1) R&C is a crafts reality valued and appreciated the world over for its quality products. To which extent do the experience passed on over the years and the technical aspect of the products’ design count? Are there any dedicated staff who are exclusively in charge of the design, using scientific methods?
Everything produced inside R&C is hand made using artisan methods and procedures. In the last few years computers have been deployed, their use is still minimal. All instruments are still built, assembled and engraved by hand using the same methods and usually the same tooling used in the past. Production is limited to a few tens every month, this is an absolute guarantee of quality and reliability. The human factor in a factory like ours HAS to be the huge amount of knowledge. We do also invest heavily in new technologies. In recent years we have improved the processes deployed in the production of the neck curves, this required huge investments both in human and financial resources. We invest to improve the quality of the finished product, however the human factor is still at the core, this is the craftsmanship built upon a solid base tied to the design and the production of musical instruments dating back many years. Our company is very open to outside collaboration and experimentation. As an example of this, I can mention our recent activity in cryogenics. This technique consists in slowly taking the instrument down to very low temperatures, leaving it in this state for several hours and then bringing it back to room temperature. The results are encouraging but we need to investigate and experiment further. The way an instrument works is based on so many variables that in the end the final answer is found only in play testing. The perfect saxophone (“perfectophone”, we both laughed) does not exist and probably wouldn’t make sense, the best we can do is to find the best possible compromise between all the variables.
2) Lets delve into the design philosophy at R&C. Which are the “compromises” required resulting in a good instrument?
The saxophone must be solid but vibrate to the maximum, it must play in tune but must be “saxophone” or something that vibrates, that speaks. We at R&C think that the sound of the saxophone has to be powerful, musical, it must vibrate, otherwise we would be talking about a different instrument which would not be a saxophone, which is actually given a different name. Our saxophones are entirely built by hand and each individual one has very precise characteristics, which some times are difficult to perceive. Very often, the differences will satisfy those individuals with a refined ear who take a long time to choose and compare the different instruments constantly to fully appreciate the tonal differences they can offer. We believe that hand crafted instruments play better than mass produced ones because the human input and the sensibility of the worker counts more than anything. An extra hammer blow in a particular spot on the (metal) sheet may cause the instrument to vibrate in a very different way. In this sense it is the imperfection attached to the handcraft process, which creates the sound as we mean it at R&C.
3) Lets talk about the history and the main highlights of the company’s development.
Lets talk about official documents archived here at R&C and the invaluable activity of the ONLUS Museo di Storia Quarnese which inspired many initiatives connected to the borgo di Quarna , first of all the reconstruction of the family tree which confirms the link between the Zolla and the Rampone families, through my Gradmother descendant of the Rampone’s. Maybe this is the reason behind our resolve to continue this important tradition, it is something deep inside that continuously inspires all our activities. And this has no doubt been the reason that has pushed my father (Roberto Zolla n.d.r.) to buy the business and take it to where we are today. Back to the history, at the beginning of 1800, to be precise around 1818 two “Quarnesi”, Egidio Forni and Francesco Rampone travel to Milan to find their fortune. They end up in the workshop of Luvoni, a maker of Baroque flutes and other simple woodwind instruments. They learn how to turn wood and begin their production of musical instruments in Luvoni’s workshop. When, in 1840, Luvoni retired childless, it felt natural for the two Quarnesi to buy up the business. During the same year the two return to Quarna and a few years later (in 1847) Egidio Forni buys out Rampone and for a short period of time stamps his instruments only “Forni”. Egidio’s sister, Maddalena Forni marries Teodoro Bonaventura Rampone, same surname but not a descendant of Francesco. At that time, moving from Milano to Quarna meant starting production locally. Their idea was then to use the local woods for their instruments: laburnum, boxwood , pear tree and using the power generated by the local waterway to power all their machinery, some of which have been restored and are now kept in the Museum. The “factory” was made up of small units positioned near the streams and the workforce was made up of the families of the pioneers who dedicated themselves to the new production. This was the beginning of the slow change of Quarna from an agricultural to the start of an industrial center. In 1860 Agostino Rampone, one of Teodoro’s sons (the other called Egidio) buys out Egidio Forni and starts managing the company.
