Rampone & Cazzani

In 1818 Francesco Rampone and his nephew Egidio Forni both coming from Quarna Sotto (near Lake d’Orta in Italy) went to Milan working for lab of an important baroque flutes maker, Mr. Luvoni, here they learnt technique of wood-turning and began an activity as wind instruments maker.
After any time they constituted a Company with their titular. When Luvoni for his age and health problems ended own activity, he left his company share to F.Rampone and E.Forni.
But these one came back to Quarna S., here in 1847 Egidio Forni took over company from F.Rampone making for any time wind instruments marked “Forni”.
Forni’s sister, Maddalena married Teodoro Bonaventura Rampone ,kindred but no direct descendant of founder F.Rampone and in following years Forni’s descent wiped out on company direction.
Then at company direction followed Teodoro B. Rampone, after his son Agostino.
During this period in Quarna S. about their activity they were obliged to make use locality resources;
In fact they had the idea to make woodwind musical instruments using local woods, plants: laburnum, pear or box wood and for want of electricity making use of water as motive power for their machines (anyone still
visible in local ethnographic Museum of woodwind instruments) through water mills.
Then, at the beginning in Quarna Sotto in small environments or rooms, often near friends and relatives, they installed wood-turning laboratories near mills and small torrents.
The used tools were bar-lathes, hand saws, hand drills, small pedal-drive lathes.
It began so a slow conversion for Quarna S. from agricultural to industrial centre.

In 1860 Agostino Rampone took over factory by E.Forni and kept in his hands company, in this age he was already an established flute-player at “Scala di Milano”, in the following years he will be real author for increasing woodwind instruments production.
Maybe he was also a refined craftsman because he improved also the Bohm-system for flute.
In the second half of XIX century brought his firm to an international fame as it’s attested in many recognitions received at Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Harvard, New York.
Agostino Rampone produced, first in Italy, a saxophone probably in 1875.
Any of early sax wood-prototypes used for study of key-mechanics are now exhibited in Quarna Museum.
Of course it’s not excluded A.Sax and Agostino Rampone met during various world musical instruments exhibitions and then early wood-sax prototypes were influenced by inventor’s model.
The Wood was utilized for these first models just because Rampone’s craftsmen were from any generation expert wood-turners worked it very well and certainly because it was easier to assemble mechanics testing functionality.
From wood they passed to metal, with creation of early metal sax bodies and parts variously forged.
The first metal body certainly asked considerable investments for the age, however there’s a solid experience in metals working, before it was already started a trumpet and brass-winds production, and then modelling sax-body didn’t give many troubles but it was a problem positioning mechanics, holes on body to determine notes.
1875 was just a very important date for RamponeC. history.

In 1916 or ’18 there was also a marriage of Giuseppina Cazzani (her father was Giovan Battista Cazzani watch-maker and also maker/repair-man of brass musical instruments in Milan) with Egidio Rampone, Agostino’s son.
It was born the “RAMPONE&CAZZANI” or “Ditte Riunite Agostino Rampone & Giovan Battista Cazzani” and with this name especially in 30’s it reached success also for contribution of their extraordinary craftsmen.
The production in these years was probably connected to industry collaborations with musical Companies more important than RamponeC. as CONN Co.; during this period saxophone is not the most important product for RamponeC. too.
The 30’s Rampone saxophones still preserved in Rampone factory are very similar to Conn models of same age; among preserved old models particularly a model entitled “SOLOIST”, a Rampone leading model of 30’s, on this model the company designer Mr. Delle Piane applied a complicated mechanic which controlled with lonely right hand all notes (or keys) normally moved with left hand palm, also obtaining Bb with contemporary opening of low Eb Key.
Another model to mention produced between end of 20’s – 30’s was the “VADEMECUM”, with beautiful embossed engravings on bell, it’s a very rare model now really unfindable but it can be seen on advertise papers or illustrations of the age.
Just by advertise illustrations you can see also a Straight Alto made in same years, probably similar to a Buescher model.
Actually RamponeC. has brought again this project and in 2007 introduced in his R1JAZZ professional sax line a new Eb Straight Alto called “ALTELLO” with an optional G# Key.
During early years of XX century Rampone factory produced also a wood-prototype of a Bb half-curved Soprano still preserved in Quarna Museum, very similar to American “King SAXELLO” but sure previous to King model; this Rampone project was clearly abandoned, but could it be thinkable King copied this model?
Now by around 10 years RamponeC. makes again a beautiful new Bb half-curved Soprano for R1 and R1jazz prof. lines.
Really Rampone instruments mechanics of 20’s-30’s is very similar to Conn saxophones: many alto Rampone models still preserved, show a “microtuner” neck, rolled tone holes equals in aspect to Conn “new Wonder II” examples.
During this period the sax range production included a C- and Bb- Soprano, Alto (maybe Curved-straight), Tenor, Baritone, Bass, maybe any Contra-Bass.
However the 1st and 2nd World War didn’t help company luck, in this period at direction of factory there are also family Arrigoni members with Egidio Arrigoni who married a Rampone’s heir.
Just Egidio Arrigoni directed company coping with economic difficulties because, although there was a low cost of labour, the Rampone employees were really too much: if you look any pictures reproducing company workers you can see that probably almost all Quarna families had someone able to make only one kind of manufacture on instruments.
In 1957 Mr.Saltamerenda a manufacturer, kindred to Arrigoni family purchased Rampone Factory of Quarna, then he moved offices and warehouse at Gerenzano near Varese.
Under direction of Ferdinando Saltamerenda (son of manufacturer) at the age 23 years old, Rampone&Cazzani arrived at the top of productivity never again equalized, for his unquestioned entrepreneurial capabilities but also thanks to low cost highly specialized labour.
From 1957 to ’85 were produced around 800 instruments for month, on this total around 600 were Flutes (same actual Rampone owner Roberto Zolla began at R&C factory making Flutes).
Frequently sax production in these years were “standard”, popular with few attention for manufacture details: sax with lacquered brass body and nickel-plated keys, although of better quality on standard actual products by other brands.
However Saltamerenda’s management in those years although with less quality relating to past quality, it was useful for increasing production and preserve employment of many people of Quarna Sotto.
From 1985 Saltamerenda left company especially because of competition of big industrial groups.
Roberto Zolla purchased R&C Factory in 1989 when Rampone’s saxophones were seen from professional musicians and sax-players simply like Band instruments, so he worked hardly to reach professional level for his saxophones.
Now the new totally handmade production of professional saxophones (from Eb sopranino to Baritone) again dislocated in Quarna Sotto, with “R1” (lacquered models) and “R1JAZZ” (unlacquered models to free better all the harmonics) saxophones and the new models as the “Saxello” (Bb half-curved soprano) and the “Altello” (Eb straight Alto) have brought again Rampone&C. among best world sax manufacturer, very appreciated from many sax-players and pride of “made in Italy”.