As I have made if plainly obvious over the years, I am a huge fan of the bows that James at JD Berry puts out.
I started with a Vixen with plans of ordering an Argos after that. Well that led to a Misty Dawn, then a Morningstar, and then a Northstar.
Well I picked up a Taipan used a few months back (97' era) and it just totally blew me away. I mean all the descriptives you have heard to describe a perfect bow and it fits the bill. Smooth, quiet, quick, gentle in the hand, beautiful. Just absolutely amazing. The Taipan is a Reverse handle duo-flex and just flat out gorgeous. it is 45 pounds at my draw and slings an arrow like 50-54lb straightened bows that I've shot. And not at all finicky or sensitive to boot.
Then low and behold I find a Yahweh for sale that by its specs should be about 51 pounds at my draw so I jump at the chance. Once I got it I noticed the string would not do for my tastes and I could tell this bow has been used hard for a lot of years. So i called james and sent it in to him to have it refinished. After James got the bow he looked it over and there were some cosmetic fractures in the upper limb tip (nothing to worry about_) He also informed me that it was not a Yahweh but rather a Viper (which was the top of the line bow then) and aged it at being born in 1988-89. WOW.
This Vipers limbs are only 1" wide at the fades and has itty bitty tips with the most impressive trap I have seen to date.
Both bows have what James calls his "Dam" core which is a mixed core and I love them, not only in looks but feel also. These Duo-flex bows give up absolulty nothing in stability and forgiveness and gain even softer thumps than the already well behaved Berry straightened bows.
Viper top, Taipan bottom
Bad pic but it shows the mixed cores
Taipan left, Viper Right
To show braced profile Taipan left, viper right