Favorite box call maker?

[Techn9cian02]

Getting into box calls lately and was wondering who makes the best box call in your opinion, no matter what the price, and your favorite wood combinations. Thanks

[wvlimbhanger]

I have several from SS calls, but my favorite is purple heart over butternut.

I'm also really, really high on a snakewood over holly call from Jody Harrison aka preacherman.

[vt35mag]

Here are some of my personal favorites in my collection

Marlin Watkins - Macassar Ebony over Persimmon
Albert Paul - All Walnut
SS - Yellowheart over White Limba
Preacherman - Snakewood over Butternut

I have a few more on order that have the potential to knock something off or get added to this list.

[Spitten and drummen]

Marlin Watkins snakewood over butternut and mora over butternut
Richard Hudson hen box snakewood over black limba and rosewood over persimmon
Darrin Dawkins all walnut and walnut over poplar
Lamar Williams walnut over poplar
Mike Lapp walnut over butternut
Albert Paul all walnut
Jody Harrison snakewood over holly and snakewood over mulberry
these are just a few. I have so many it changes every few weeks.

[gergg]

Richard Hudson hen box -- snakewood over teak --- A great sounding box. I have tried a few over the years, but this one is special and will make it in the vest this year.

[Happy hooker]

Sound-Bob Harwell
Looks and style- SS & Albert Paul
Value- Lonnie Mabry

fav wood combination- black walnut paddle and bottom and poplar box the contrasting colors make for a beautiful call.

[wvmntnhick]

SS purpleheart over mohagany
Spring Creek bloodwood over cherry
Lonnie Mabry walnut over poplar

I've got 3 other Mabry boxes but like the walnut poplar best. Have a Reynolds red rooster that's decent and his Li'l Jenny that came in a deal with the red rooster is actually a very good box that will see use mainly because it's already wearing its fair share of battle scars. Plan to put the SS and spring creek to work this year. Undecided about whether the Mabry walnut poplar will see action but the other Mabry's certainly will. I'd like to eventually get a Harrison or Paul box.

[Big Guy]

Honestly I only have 2.  An Albert Paul short box, and a Jeff McKamey long box.  I love that Jeff McKamey long box.  Kwila/Butternut so easy to play it almost plays itself.  I think it's impossible to make that call sound bad.

[Britton40]

These type of threads pop up a lot. IMO, everyone has a different sound in their head of what a real hen is supposed to sound like. In turn, everyone will have their favorite call maker or caller because that particular call maker has that similar sound is in their head as well.  Most of the time, that call maker will tune for their particular sound. I imagine most box call makers will ask you several questions to try and fit your hen in their call. There's really not a good answer. All of them will kill turkeys. You have to find that particular call maker who tunes their calls to your personal hen. And also decide if it's a tool to strike a bird(make him gobble) or a tool for you to predominately use during the entire encounter. Make sense? 

I recommend coming to Unicoi next year and playing a lot of different calls and talking to the best in the business as far as box/paddle callers go.

[KentuckyHeadhunter]

Honestly I only have 2.  An Albert Paul short box, and a Jeff McKamey long box.  I love that Jeff McKamey long box.  Kwila/Butternut so easy to play it almost plays itself.  I think it's impossible to make that call sound bad.

You chose well. 

[wernerjd]

Albert Paul all walnut. Can't go wrong and a very nice gentleman

[paboxcall]

Ralph Snodgrass and Billy Bush are my favorites. 

[Greg Massey]

Someone that makes one that will call a turkey. Sound is the name of the game regardless who make it..

[MattinIdaho]

I only have a small collection of boxes. A couple of Albert Paul's, a Kenny Harrell, Tim Sanford, Scott Basehore, Daryl Helm, Lonnie Maybry, Robert Bunger and a Frank Kruer. Most of them are nice. A couple are really nice. But the best one of the lot is the Frank Kruer Persimmon over Black Limba. That sucker just runs like a top and is beautiful to boot. It's a call that I will hand down to one of my boys someday.

[wvmntnhick]

These type of threads pop up a lot. IMO, everyone has a different sound in their head of what a real hen is supposed to sound like. In turn, everyone will have their favorite call maker or caller because that particular call maker has that similar sound is in their head as well.  Most of the time, that call maker will tune for their particular sound. I imagine most box call makers will ask you several questions to try and fit your hen in their call. There's really not a good answer. All of them will kill turkeys. You have to find that particular call maker who tunes their calls to your personal hen. And also decide if it's a tool to strike a bird(make him gobble) or a tool for you to predominately use during the entire encounter. Make sense? 

I recommend coming to Unicoi next year and playing a lot of different calls and talking to the best in the business as far as box/paddle callers go.

Valid point. Well stated. I've gotten rid of certain pots that others have loved. I like pots that others don't. All comes down to the sound we perceive to be turkey.