4) Between 1916-18 there was an important event, the marriage of Giuseppina Cazzani , daughter of Giovan Battista Cazzani, a clock maker and brass instrument maker from Milano, and Egidio Rampone. So was born Rampone & Cazzani or the “Ditte Riunite Agostino Rampone e Giovan Battista Cazzani” in full.
Aside from this event, it is also important to highlight some other events prior to that. It is important to remember that in 1875 Agostino Rampone built the first prototype of saxophone with a wooden body in Quarna. Agostino Rampone (1844-1897), son of Teodoro B. Rampone was the real creator of the production of wind instruments. As well as an accomplished flautist, he was a fine craftsman and was he who perfected the Boehm system for flute(1). Thanks to his entrepreneurial skills, after the second half of the 1800s, he took the company to European and worldwide notoriety, as the numerous recognitions received in Milano, Vienna, Rio de Janeiro, Harward, New York.
Everything produced inside R&C is hand made using artisan methods and procedures. In the last few years computers have been deployed, their use is still minimal. All instruments are still built, assembled and engraved by hand using the same methods and usually the same tooling used in the past. Production is limited to a few tens every month, this is an absolute guarantee of quality and reliability. The human factor in a factory like ours HAS to be the huge amount of knowledge. We do also invest heavily in new technologies. In recent years we have improved the processes deployed in the production of the neck curves, this required huge investments both in human and financial resources. We invest to improve the quality of the finished product, however the human factor is still at the core, this is the craftsmanship built upon a solid base tied to the design and the production of musical instruments dating back many years. Our company is very open to outside collaboration and experimentation. As an example of this, I can mention our recent activity in cryogenics. This technique consists in slowly taking the instrument down to very low temperatures, leaving it in this state for several hours and then bringing it back to room temperature. The results are encouraging but we need to investigate and experiment further. The way an instrument works is based on so many variables that in the end the final answer is found only in play testing. The perfect saxophone (“perfectophone”, we both laughed) does not exist and probably wouldn’t make sense, the best we can do is to find the best possible compromise between all the variables.
2) Lets delve into the design philosophy at R&C. Which are the “compromises” required resulting in a good instrument?
The saxophone must be solid but vibrate to the maximum, it must play in tune but must be “saxophone” or something that vibrates, that speaks. We at R&C think that the sound of the saxophone has to be powerful, musical, it must vibrate, otherwise we would be talking about a different instrument which would not be a saxophone, which is actually given a different name. Our saxophones are entirely built by hand and each individual one has very precise characteristics, which some times are difficult to perceive. Very often, the differences will satisfy those individuals with a refined ear who take a long time to choose and compare the different instruments constantly to fully appreciate the tonal differences they can offer. We believe that hand crafted instruments play better than mass produced ones because the human input and the sensibility of the worker counts more than anything. An extra hammer blow in a particular spot on the (metal) sheet may cause the instrument to vibrate in a very different way. In this sense it is the imperfection attached to the handcraft process, which creates the sound as we mean it at R&C.
3) Lets talk about the history and the main highlights of the company’s development.
