Topic: Artigiana reeds (Read 14315 times)

Ted · « **on:** July 02, 2009, 02:45:00 PM »

According to the Artigiana web site, they specialize in making aluminum dural reeds. I heard recently that they also make steel TAM reeds that are comparable to Binci and Antonelli TAM's. Is this true? Or are they dural TAM's that they claim to be comparable to the Binci and Antonelli TAMS? Are they really comparable? Can anyone un-confuse me? Thanks!

melodeon · « **Reply #1 on:** July 02, 2009, 03:47:20 PM »

The DURAL refers to the reed plate not the reed tongues

the reeds would still be steel

Your post is confusing

How about a link to Artigiana and the specific area on the sight to which you refer

And where did you "hear" about this ie "heard recently"

Theo · « **Reply #2 on:** July 02, 2009, 05:37:00 PM »

AFAIK Artigiana and Antonelli no longer exist as separate companies, they and Salpa merged a few years ago and now trade as Voci Armonice

The website you refer to are probably out of date.

rees · « **Reply #3 on:** July 02, 2009, 06:30:11 PM »

Quote from: Theo on July 02, 2009, 05:37:00 PM

AFAIK Artigiana and Antonelli no longer exist as separate companies, they and Salpa merged a few years ago and now trade as Voci Armonice

Correct.

Ted · « **Reply #4 on:** July 03, 2009, 02:03:47 AM »

Ok, so the companies merged. Buy I just saw reeds in a new, just manufactured, accordion stamped 'Artigiana'. What kind of reeds are these? What grade (quality) would they be?

triskel · « **Reply #5 on:** July 03, 2009, 05:01:57 AM »

Quote from: Ted on July 03, 2009, 02:03:47 AM

Ok, so the companies merged. Buy I just saw reeds in a new, just manufactured, accordion stamped 'Artigiana'. What kind of reeds are these? What grade (quality) would they be?

Ted,

According to the Voci Armoniche website, they've been marking their reeds with "voci armoniche", and the year of production, since 2006, so I guess maybe the reeds and/or the accordion can't be as new as they're supposed to be.

Theo · « **Reply #6 on:** July 03, 2009, 08:31:44 AM »

Quote from: Ted on July 03, 2009, 02:03:47 AM

Ok, so the companies merged. Buy I just saw reeds in a new, just manufactured, accordion stamped 'Artigiana'. What kind of reeds are these? What grade (quality) would they be?

I expect that Artigiana, like all the other reed makers, produced a range of qualities of reed, so the makers name only tells you who made them, not what quality. If you have tried the instrument yourself you can make your own judgement based on how well it plays. In the end that is all that really matters.

triskel · « **Reply #7 on:** July 03, 2009, 10:14:16 PM »

Quote from: Rees on July 02, 2009, 06:30:11 PM

Quote from: Theo on July 02, 2009, 05:37:00 PM
AFAIK Artigiana and Antonelli no longer exist as separate companies, they and Salpa merged a few years ago and now trade as Voci Armonice

Correct.

Are you sure about this guys? The Voci Armoniche website only mentions the merger of Antonelli and Salpa, whilst the new range of Pietro Mario Irish accordions seem to use mainly Artigiana Voci reeds...

(I wonder if they're the ones Ted has seen?)

melodeon · « **Reply #8 on:** July 03, 2009, 10:42:49 PM »

Last I looked, Loffet said he used Artigiana reeds

Theo · « **Reply #9 on:** July 03, 2009, 11:00:21 PM »

I think I was wrong. Voci Armoniche website only mentions Salpa and Antonelli, and I've just looked inside a Beltuna Sarah and its reeds are marked Artigiana.

Aaro · « **Reply #10 on:** July 04, 2009, 08:14:31 AM »

Quote from: Theo on July 03, 2009, 11:00:21 PM

I think I was wrong. Voci Armoniche website only mentions Salpa and Antonelli, and I've just looked inside a Beltuna Sarah and its reeds are marked Artigiana.

If I remember correctly the reed maker Siwa has also merged the Voci Armoniche.

rees · « **Reply #11 on:** July 04, 2009, 11:38:27 AM »

Yes, Theo and I were both wrong. (it can happen!)
Salpa and Antonelli and I think Siva, are merged to become Voci Armoniche (or VA stamped on the reeds).
Artigiana are a separate company.

Ted · « **Reply #12 on:** July 04, 2009, 01:42:25 PM »

Theo, thanks for that! It is a Sara 3 that I saw the Artigiana reeds in and that is my concern. Beltuna claims that these are high quality a mano reeds and I was trying to find out if that could be true because the only thing I can find about Artigiana is their reference to durall reeds.

triskel · « **Reply #13 on:** July 04, 2009, 04:08:57 PM »

Quote from: Ted on July 04, 2009, 01:42:25 PM

... the only thing I can find about Artigiana is their reference to durall reeds.

Ted,

If you click on Reeds on the the Artigiana Voci website, it says they make voci a mano (Handmade reeds - manufactured only with handmade techniques, with highest quality materials: Avional aluminium, harmonic steel, swedisch Uddeholm extra ribbon) as well as tipo a mano, duralluminio Avional and voci diatoniche.

What I've heard is that only Voci Armoniche and Binci are actual makers of reeds, whilst there are other firms who are assemblers of them, but I can't vouch for that and I've been trying to find out more about Artigiana Voci - so far without success. However, their reeds do seem to be used in some pretty good accordions...

Theo · « **Reply #14 on:** July 06, 2009, 11:00:24 AM »

Quote from: triskel on July 04, 2009, 04:08:57 PM

What I've heard is that only Voci Armoniche and Binci are actual makers of reeds, whilst there are other firms who are assemblers of them, but I can't vouch for that and I've been trying to find out more about Artigiana Voci - so far without success. However, their reeds do seem to be used in some pretty good accordions...

The Artigiana reeds in the Sarah I have here play wonderfully well. They need very little effort to speak, and can play very loudly if that is required.

From the look of them I would say they are tipo a mano

Ted · « **Reply #15 on:** July 06, 2009, 06:22:39 PM »

Further info from Beltuna confirms that Vici Amonachie was formed by merger of Salpa and Antonelli. Artigiana is a separate company. My Sarah 3 has 'a mano' hand made reeds. They are more thick than the Binci and therefore have more volume. The response is excellent! In addition, if the steel under the rivet is blue, the reed is hand made. If the color is steel under the rivet, the reed is dural. I think I'll post a separate note on this Sarah 3!

triskel · « **Reply #16 on:** July 06, 2009, 07:01:56 PM »

Quote from: Ted on July 06, 2009, 06:22:39 PM

... if the steel under the rivet is blue, the reed is hand made.

In fact that would apply to just about any reed!

I'm sure what they meant to say is that if the sides of the reed are blue, in the square base of it (where the rivet is), then the reed is hand made. This is because normal reeds are made out of steel strips that are as wide as the finished reed is long, and ground to profile that way before being cut across the width of the strip, whilst hand-made reeds are individually made/cut lengthwise from narrow steel ribbon that is as wide as the base of the finished reed.

rees · « **Reply #17 on:** July 06, 2009, 07:10:34 PM »

Quote from: Ted on July 06, 2009, 06:22:39 PM

In addition, if the steel under the rivet is blue, the reed is hand made. If the color is steel under the rivet, the reed is dural. I think I'll post a separate note on this Sarah 3!

Oops, Triskel has jumped in before me. I'll post anyway.

I have dural, tipo a mano and a mano reeds here and they are all blue under the rivet.

My understanding is this:

Dural (export, machine made) - rivet head is round and flat. i.e. riveted by machine. Reed tongue stamped out of sheet steel.

Tipo a mano (hand-made type) - the rivet head has five hammer flats. i.e. rivetted by hand. Reed tongue stamped out of sheet steel.

A mano (hand-made) - the rivet head has five hammer flats. i.e. rivetted by hand. The blued steel continues around the edge of the reed. i.e. the reed tongue has been cut from a single strip of blued steel before shaping.

Last time I saw Mr. Binci he told me that proper a mano reeds are not really made any more. I couldn't get any more info out of him and it may well have been propaganda. There's a lot of it about in Castelfidard!

pete /acorn · « **Reply #18 on:** July 07, 2009, 10:31:12 AM »

Hi.
Re hand made reeds etc,can we be sure when we purchase a box that the same manufacturers reeds are inside as one bought say a year ago.
An example of this is in Jills Cooreativa [Vercelli ] CBA.It was new in 2006,I contacted them to see whose reeds they used because I wanted similar quality for my current project,they inform me that they are Voci Armoniche,however when I open the box they are stamped with the Coorefisa [new name for cooperativa] logo.
Possibly a new company policy to out source reeds now whereas in 2006 they were produced in house or they are stamping out sourced reed with own logo.The reeds are hand made with blue round outside of base so true hand made,it could be that because it was a small company with just 12 ageing employees their re branding of the company and possible retirement of reed specialist it is now more cost effective to buy from other manufacturers,
Therefore do we truly know what actually goes inside and at the end of the day if you get the action,response and sound from a box,and playing it is a pleasure,does it really matter

Pete

rees · « **Reply #19 on:** July 07, 2009, 10:34:56 AM »

Quote from: jilly on July 07, 2009, 10:31:12 AM

and at the end of the day if you get the action,response and sound from a box,and playing it is a pleasure,does it really matter?

Not one jot.

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Author Topic: Artigiana reeds (Read 14315 times)