John Lehner or Rampone & Cazzoni saxello?

[dave1953]

Does anybody have any experience with either the Rampone saxello or the John Lehner saxello? Recoomendations, comments?
Thanks.

[Dave Dolson]

dave1953: This subject has been discussed many times, but to save you from searching through SOTW - I owned a Rampone tipped-bell soprano. It was a very nice horn - well made, gorgeous to look at, and sounded wonderful. I received many compliments on its sound when I played it at various performances.

I finally traded it away because I no longer played it. Nothing wrong with the horn, I just had great difficulty with it on stage when I had to put it down for alto or clarinet. The only rack that worked for me was an upside-down baritone-sax stand that hung the Rampone from the bell and caused the neck to jut out into the traffic pattern risking damage. It was even worse in small venues.

If you can find a better way to rack the thing, you will most likely enjoy it.

I don't know the Lehner horn, but could it be a Taiwanese horn stenciled with that name? There are a few of the Taiwanese tipped-bell sops around. Finally, unless you love poor intonation, stay away from the original Saxello (King, H.N. White Co.) - they are notoriously out of tune (again, personal experience as well as popular opinion). DAVE