I did not know how much of as "asset" a good paddle is to a box call. I have been building my own box calls for a year or two. I have not been very selective about the wood/boards I buy, however I am selective about the orientation of the grain in the boards that I do have, as I should be in order to build a decent sounding box.
I took a purpleheart lid off a old hustlin hen box of mine and have been trying it on some existing box calls I have built. It is a much denser wood than I'm used to, and it's a very straight/even/tight
grained orientation.
I am amazed at how much more volume I have. The call binds so much better and seems like it requires so much less effort to make what I consider "good turkey sounds."
I have obviously been doing it wrong. Picking the right species of wood and knowing which characteristics to look for is paramount to say the least.
Carry on...