Lets talk about official documents archived here at R&C and the invaluable activity of the ONLUS Museo di Storia Quarnese which inspired many initiatives connected to the borgo di Quarna , first of all the reconstruction of the family tree which confirms the link between the Zolla and the Rampone families, through my Gradmother descendant of the Rampone’s. Maybe this is the reason behind our resolve to continue this important tradition, it is something deep inside that continuously inspires all our activities. And this has no doubt been the reason that has pushed my father (Roberto Zolla n.d.r.) to buy the business and take it to where we are today. Back to the history, at the beginning of 1800, to be precise around 1818 two “Quarnesi”, Egidio Forni and Francesco Rampone travel to Milan to find their fortune. They end up in the workshop of Luvoni, a maker of Baroque flutes and other simple woodwind instruments. They learn how to turn wood and begin their production of musical instruments in Luvoni’s workshop. When, in 1840, Luvoni retired childless, it felt natural for the two Quarnesi to buy up the business. During the same year the two return to Quarna and a few years later (in 1847) Egidio Forni buys out Rampone and for a short period of time stamps his instruments only “Forni”. Egidio’s sister, Maddalena Forni marries Teodoro Bonaventura Rampone, same surname but not a descendant of Francesco. At that time, moving from Milano to Quarna meant starting production locally. Their idea was then to use the local woods for their instruments: laburnum, boxwood , pear tree and using the power generated by the local waterway to power all their machinery, some of which have been restored and are now kept in the Museum. The “factory” was made up of small units positioned near the streams and the workforce was made up of the families of the pioneers who dedicated themselves to the new production. This was the beginning of the slow change of Quarna from an agricultural to the start of an industrial center. In 1860 Agostino Rampone, one of Teodoro’s sons (the other called Egidio) buys out Egidio Forni and starts managing the company.
4) Between 1916-18 there was an important event, the marriage of Giuseppina Cazzani , daughter of Giovan Battista Cazzani, a clock maker and brass instrument maker from Milano, and Egidio Rampone. So was born Rampone & Cazzani or the “Ditte Riunite Agostino Rampone e Giovan Battista Cazzani” in full.
Aside from this event, it is also important to highlight some other events prior to that. It is important to remember that in 1875 Agostino Rampone built the first prototype of saxophone with a wooden body in Quarna. Agostino Rampone (1844-1897), son of Teodoro B. Rampone was the real creator of the production of wind instruments. As well as an accomplished flautist, he was a fine craftsman and was he who perfected the Boehm system for flute(1). Thanks to his entrepreneurial skills, after the second half of the 1800s, he took the company to European and worldwide notoriety, as the numerous recognitions received in Milano, Vienna, Rio de Janeiro, Harward, New York.
The interview
Factory Tour:
:R&C Home
It would not be unthinkable that the inventor of the saxophone Adolphe Sax and Agostino Rampone may have met at some international exhibition of musical instruments and that this meeting may have inspired Agostino to produce the first saxophone made of wood. Wood was used for two main reasons: the first is that as expert wood turners, they could shape the wood in whichever way they wanted ; the second reason is that it was easier to install and test out the keywork on wood. From the original wood shape, they then developed jigs out of metal in different shapes and subsequently the first metal body, which required substantial investments for those times. This was facilitated by the fact that the production of trumpets and other brass instruments had already started. Modelling the body out of sheet metal therefore did not cause big issues. The biggest concerns were around the positioning of the toneholes for correct tone production and the keywork. Some wooden body instruments are kept in the Quarna museum. Before the marriage, 1875 was definitely a key year for our company.
5) R&C have a great craftsman tradition, in 1930 the company reached the peak of success also thanks to the contributions of some famous craftsmen, some who are still working today. In those years, production was probably connected to some important collaborations with very different industrial background, I’m referring to Conn in particular.
In 1930 we are at the peak of popularity, probably not in production terms but before that date Rampone’s successes are recorded prior to 1900. Obviously the saxophone wasn’t the main instrument as at that time it still had not gained notoriety. Saxophones produced around 1930, which we still have samples of, resemble very closely the design of the Conn instruments of the same era
5) R&C have a great craftsman tradition, in 1930 the company reached the peak of success also thanks to the contributions of some famous craftsmen, some who are still working today. In those years, production was probably connected to some important collaborations with very different industrial background, I’m referring to Conn in particular.
