Duende Bloodwood Magius
Duende Golden (master)
In short: A gold-class (master) Duende Magius didgeridoo, in D, a one-off made in bloodwood eucalyptus. A very versatile instrument, precise in its articulations and very comfortable to play.
This didgeridoo: This Magius is special: Dubravko normally makes this model in walnut, but he sometimes produces one-off didgeridoos. This is one of them: it is made of bloodwood eucalyptus. A superb piece! I am incredibly lucky to be able to present such an instrument.
It is made from a single piece, bored right through. It is a true sculpture, visual as much as sonic. I don't have enough rating stars to say how wonderful this instrument is.
I now understand why Dubravko's gold class sells at this price: far more than a didgeridoo, it is above all a professional-quality musical instrument.
Comments from Dubravko Lapaine: Magius is our new didgeridoo model, which we offer in keys from A1 to D2. It is a very high-end didgeridoo that offers an unprecedented level of playing comfort, combined with supreme sound and tuning. But it was not an easy, direct path to get there.
Let me explain. When we created Sumo, it brought many new aspects of sound and playing to our style of didgeridoo, and it was very different from anything we had created.
The biggest difference lay in those pulses of air for the percussive sounds, which were such full, perfect bubbles. Soft but firm. All of this was backed by excellent back pressure.
The next step in our thinking was to create an instrument that would be strong in the two areas where the Sumo is not and which matter a great deal to me. One is precision of playing, the ability to articulate well at higher speeds, and the other is the toots.
If you have experience in didgeridoo design, you may know that it is hard to improve good didges. In other words, it is hard to transform a superb design without losing more than you gain. But this time the magic worked.
Magius is indeed a didgeridoo greatly improved in terms of toots and articulation, while keeping much of the Sumo's incredible playing comfort.
In a way, you could think of Magius as 70% Sumo + 30% Spirit (or 75/25 in earlier models), although this is only an image to help you understand, not the exact reality.
We take the design of our didgeridoos very seriously and are very particular about what we turn into models. Magius was therefore tested and refined for more than two years before this version.
What you can expect is an incredibly versatile didgeridoo, sitting more or less in the middle of all didgeridoo playing techniques. If we talk numbers again, I would say that Magius is 60% push, 40% pull (or 55/45), which is an incredible position.
Don't fall into that "jack of all trades, master of none" way of thinking, because the way Magius sits comfortably on its throne of balance is simply magical.
Don't expect it to be ideal for traditional playing and don't think it will surpass the spirit, and you will take incredible delight in what the magic of the didgeridoo really is and in the goodness it can bring to your playing.
Why this price? I select premium instruments for you, for outstanding sound and playability. It is an investment for those who want to move up to the top end, in sound as well as in design and handling. The sound quality is in symbiosis with a perfect body.
- Duende Magius: Gold class (master) / epoxy finish impregnated with water-based PU
- Shipping is free! (France only)
- Didgeridoo Passion also offers you the carry bag free
Classification
This scale is the result of an air column/bell start ratio If we divide the diameter of the bell with that of the beginning of the air column we get a number between 1.5 and 3.5. We can classify all the didgeridoos in 4 large families. Each family groups the instruments with a similar character, simply based on the overall shape of the air column (conical/cylindrical) and on the diameter of the column (wide/narrow). The result is a simple and very reliable reading grid, making it easier to search and purchase on line.
The diameters are measured with a caliper, start of the air column after the mouthpîece. This ratio is very reliable for a didg having a air column with a 'smooth' internal work, in the case of a hollowed eucalyptus instrument it give an approach of the instrumental character.
Duende
Dubravko Lapaine and Danka Tišljar, makers of "Duende" didgeridoos
Here is something I have never done before, but to introduce the subject, I am going to compare the world of didgeridoo makers to the world of cars. With cars, you find all sorts of brands, finishes and engine sizes, all with the same goal in the end: to take us from point A to point B. Yet you will all agree that the comfort is not the same in a Citroën 2CV and in a Ferrari… Well, it is the same with the didgeridoo: the aim is always to convey a vibration.
After twenty years of playing, hundreds of didgeridoos tried and meetings with a great many makers, I now have enough perspective to tell you: if I had to name the Ferrari of didgeridoos, it would be Dubravko Lapaine's Duende. To really understand the characteristics of a didgeridoo, and therefore to be a good maker, you first have to be a good player.
You can see where I am going with this: Dubravko is recognised as one of the best technicians in the world. He is so demanding of himself that you can feel it in every one of his instruments. Why are Duende, in my opinion, the best didgeridoos you can find? It cannot be summed up in one sentence.
It all starts with the drilling process, which Dubravko has mastered to perfection: no cutting or gluing, for much better control of the dimensions. Imagine drilling perfectly straight over more than two metres…
Then comes the choice of wood. Here again Dubravko leaves nothing to chance: he uses the densest woods there are, to contain the vibration as much as possible and offer an extraordinary richness of overtones and playability. But there is a downside: the tools have to be sharpened over and over again, which means a huge amount of work…
There is also the internal configuration of the air columns. Dubravko has developed his own configurations over the years and through his concerts: first and foremost he makes instruments for himself, seeking the best balance between subtlety of sound and technique, so as to perform every playing technique and every sound.
Finally, there is the finish, inside and out. A beautiful paint job makes an immediate impression on a car, and the same goes for a didgeridoo. Each Duende is truly unique: they are real collector's pieces. If you have ever held a Duende in your hands, you will understand what I mean. Inlays, engraving, pyrography and many other techniques add enormous value and bring the instrument to life.
I hope these words help you understand the value of Duende didgeridoos. So yes, Duende are not cheap, but after what I have just written, you can probably appreciate the exceptional value of these instruments. Just like a Ferrari, it is a treasure you treat yourself to for an ultimate passion: unique craftsmanship, for unique design, playability and finish!