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Any players prefer the sound of Durall reeds?


cdelta

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Hello all! After years of enjoying listening to great concertina tunes I finally have the opportunity to join the party and order at concertina. After checking out the forum recommendations I decided to go for a Morse Beaumont.

The only decision to make was reed type. 

 

The TAM reeds seem to be the clear favorite amongst the forum posters here for a number of reasons: brighter, squawkier, more responsive, more true ‘concertina’ and less ‘accordion’ feel. I know real ‘a Mano’ concertina reeds are a favorite of many people although they aren’t a Morse option.

 

On the other hand, the kind folks at Button Box really recommend the Durall reeds for their concertinas.

 

It seems like a pretty interesting situation to have the community of players (at least the vocal posters on this forum) recommend  a different option than the one the manufacturer/craftsman does.

 

The Question

Are there any fans of the Durall sound out there? Maybe folks prefer it for specific genres/styles of music? 

If BB recommends them I’m sure there most be folks who like the feel of the Durall.

 

I dig the sound of the Beaumont with Durall reeds in the sample videos on the BB website but after reading all the forum posts it’s hard to shake the feeling that a lot of folks here think it is a mistake to get Durall.

 

I know I’ll love the instrument either way and I’m looking forward to jumping in and joining the fun!

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33 minutes ago, Don Taylor said:

I was told that a live blind test held by the folks at the BB came to the conclusion that most (maybe all?) folks could not tell the difference..

 

you're referring to the difference between durall and TAM, are you not, Don? no "real" concertina reeds involved...

 

best wishes - ?

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Ah interesting, so the debate about TAM vs Durall might really be about such small differences in performance that someones (especially a beginner like myself) isn't going to notice.

I don't think I've been lucky enough to see a concertina in person that was using real 'Concertina' reeds. I'll have to start looking for events in my area(Missouri) to really enjoy hearing the high quality instruments without youtube audio compression muddying it up.

Thanks for the feedback!

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That would be interesting to hear for sure. The BB website actually has a button accordion for sale with TAM reeds on the treble side and Duralls on the bass, ( a Serenellini Sellí) so I guess at least one person thinks they have a different feel to them.

It may be bordering on sacrilege but now I'm imagining a concertina with Duralls on the LHS.and real concertina reeds on the RHS.

Interesting possibilities.

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Congratulations on your decision to get a Beaumont.  It's a great instrument.  I was in your situation several months ago and went with the Durall reeds. Never have I thought that the reeds lack any brightness.  Recently I baffled the left side with thin cardboard and am enjoying the warmer tone and improved balance.

-George

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Hi Dabbler, thanks for the feedback. Glad to hear that the Duralls feel like a good match.

It's cool that you've tried a baffle too. I was planning on making one also just to help mute the volume a bit and make it easier to practice without bothering the neighbors. I was planning on some closed cell neoprene (scuba diving material) since it doesn't flake particles off like other foams. If cardboard works fine that sure sounds a lot easier though!

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13 hours ago, cdelta said:

Ah interesting, so the debate about TAM vs Durall might really be about such small differences in performance that someones (especially a beginner like myself) isn't going to notice.

 

but mind you, any difference in responsibility might be felt by the player rather than his or her audience (put probably not applicable to the TAM vs. Durall issue...)

 

Edited by Wolf Molkentin
typo
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I'm a happy Durall reed Beaumont player who has employed cardboard baffles to smooth the tone further, so my desired concertina voice clearly eliminates TAM for me. I'm very much a chord and countermelody player and feel the reduced high harmonics help the notes blend, but that's me - you might like a brighter tone. 

 

Go to the YouTube channel of David Barnert at

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZIVVA2D4DjWDhw8dc5o-vA

and listen to the lovely bright tone of his concertina-reeded Wheatstone.  If this matches the sound you want, then you'd probably prefer the TAM Beaumont. 

 

Another advertised feature of TAM reeds is quicker response, which would always be advantage.  Can anybody comment on how much difference this actually makes to the playability of a Morse box? 

 

I'm delighted with my Beaumont - my best to you with yours! 

 

Daniel 

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When speccing out a new Morse, I too was taken by the sound of dural reeds.  This was for a G/D Ceili.  A knowledgable member strongly suggested that the responsiveness of TAM reeds especially at the low end would be superior and noticeable on a G/D and she proved correct.  That low G always plays even at low air and it's a big one.

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Wow, those performances from David Barnert are sweet beautiful and bright. i can see what people love about those ‘real’ concertina reeds.

 

I think I’m more often going to be playing along with guitar/and mandolin players so maybe a cardboard baffled Durall reed might match those timbers more.

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If you are looking for a sweeter rounder sound, the splendid BB shop elves can install a different grill cloth designed to reduce internal sound reflection, thereby reducing the higher harmonics just slightly. 

 

Consider an additional bellows fold as well if you plan solid chords and ensemble volume - I'm glad I added one. 

 

Daniel 

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Thanks for the tip. I'll ask BB about that for sure. I'm sure it's better to have the expert elves working on it than me slapping random materials inside and outside... although I might not be able to resist trying some experiments at least on the outside.

 

Edited by cdelta
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