tuning your calls

[aunt betty]

Different people have different sized lungs and blow a duck call differently.
That's why every hunter should know how to tune his calls. This includes putting in new reed and cork.

I'll share what little I know.
1. Never alter the tone-board unless you know what you're doing. That'll ruin the call most likely.
2. To make a call deeper in pitch, make the reed a bit longer. A longer piece of plastic vibrates slower because it's bigger and heavier. Look up how a pendulum works. The reed is a very short pendulum that vibrates (swings back and forth) very fast.
Making a reed longer makes the call take more air to work and also makes it stick less.
3. To make a call higher in pitch, shorten the reed.
Making a reed shorter makes the call take less air to use and also makes it stick easier than it did before you changed it.
4. Cut the reed at diagonals at the end (dog-ear them) and the call gets more raspy.

That should be all you need to know to work on your own duck calls.
There are some good "how to tune a duck call" videos on youtube. The one Trevor Shanahan did is excellent!

One more thing. You can put the reed in upside down and that's bad.
How to tell which way is up.
Put the reed between your index finger and thumb. Force the reed to bend slightly and take note of which way it bends. Do this several times and you'll find it bends the same way all the time. The reeds come on a big roll and the plastic has a memory of that. When you figure out which way it bends...you put the reed back in so that it can "smile". Put the bendy side down. If you get that backwards the call might not work and it for sure will sound wrong.

[Tomkat]

Thank you for all of that. I was at jarbos last week and he tuned some calls for me.

I need to get some cork and reeds. Where can I get an acrylic insert?

[aunt betty]

Thank you for all of that. I was at jarbos last week and he tuned some calls for me.

I need to get some cork and reeds. Where can I get an acrylic insert?

Corks and reeds come from the callmaker.
They're different thicknesses etc.
Some have rubber corks.

A Daisy Cutter for instance...you get the reeds and corks for 4 bucks from RnT.
That call tears up corks with a quickness but the reed last for years.

Have looked at guides calls before. I was cleaning my calls at the club and the guides asked WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
I told them I was cleaning the crap outa my calls. Oreo cookies, tobacco bits, and resins....lol
So they got their calls and cleaned 'em too.
One guy named Mike said he hadn't cleaned his call since it was new and was afraid....hee hee
The CRAP that came out of his call...O M G
Then we looked at his reeds. I had a newer call of the exact same model and brand. His reeds were paper-thin compared to mine.

Mike can REALLY bellar on his calls. he's a tall guy with a large set of lungs that I wish I had.

Acrylic insert...hmmm I used to know this...One of the manufacturers of duck calls will sell just the inserts or toneboards.
Wanting to say Echo...
Here's some molded ones. Acrylic is gunna cost WAY more.
http://www.webfootcustomcalls.com/wfcccart/call_parts/duckcallparts

ASK Mr. Priumitung or whatever his name is...BIGGER WATER decoys.
I remember now...HE sells calls that someone makes just the barrels on and they use them acrylic inserts. I forget where they come from but I'm SURE he can help.

[aunt betty]

Look at the double reed setup on that link. Notice how it's different? That's called a custom insert because you can customize it like crazy. You can make the whole reed set-up shorter or longer by sliding the whole assembly around.
If you are into two-reed calls BUY THAT. Get both double-reed guts and I'm sure one will work.

The guides at Bayou Bottoms use that with DEADLY results. They use a call that's named "white lightning" that has custom double-reeds. White Lightning is molded, not acrylic, and costs about $65 last time I looked. I bought a black one to be different.

They kill between 2500 and 3000 ducks each season out of TWO blinds that are in the same field. It's very long and the blinds are almost 3/4 mile apart.

[aunt betty]

If you are at all interested in how to build a duck call. You might want to look at this.
This thing is how you make your own call guts. It's called a jig and you can see how it works.

