Some accordion dealers claim there is no difference in reed quality or that "metal is metal". This is an extreme oversimplification of a very complex and exact science.

During the last century the objective in accordion reed production has been air economy (better fitting reeds), and brightness, which is obtained by a high number of harmonics with a slow and even decrease of amplitude.  Nowadays the manufacturing of accordion reeds is a high-tech industry, where every aspect of the reeds is scientifically tested and monitored.

There are basically three grades of accordion reeds (aka: voci)

• Hand Made (A Mano) - Highest grade
• Similar to Hand Made (Tipo a Mano) - Middle grade
• Durall (Export) - Lowest grade

Here's a picture of an accordion reed and its parts

So many other factors affect the instrument's sound though, that you should not assume the reeds play a completely dominant role. Harder reeds have a slightly greater potential for brightness, as do reeds that are shorter for a given pitch. The shape of a reed both in lengthwise cross section (often called the reed profile ) and the shape while looking at it from the top also influence the kind of tone spectrum that reeds can produce. But the picture is more complete, when you realize that in order for you to hear a sound the reed can produce, that sound must be fed back into the reed so that it may continue to vibrate. Much of the possible vibration of the reed is drained away or simply nor supported by the instrument's construction, or the natural interaction with the air stream.

Think of the body of the instrument as a selective absorber of vibration. Frequencies the reed can produce that are near or at areas the instrument likes to absorb ( and then turn into heat ) die out immediately, as their energy is drained away. Frequencies that are not absorbed, go back to the reed, and help by positive feed back to increase the reeds vibration even more. This then directly acts on the air stream to produce air waves that somewhat match that of the reed's vibration.

Though the reed pan, or " sound board " of an accordion ( that the reed blocks are attached to ) do vibrate a little, primarily, they are selective dampers in the process, and most of the sound is produced by the little puffs of air produced by the reed as it opens and closes the opening in the reed frame, controlling the air stream, much like an old fashioned siren created by blowing air through a spinning set of blades that let the air by in short rapid bursts, or as lips do in a trumpet mouthpiece. or the alternate opening and closing of the double reed in Pipes.

Things like chamber size, shape, method of mounting the reeds, gasket materials, position of support blocks that the reed pan rests on, thickness and materials for reed pans, and blocks in accordions ) are only a few of many factors that can play a major role in determining the final sound character. Complex as they are, I feel like the reeds are only the starting point, and that construction materials and structural design of the rest of the instrument have a major influence on the final result.

To learn more click on Reed Production on the left.