In 1930 we are at the peak of popularity, probably not in production terms but before that date Rampone’s successes are recorded prior to 1900. Obviously the saxophone wasn’t the main instrument as at that time it still had not gained notoriety. Saxophones produced around 1930, which we still have samples of, resemble very closely the design of the Conn instruments of the same era
Apart from these similarities, the alto here presented shows the high level of technical and aesthetic (goldwash bell in 18K gold) competency reached in those years. The model is a Soloist (or “Solista” as stamped on the sax in Italian), the top of the range model to which the designer Delle Piane applied his very complex keywork which allowed the player to finger, using the right hand, all the notes played by the left palm and to vent the Bb through the simultaneous opening of the low Eb key. For the rest we can say that the keywork from instruments of the same era is quite similar to some Conn models and they reflect the same design resolutions, for example please note the microtuning neck present in many Conn models. After which WWI did not help the fortunes of company and WW2 even less. At this time the company is managed not only by Rampone but also by Egidio Arrigoni, who married a Rampone. Unfortunately Egidio, although possessing strong business skills, was faced with huge financial issues, increased by the fact that although manpower was relatively cheap, the company employed many people (as shown in some photos of the time).
The photo shows the workforce in front of the Rampone family home, located next to the factory. That house was the symbol of Quarna, think that Rampone had this house printed on postcards they would use for correspondence. This shows that musical instruments production really meant riches for Quarna. In almost every family in Quarna was someone who could work competently on an instrument. After WW2 the financial situation of the company worsened and found itself verging on bankruptcy. In 1957 the industrialist Saltamerenda (from Varese) took over the company keeping production in Quarna. The offices and warehouse were moved to Gerenzano di Varese. Under the guidance of his son Fernando, 23 years of age at the time, R&C reached their productivity peak. Thanks to the undisputed entrepreneurial skills inherited from his father and to an already highly skilled but cost effective workforce, Saltamerenda brought R&C to an all time high in productivity . Between 1957 and 1985 almost 800 units were produced every month for several years. The majority of the production was flutes (around 600 a month), my father started working in the factory stamping flutes. Saltamerenda was a real entrepreneur who came from an entrepreneurial family and has to be admired because his actions provided for many Quarnesi. Under his guidance a great number of standard finish instruments were produced (usually nickel plated) these were of above standard quality but with not as much attention to detail as commanded by today’s market.
6) So we reach our time with Roberto Zolla’s management and buy out, could you give us some details on how this came about?
From 1985 Saltamerenda started to realise that the R&C market was not as strong due mainly to foreign competition and to the company’s mass production output. The growing demand for the saxophone and for certain technical and musical qualities shifted the interest to other makes. R&C was seen very much as a manufacturer of student line instruments, certainly not of professional stature and when my father started managing the company in 1989 he struggled to change this dated image of our company.
7) R&C has distinguished itself for producing some very peculiar saxophones, the Vademecum with engraving inside the bell, the semi-curved soprano and the Alessofono, can you tell us a bit more about these instruments?
Unfortunately the Vademecum models are very rare, engraving is a tradition at R&C and in our future plans we hope to offer a masterclass with live demonstrations on our constructions methods and on the art of hand engraving. This a little scoop we are giving Hobbysax readers…as far as special models are concerned I like to remember an anecdote of an Australian saxophonist who was touring with his band (Xylosax) and happened to come around these parts. Well believe it or not he walked in our offices with a straight one-piece R&C alto that played incredibly well. Giving you another scoop, the production of such instrument will resume here at R&C. We’re not sure exactly when, but it will definitely happen. Another saxophone we would like to start producing is the bass. There are other things we would like to start manufacturing, such as a professional line of saxophone accessories and in particular a ligature which we have been thinking about for some time.
As far as the other instruments are concerned, the Alessophone and the Half-curved Soprano, please refer to the appropriate pages (on the website ).
6) So we reach our time with Roberto Zolla’s management and buy out, could you give us some details on how this came about?
From 1985 Saltamerenda started to realise that the R&C market was not as strong due mainly to foreign competition and to the company’s mass production output. The growing demand for the saxophone and for certain technical and musical qualities shifted the interest to other makes. R&C was seen very much as a manufacturer of student line instruments, certainly not of professional stature and when my father started managing the company in 1989 he struggled to change this dated image of our company.
