 Rampone & CazzaniIn September 2009 we visited the Rampone & Cazzani factory in Italy. It was a fascinating seeing all aspects of production from raw materials entering the building to final polishing. It is very impressive watching a flat sheet of brass being turned into a perfect saxophone bell by a man with little more than a wooden hammer. Take a look at the photos from our visit.....The 9 craftsman produce around 7 saxophones each week with pride, passion and skills that have been handed down the family for almost 200 years! As owner Claudio said, "Players rave about the special qualities of saxes made in the 1930's, 40's and 50's. Well, we still make saxes the same way."It would be a crime if the skills used to produce these beautiful saxes were ever lost so at sax.co.uk we continue to support & stock Rampone & Cazzani saxophones.These beautiful Italian saxophones are still made using techniques from the "golden age" of sax making and consequently share many of the same qualities of those sought after vintage classics."My favourite soprano" - Courtney PineThe same family have been making instruments in the tiny village of Quarna Sotto high in the Italian alps for nearly 200 years, in the same workshop and even using some of the original tools! These precious skills have been handed down to the current generation of 9 craftsmen, 6 of whom are family members.No other manufacturer can boast such tradition and this manifests itself in instruments that ooze character. For this reason we have decided to stock more and list our Rampone saxes as individuals. It is not a case of some being better than others (they are all good!), just different. Each strike of the craftsman's hammer minutely changes the instrument's response so no two saxes are exactly the same.Many modern saxes produce a sound that is very pure but a little 'one dimensional'. Some players prefer to sacrifice some of this purity for a richer 'multi dimensional' tone where harmonic layers can be more easily exploited. This is a major reason why vintage instruments are sought after but if you want the benefits of modern day reliability, ergonomics and intonation then bring on the Rampone!The finest materials are used - red brass, bronze, copper, nickel silver and sterling silver. No lacquer is used allowing the instruments to resonate to their full potential. Brass instruments are plated with thick old fashioned 24ct gold or silver plating. These saxes are intended to look as retro and vintage as they sound so do not expect the 'perfect' cosmetics found on more mass produced horns. Bells are hand beaten, the unique etched decoration is hand chiseled, an unrivalled choice of custom options........add to all this a large helping of pride & passion and you can see why more and more players are falling in love with Rampone & Cazzani saxophones. |
