Armenian Duduk (aka Balaban) (C)

This was my first time buying a duduk. I am very pleased with this purchase. The quality of the reed is very nice and the instrument itself is made very beautifully. The sound the duduk produces is so beautiful. This purchase came with a very lovely wooden case as well. Am very happy to have bought this as my first duduk. Because of this positive experience I look forward to buying more reeds and attempting to master this instrument. Thank you.

I am pleased with my purchase of this Duduk. I fell in live with it when I first heard the soundtrack by Peter Gabriel for The Last Temptation of Christ.It will be some time before I will be able to make the same haunting and romantic sound of this ancient instrument.The body of the instrument is made of apricot wood and has a warm and beautiful feel to it. The look and feel of it hearkens to another era.The reed is another story. It’s huge compared to the oboe reeds I am used to. The duduk reed is substantial to say the least.I did much research to find information regarding the care and use of the reed. After I was finally able to get the reed moistened and limber I was able to create an amazing sound that my cats did not appreciate! Too bad for them. In spite of their reaction I felt an intense sense of accomplishment.I also have had to do research to learn about the fingering of this instrument. I finally found reference to a book called, Armenian Duduk: Complete Method and Repertoire by Georgy Minasov. I have ordered it and await its arrival.I give the instrument itself 5 stars but have reduced it to 4 stars. I wish there had been literature discussing the history of the instrument, fingering, how to use the reed and maybe some sites to access to acquire further knowledge on this instrument.

This Duduk is beautifully crafted and comes in it's own gorgeous case. The instrument itself is so elegant and detailed just like the beautiful music that it creates. The mouthpiece is well made and very easy to use to create beautiful sounds that can be heard in the streets of Jerusalem. The case has beautiful hinges that look like butterflies and they are also string enough to hold the Duduk securely. Overall it is a beautiful piece that would also make a very nice gift to anyone who enjoys wind instruments.