7) R&C has distinguished itself for producing some very peculiar saxophones, the Vademecum with engraving inside the bell, the semi-curved soprano and the Alessofono, can you tell us a bit more about these instruments?
Unfortunately the Vademecum models are very rare, engraving is a tradition at R&C and in our future plans we hope to offer a masterclass with live demonstrations on our constructions methods and on the art of hand engraving. This a little scoop we are giving Hobbysax readers…as far as special models are concerned I like to remember an anecdote of an Australian saxophonist who was touring with his band (Xylosax) and happened to come around these parts. Well believe it or not he walked in our offices with a straight one-piece R&C alto that played incredibly well. Giving you another scoop, the production of such instrument will resume here at R&C. We’re not sure exactly when, but it will definitely happen. Another saxophone we would like to start producing is the bass. There are other things we would like to start manufacturing, such as a professional line of saxophone accessories and in particular a ligature which we have been thinking about for some time.
As far as the other instruments are concerned, the Alessophone and the Half-curved Soprano, please refer to the appropriate pages (on the website ).
8) Claudio, many thanks for these scoops for our Hobbysax readers. But lets now talk about the present situation at R&C and what will most certainly interest our readers, R&C’s current production.
As I mentioned we currently produce a few tens of saxophones a month and our current workforce is 10 strong, two of which are very young. This enables us to maintain a very high standard. The company distributes its products all over the world. Hand made saxophones produce a very different sound from mass produced and mass assembled instruments. This is valid for all manufacturers not just R&C. In our instance, apart from the sound our attention is also devoted to quality and the variety of finishes made available and obviously to our undivided attention to the needs of our customers. We are always ready to listen to suggestions and new ideas, we offer wide choices to customise any aspect of any of our instruments. The machinery we use for the manufacture are as simple as precise and efficient. The precision in the build, assembly and regulation prior to sale are our business card, our trademark of quality. A quality which has ancient roots.
9) Thank you Claudio it’s been a real pleasure talking to you
- Thank you
On a final note: during our long chat I have had the pleasure to meet Claudio’s dad, Roberto Zolla, whom between questions has fixed a little problem with one of my saxophones…many thanks!!!!
Daniele Eugenio Lucchetta @ 2006
(1) Manuale il Flauto ed i Flautisti, Ed. Hoepli 1920
As I mentioned we currently produce a few tens of saxophones a month and our current workforce is 10 strong, two of which are very young. This enables us to maintain a very high standard. The company distributes its products all over the world. Hand made saxophones produce a very different sound from mass produced and mass assembled instruments. This is valid for all manufacturers not just R&C. In our instance, apart from the sound our attention is also devoted to quality and the variety of finishes made available and obviously to our undivided attention to the needs of our customers. We are always ready to listen to suggestions and new ideas, we offer wide choices to customise any aspect of any of our instruments. The machinery we use for the manufacture are as simple as precise and efficient. The precision in the build, assembly and regulation prior to sale are our business card, our trademark of quality. A quality which has ancient roots.
9) Thank you Claudio it’s been a real pleasure talking to you
- Thank you
On a final note: during our long chat I have had the pleasure to meet Claudio’s dad, Roberto Zolla, whom between questions has fixed a little problem with one of my saxophones…many thanks!!!!
Daniele Eugenio Lucchetta @ 2006
(1) Manuale il Flauto ed i Flautisti, Ed. Hoepli 1920
I had prepared a list of questions to satisfy some curiosities of mine and I’m sure of you readers, however the conversation was freewheeling, as every reply implied numerous implications and new points of reflection making way to new curiosities translating immediately in more detailed questions. What I am writing is a summary of what Claudio has generously recounted us with a lot of patience. We will talk about how Rampone & Cazzani was founded and how it has evolved over the years, of its company ethos and of the current situation. I would have liked to to separate the various contributions but I have felt I should tell how things happened without any additions and without changing the sequence of events. Lets start with the first question:
