edges. The key-work is stylishly designed: it flows, melts and curves making this a pleasingly tactile experience. The R1 is decorated with Rampone's trademark hand chiselled decoration which I find very appealing. This is a highly functional and professional sax, and one in which the aesthetics are especially pleasing, which makes a refreshing change from some of the mass produced production lines saxes.

The Jazz has all the best qualities off the R1 (power, punch and panache) with some additional character as preferred by many professional Jazz players. It looks and plays with all the authority of a vintage sax but produces loads more whack! This is surely the Italian version of the Reference Alto, and that is one big compliment!

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