You drill the hole in the blank (dowel).
Then mount it to the jig and file away the excess.
Then you got an insert when you are done.
http://www.webfootcustomcalls.com/wfcccart/PJ1

[Tomkat]

Thanks for the links. I am not interestd in building calls other than to understand what it takes to be a better caller. I have way too many interests as it is! I will leave the call building to Jarbo and RNT.

I am about to sell off some good used duck and goose calls and take the big plunge for an acrylic call, probably an RNT Original or something along those lines. Its time for me to go the single reed route.

Acorn, what makes an AR style call an AR call?

[rebelp74]

Thanks for the links. I am not interestd in building calls other than to understand what it takes to be a better caller. I have way too many interests as it is! I will leave the call building to Jarbo and RNT.

I am about to sell off some good used duck and goose calls and take the big plunge for an acrylic call, probably an RNT Original or something along those lines. Its time for me to go the single reed route.

Acorn, what makes an AR style call an AR call?

They are j-frames. Arkansas style calls have a toneboard that connected to the insert and it is all one peice. Louisiana style calls have similar to a goose call.

[Tomkat]

And what is the pros and cons of each?

[Goldfish]

I would assume LA style is more easily adjusted where as the AK style you'd have to shave the tone board to adjust that part.

[rebelp74]

As far as reed adjustments go the j-frames are far easier. I don't mess the tone boards, haven't needed to yet. Most La styles are double reeds, don't know why. Me personally I like Ar style better but I also only use a single reed.

[Flightstopper]

I would assume LA style is more easily adjusted where as the AK style you'd have to shave the tone board to adjust that part.

Never have to shave tone board on duck call, just cut a new reed. Ever open up a duck commander call? That's what he's talking about and really no difference in the two that I know of

[Tomkat]

I hope to make it to Cabelas tomorrow to try out some single reed calls. The cheap ass in me hates to crank out $140 for an RNT but it may come down to that...

[Goldfish]

I'd do better with a kazoo than a single reed

[Tomkat]

I have the double reed down okay. Just want to see if I can get a better tone range with a single as many claim.

[insaneduck]

Double allows for more error but is more constrictive than a single supposively but idk. I do blow a single reed toxic and cut down so idk lol

[rebelp74]

I have the double reed down okay. Just want to see if I can get a better tone range with a single as many claim.

Make sure you put some voice into the call.

[rebelp74]

I hope to make it to Cabelas tomorrow to try out some single reed calls. The cheap ass in me hates to crank out $140 for an RNT but it may come down to that...

Check the classifieds on DHC... Oh wait, nevermind!!!

[The Duck Hammer]

I hope to make it to Cabelas tomorrow to try out some single reed calls. The cheap ass in me hates to crank out $140 for an RNT but it may come down to that...

Check the classifieds on DHC... Oh wait, nevermind!!!

I was going to say the same thing. Too bad you could have saved 60 bucks.

[aunt betty]

To answer the question "what makes an arkansas duck call an arkansas duck call?"...
You have to go back to Phillip OLT.

In the late 1800's in Pekin, IL Phillip Sanford Olt began using a converted chicken coop on his farm to produce duck and goose calls. In 1904, Mr. Olt officially opened his game call company: P.S. Olt. Through his company, Mr. Olt invented what is today known as the Arkansas style duck call. Olt calls featured a one piece insert that held a straight reed resting above a curved tone board used for channeling the sound. Nearly all duck calls (and many goose calls) made today utilize Phillip Olt’s insert design by combining straight mylar reed and a curved tone board. The most popular P.S. Olt game calls were the Model D-2 keyhole and the Model A-50 goose call. By the 1950’s the P.S. Olt duck call Model D-2 was the market standard. The Olt family advertised their call as being “sold the world over”. Most duck call historians and collectors widely consider Phillip S. Olt to be the father of the modern duck call.
In the midst of the Olt Model D-2’s popularity during the 1950’s and 1960’s duck hunters began doing with their equipment what all duck hunters do with their equipment….they modified or customized it for their particular style of hunting. Because of the durable “hard rubber plastic” that the P.S. Olt duck calls were made from hunters were able to modify the rounded tone board in order to adjust the volume and pitch that the duck call produced. The finished product after the modification of the tone board became known as a “Cut-down” call. Because the P.S. Olt Model D-2 featured a keyhole style channel for the sound to exit, many hunters called the modified Olt’s “cut-down keyholes” or “Keyhole cut-downs”. When a later model of Olt’s D-2 was produced with a round hole instead of a keyhole notch, other hunters began to refer to their modified cut downs as “Old Style Cut Downs”. To this day, the most popular nickname given to the Model D-2 keyhole (and the namesake of Rolling Thunder’s model) is the “Black Stick of Death”.
The success of these modified P.S. Olt Model D-2’s was tremendous, yet since the modification was only being done 1 or 2 at a time by individuals and was not completed commercially, its popularity was kept rather quiet. In fact, those in the “know” guarded the secrets of their cut down with great care. For a short time, the P.S. Olt company commercially produced an “Old Style Cut Down” Model D-2 in an attempt to capitalize on the call’s popularity, but the company as a whole was struggling for unrelated reasons would cease mass production not long after the “Old Style Cut Down” hit the market.
With the introduction of the internet and the growing popularity of web forums, blogs, and chat rooms in the late 1990’s, many of the closely guarded secrets of the cut down D-2’s began to be discussed across the country. Instead of 1 or 2 guys modifying calls in their garage, discussions began happening all across the United States. These discussions led to the sky rocketing price and the scarce quantities of Olt Model D-2’s that exists today. Additionally, because of the primitive plastics that the P.S. Olt calls were made of the barrels that still exist from the 1930’s, 1940’s and 1950’s are extremely fragile forcing hunters to spend significant amounts of money in order to have a complete cut down D-2.

[aunt betty]

The Arkansas style duck call was invented in ILLINOIS!

[assateague]

No way I'm reading all that. Sorry, AB.

[Tomkat]

I have the double reed down okay. Just want to see if I can get a better tone range with a single as many claim.

Make sure you put some voice into the call.

I allmost have too much voice for a DR call. It was suggested to me by a very good caller it was time for me to get a SR call.

[aunt betty]

No way I'm reading all that. Sorry, AB.

Everyone was buzzing last year about them cutdown olts...remember? There's the story straight from the horses mouth as to why they are so desirable...

[insaneduck]

The reason they do good is bc its something new the ducks ain't used to.

[aunt betty]

I have the double reed down okay. Just want to see if I can get a better tone range with a single as many claim.

Make sure you put some voice into the call.

I allmost have too much voice for a DR call. It was suggested to me by a very good caller it was time for me to get a SR call.

Listen to rebelp. Kinda talk or groan into the call.
I sound like Walter having a bad day when you take away the reeds.
You know ...Jeff Dunham's dummy?

[aunt betty]

The reason they do good is bc its something new the ducks ain't used to.

It's not new. It's just been re-born again. You know the Olt company started back up to get in on them $80 calls? You can buy a brand new D2 right now...See?
http://www.psolt.com/products/d2k-duck-call.html

[insaneduck]

I meant to ducks that fly down their like oh that don't sound like a echo!

[3legged_lab]

No way I'm reading all that. Sorry, AB.

:lol::lol::lol:

[Tomkat]

I went to Cabelas today and tried out a few calls. Needless to say they didn't have many left, and what they did have were mostly out of tune.

I tried the RNT Daisy Cutter (badly in need of a tune) Timber Hawg (having back pressure issues) MVP, and Diablo.

I didn't care for any of them, but then again, it was the bottom of the barrel crap. I was hoping to get my hands on an Original...

[Bootlipkiller]

I went to Cabelas today and tried out a few calls. Needless to say they didn't have many left, and what they did have were mostly out of tune.

I tried the RNT Daisy Cutter (badly in need of a tune) Timber Hawg (having back pressure issues) MVP, and Diablo.

I didn't care for any of them, but then again, it was the bottom of the barrel crap. I was hoping to get my hands on an Original...

Is that because your original?