The duckbill valves did get sticky when they got really old, and even when new the first exhalation can be a hard one as each sides adheres to the other when they dry. But with new ones available it is not an issue.
The mushroom valves tended to get crispy as well and this is one area where new silicone valves are nice to have. New silicone diaphragms are available (making the stock of new- old stock originals I have worth a lot less than they were worth before). and they result in a lower
inhalation effort as they are more flexible.
Personally, in terms of strictly vintage regs, I prefer my single stage Mistral (pictured in y old pre-toast avtar) over my two stage DA Aquamaster and even my two stage balanced Royal Aquamaster. It breathes exceptionally well and breathes even better as tank pressure drops due to the unbalanced diapgragm design.
For real world non vintage diving I like using a DA Aquamaster that I updated to a Phoenix Royal Aquamaster (PRAM) as it allows the use of modern LP accessories as well as an SPG without having to use a banjo fitting.
Unfortunately I have not really figured out how to use it with a long hose secondary and the double hose reg does not lend itself well to the current techical diving convention of a long hose primary with a bungeed secondary for OC technical diving. You are in effect configured much more like a rebreather diver when using a double hose reg and that can make OC technical buddies nervous.
On the other hand for that very reason a double hose reg would make an excellent rebreather simulator letting the diver get used to the hose configuration and related procedures before having to learn how tro fly the rebreather itself.
What I would like to see however is a new mouthpiece incorporating a shut off valve to prevent a freeflow under water, or more practically on the surface if you are vertical or on your back.
Some one mentioned on this thread or the other that metal wagon wheels would be nice to weight the mouthpiece. I have never found that to be neccesary - except with Aqualungs recent Mistral disaster of a reg where they used larger diameter and very floaty rebreather hoses. With vintage designs the hoses are floaty but just enough to keep the mouthpiece in place with no real need to bite down on it.
My PRAM started as a 1958 DA Aquamaster and was undapted in 2007 with Luis's Phoenix Nozzle (serial number 136), rechroming by Sir Chrome A Lot, custom PRAM labels, new hoses, new mouthpiece, new duckbill valve, a new shiny chrome clamp to replace the original box clips, silicone diaphragm, silicone mushroom valves and a new DA Aquamster rebuild kit making it basically a new reg.