Need honest feedback/opinions

Tracker · November 24, 2009, 10:50:25 PM

Hello, You may or may not remember me. I used to (couple years ago) make and sell calls on the other board as PAyotehunter. I also used to be here as AWSparrow but had computer issues, got new one, lost passwords, new email, yada yada yada.

Anyway, I started making calls again but this time I'm making my own custom wood tone boards for my open reeds and have a question and would also like to hear opinions/feedback of these calls.

This call I made about a year ago. Black & White ebony body and voice. As you can see it has four pieces body, tone board, wedge, and reed.

This call I made today. Made from Juniper. This one is three piece, body and tone board are one piece and then a wedge and reed. Sorry but the pic's are not that great and the call is not totally finished yet.

What I'd really like to know is what design you like better and why.
Also does anyone know if anyone else makes a custom open reed call with a body and tone board as one piece ??

I look forward to reading your feedback and opinions
Thanks

PS
Is Todd Rahm still an active member here??

FinsnFur · November 24, 2009, 11:07:10 PM

Welcome back.
Todd actually passed away about 3 months ago. Rumor has it he ripped some call maker off in a collectors series conspiracy.
We never believed it, I mean hey thats just not Todd.

But about a week later he disappeared in bizarre snomobile race through the Kuskokwim Mountains to Bristol Bay. No one has heard from him since.

As far as the calls... ( keep in mind were strongly against canned praise here) I dont really like them. I envy where your going with all this. I really do, and I've seen your previous work. But these two doing nothing for me.
Nothing against you, so dont take it the wrong way. Take it as incentive, and show us some more

I personally know you got it in ya.

Tracker · November 24, 2009, 11:20:56 PM

Holy crap Jim, I started reading your post and thought you were serious there for a second.

I'm not looking for canned or sugar coated praise, that's why I posted it here first.

Yotehntr · November 24, 2009, 11:37:15 PM

Dayum Jim!

I know I've seen "one" piece calls... Al makes some I believe. I like both of the designs I think I like the seperate toneboard just for the fact that you can change materials on the toneboard. My hat's off to ya for making your own toneboard.

I'd like to see more too.

centerfire_223 · November 25, 2009, 04:08:16 AM

For my opinion, I don't care what they look like if they sound good. It's all about the music coming out of it to me. Though if I had to pick, I like the second one the best.

bigben · November 25, 2009, 04:20:43 AM

hey aaron. good to see ya back making calls again. The thing with tracker is you can tell him what you think of something and he won't take it personal. tell him what you think of it he won't get p'od like some people do.

msmith · November 25, 2009, 06:57:35 AM

I like for the tone board to be a seperate piece. If something were to happen to it, it could always be changed out instead of the call being ruined.

although the shape is a little bland, I like the top call. Nice piece of wood.

msmith · November 25, 2009, 07:13:56 AM

QuoteAlso does anyone know if anyone else makes a custom open reed call with a body and tone board as one piece ??

I think Joe Bradshaw does, or at least he used to.

alscalls · November 25, 2009, 07:16:42 AM

I would imagine that they have a deeper raspy tone with the deep channel and wide tone board...........But do they take a lot of air to blow? I spend a lot of time using open reeds and ease of use is important.

I can see you have spent a lot of time on making tone boards.....Dont let the body of the call be any different........I cant see the sound hole but I would imagine with your talent and hard work there is some room for some more chips to fly.

Keep em coming and we can all learn together as the call makers on this site know it aint always easy...we have all been there...But you are on your way and you will get there.

I too like the separate tone board idea better.

Todd........RIP

Hawks Feather · November 25, 2009, 08:00:06 AM

When I think of style for some reason my mind goes to shape and the shape is pretty close to being the same.

Like some others have said, the true test is in the sound that the call will produce. I have never tried a call where the toneboard is part of the body, but if I only had money for one call I would probably go with the "four piece" call. The reason being that I think I would be able, by moving the toneboard in or out, be able to find a sweet spot that I would like.

Jerry

And yes it was a sorry day when call makers "lost" Todd. He is a man that had many friends and even more who watched him closely at the prison.

Rich · November 25, 2009, 08:46:04 AM

I like both of the above models, and offering both in you call lineup would be a good idea. The air channel does appear to be a bit too wide. A 1/4" or a 9/32" width would be about right I think? I make cow and buffalo horn howlers with tone board cut directly into the horn for a "seamless" look. I have also made a few predator calls of antler that are one piece. Your calls look nice.

HaMeR · November 25, 2009, 08:52:17 AM

I like em both. The lanyard groove is important. A call aint no good if the groove isn't deep enough to hold it on the lanyard & you lose it. I was lucky & found it tho.

Does the exhaust flair? That really makes a nicer looking call too. IMO I like wood tone boards but know nothing about making them so I'll not comment on that other than I like the adjustability too. Plus mylar doesn't last forever & needs replaced.

As for Todd,,,,

last I knew of that little twit he was still hiding from the playground bully that keeps stealing his milk money. Didn't realize he had that "accident".

Todd Rahm · November 25, 2009, 10:00:35 AM

Heres one but not sure who the guy is, but I like the call he did? If he was in a different venue I might try to get it.

http://www.thenpha.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=14006#Post14006

By one piece I would assume you mean just in turned style calls? I have several from a few years back from TomTalker (The original TT calls guy) and I might have one other from another maker, but none from the makers listed in the above post. I'll have to look and see what I got.

Of course the antler guys like BradH and Krusty do their own but they aren't spinning the calls either.

As a collector and you know we are way different when it comes to calls, but I prefer a custom tone board with a custom call with a higher preference on it being his own board. Doesn't really matter what you make it out of as long as its your, its functional and looks good with the call itself.

I like both of your calls, but I would lean way more towards the second one just for simple eye appeal, and I kinda like the integrated tone board style.

I don't dislike the first one at all, while it has a very nice figure to the wood, in this particular calls situation I think the figure is detracting from from or blurring the style of the call if that makes any sense at all?

The more I look the more I like the second call though.

Nicely done and welcome back Aaron.

Tracker · November 25, 2009, 05:21:19 PM

Thanks for the replies.

I wasn't really looking for opinions of looks or finish, but thats ok. I was looking more for if you would rather have a fixed or removable custom tone board. I guess I should have stressed that better, but hey! it was late last night when I posted.
I made these calls to my liking since they were "test pieces". They are both pretty small, the bodies are both under 2 inches long. I don't really care for big bulky distress calls, I like one that fits nice in my hand and I can easily manipulate one handed.

I did make other Custom handmade tone boards, I'll dig up some pic's and post em.

alscalls,
The second call is a little deeper toned but that could be easily tuned to a higher pitch. They are pretty easy to blow, thats important to me too. The bells are turned, not just drilled straight walls.

Hawks Feather,
Yes I was thinking about the buyer/user being able to adjust. You as a call maker might but I'm not sure too many callers out there mess with a call that sounds great "outa the box".

Rich,
Might be hard to tell from the pic but the air channel is about 1/4" (slightly bigger at .265).
Thanks for your opinion, means a lot from you.

HaMeR,
Yes the exhaust is turned. The reeds are changable by taking out the wedge.

Todd,
Gald to hear you pulled through.

Yes, just turned wood calls. I know about one piece antler open reeds and horn howlers (I made a one piece cow horn howler a few years ago). Brad H sent me the Juniper that the second call is made from.

Oh yeah....the call definatly works.

Tracker · November 25, 2009, 10:36:04 PM

Quoteand show us some more

QuoteI'd like to see more too.

Ok, here are a few more with custom tone boards.

HuntnCarve · November 26, 2009, 08:15:20 AM

With my background in Wood Technology, I always get an uneasy feeling when I see call makers using wooden toneboards out of certain species. There's just too much of a chance of an allergic reaction. I've seen folks experience these types of reactions, and have to be hospitalized! The funny thing, is that they worked, and used these types of wood for years. I personally would never use "Spalted wood" for a toneboard. -There's a host of bacteria, fungi, and decay organisms within such pieces. Some exotic species have oils Ex. Cocobola and Rosewood's that can be very bad. A few domestic hardwoods and Softwoods have "decay mechanisms" -chemical compounds that try and thwart rotting. (Phenols, furfurans, etc). I always tell folks, "Would you let your kid chew on a piece of that wood?" The answer is "No!"
That being said, certain woods are able to be used. Ex. Hard Maple and White Birch. The fact that you put a finish over the wood does not put you in the clear. Most of the oils and extractives are able to, and do, permeate the finish. They end up on the surface. This is called "Blooming".
A while back I was at Cabelas where I over heard a fellow talking to a Sales person at the duck call counter. They were discussing a Cocobola duck call. The fellow told the salesman that a friend of his had a reaction to such a call, and was in the process of suing the call maker!!! Which opens the topic of "legal liability" in this day and age of frivilous law suits...The majority of call makers have no concept of "liability" And if not set up as a LLC, or carrying liability insurance, could potentially lose all their personal assets in the event of such a suit.
Anyway, folks need to be very careful with the materials they are using. Sometimes there's alittle more on the surface, than just making a pretty call. Just my 2 cents for what it's worth...

Dave

Tracker · November 26, 2009, 10:56:07 AM

Dave,
Thanks for the info. Do you think anything bleeds through a couple coats of CA???
The call in the last pic with the Spalted Tone board has no finish at all, I've used it a few times and I'm fine. Some may argue that but......

Tracker · November 26, 2009, 11:02:06 AM

I wanted to make sure last night wasn't a fluke so I went out again this morning just to be sure....yep they work.

timbertoes · November 26, 2009, 11:23:59 AM

Nice to meet you!

I will second Huntncarves excellent post.

That's why I dont use wooden tone boards.

And the action of the callers teeth on the bottom of the toneboard is going to wear away the finisih.

The good news...using your own toneboard design/shape is really all you need to help differentiate you from other callmakers.

HuntnCarve · November 26, 2009, 01:11:20 PM

All finishes are composed of "particles". The particle size will vary according to the monomer used and the degree of polymerization that is achieved. So you cannot think of a finished surface as being solid. Under magnification, you will see voids, and cracks. The particles attach to one another, but never completely seal all voids. -Remember the analogy of a teacher filling a jar with rocks till it's full. Then asking the class is it full? They all said yes...Then he pours sand into the supposedly full jar..The sand settles between the rocks..Then he asks the question again...Receiving the same answer.. He then pours water into the full jar...etc...
That's pretty much how a finish reacts. There will always be voids, and it will be permeable.
On top of the permeability of the finish.. Our breath is incorporating moisture (in vapor form) into the call. This vapor can and will dissolve the water soluble compounds in wood extractives. -Then a drying "gradient" forms across the entire surface..Wood dries from the outside in.. So there is a "pull" so to speak, of the moisture (remember the oils and dissolved components within the moisture) to the drier outer surface...It's the nature of the beast.

As for the spalt...Just be careful! Everybody is different in regards to sensitizers.. I saw a whole laboratory of people get sick from a mold inside of a interior door that was sent to me from Cameroon Africa for testing. It did not bother me in the least? But it made several people terribly sick in their respiratory tracts. It would be just a matter of time for me before I would become sensitized. Spalt can be the same. It's better to respect it, then to toss caution into the wind. I choose not to use it. -But that's my decision. Please be very careful if you are working with it, and have children present in the shop. Airborne spores, and those that accumulate on clothing, can be pretty bad for youngsters.

Congrats on the coyote.

Dave