Been dabbling in box call making. I have these 4 done up. Walnut/Aspen and all Walnut. Would you buy one of these calls. Why or why not? Here's some sound files of 2 of the calls.
Walnut/ Aspen;
https://youtube.com/shorts/-KPzqnB9kNY?feature=share
Walnut;
https://youtube.com/shorts/LHlrNm5G7I8?feature=share
no. The all walnut is best out of two. Didn't like the aspen combo a bit. keep at it and good luck
Quote from: gaswamp on January 25, 2023, 11:05:18 AM
no. The all walnut is best out of two. Didn't like the aspen combo a bit. keep at it and good luck
Any particular reasons?
To some people if it's squawks they would buy the calls. But most season veterans would think twice before buy one of these in my opinion. But back in my early,early, early years of turkey hunting we were just glad to get our hands on something that squawks of some form. I'm not replying to degrade your calls or the building of your calls. I think you are on the right path and i would just encourage you to keep building and making improvements along the way. Everyone in the call business had to learn just like you in building and making improvements.. I watched one of the top pot call builders on Facebook this past week throw 60 walnut pot call blanks in the wood stove because they didn't make the cut. The reason he did this, he wanted to put the best call forward that he could to his buyers. Again I command you for trying and i would keep moving forward in making improvements. Good Luck and keep building..
Possibly the aspen one if I were looking for a call to hunt. I'd have to play it myself to gauge whether it fit my style of calling or not. But, to me.......that's the better sound file of the two. Much stronger roll-over the way you are playing them.
The criteria I have for making a call purchase are many. And most times the FINAL cut is determined when the call is in my hands.
Keep in mind, these are his very first builds ever. I can promise that everyone on here who likes a box will buy one from him after he makes about 100 more if his very first attempt on that walnut sounds that good (for a first attempt). I know several of the best builders in America today who had to build a pile of them to even get any kind of turkey sound out of it, and look where they are today - so Paulmyr may have the makings to be special. My thinking is this, I would buy his walnut and put it up and if he was to wins the Gibson award in ten to fifteen years, can you imagine what very first walnut call would be worth then?
I don't think they're there yet, but they're impressive for some really early attempts. Lids look really thick and square to me. I'm no callbuilder so take that for what it's worth. The fall off on the back end is nice, but the front end doesn't sound right. Keep at it and keep us posted. Neat to follow the development for those of us who couldn't build a bookshelf.
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Just as far as aesthetics I think you should tweak the portion of the lid that you hold in your hand. It looks a lot thicker than normal and seems like it would effect the tone of the call. Congrats on your first calls. I'm going to get around to trying some at some point. I've got all the tools I need. I definitely wouldn't try to sell any until you think you've got it dialed in. Turkey guys will spend a ton of money but they're also pretty picky to.
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I definitely agree with the others. First off..definitely a great first run on it and that says a lot. I have one that my grandpa built in the 70's and he was a great wood worker but the call itself will never see the woods again because it sounds terrible. I think yours will definitely call a bird in for sure but like the others have said, I encourage you to keep at it and get better.
I'm all about box calls. My weakness, I've bought a bunch of them for looks and the sound isn't great. So keep working at it. Keep posting the photos and we will keep it positive and honest with you. I will admit, for your first try's..great job.
Quote from: aclawrence on January 25, 2023, 12:38:17 PM
Just as far as aesthetics I think you should tweak the portion of the lid that you hold in your hand. It looks a lot thicker than normal and seems like it would effect the tone of the call. Congrats on your first calls. I'm going to get around to trying some at some point. I've got all the tools I need. I definitely wouldn't try to sell any until you think you've got it dialed in. Turkey guys will spend a ton of money but they're also pretty picky to.
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It would definitely be worth taking a little wood out of the end part of the handle as you are suggesting just to see. It is easy to swap lids on the same box.
But looking at his boxes, I would taper the sides of the lid where they are out over the rails a good bit more. Most lids taper up - many to almost nothing on the edge and I want to see if that will help him to get more of a falloff at the end of the stroke and a more pronounced two note sound. I think that may also be contributing to the roughness that I hear as they are being ran. But the reality, as he builds another 25-50 boxes, they will get smooth as silk soon enough.
Amazing sound though for a first run and never having done it before. One of the best box call builders in the country told me that he went through enough wood to build himself a new shop before he ever got anything that sounded remotely close to a turkey. So, Paulmyr obviously has some talent that just needs a bit of time and refining.
I am a sucker for box calls. They are not only turkey calls but musical instruments. To build them is a challenge, to tune them is an art. I think they are a great first effort and certainly much better than I could do. I do like the walnut much better. Neil Cost said that for every 3 calls he made, only one went to a customer. Keep the faith.
Kudos for making the effort. The walnut will call birds all day. Don't touch the paddle on the walnut and I'd like to do a trade if you like. PM me if interested. Love to trade.
I am certainly not an experienced caller but I have been listening to hens and practicing on my box call ad nauseum lately. I do not care for the aspen because the low end does not seem to match with the high end and it does not drop much. Not bad looking but not pretty either. The walnut matches and all sounds like a mature hen to me. Fairly smooth drop through the notes. Looks pretty good too. Appreciate ya bro. Would I buy it? I am a retired salesman. I buy everything!
I really think it is of the utmost importance to have a signature style. When I see a Watkins fiddlebox or a Fulkerson hen box, a Mann paddle, a Buckner trumpet, a Buice, a Sneed pot, Shanons pushpin etc. you get the idea—-they're immediately recognizable. I think that's so important. The sound quality is a must, you can't get anywhere without sound, that's a given. But you need to stand out in the crowd visually.
Thank for the replies guys. I must admit, I rushed myself a bit in the making of these calls. I needed to get to the tuning part to see if it could be done. I really wasn't expecting them to turn out as well as they did sound wise.
Working on getting my next blanks ready. I'll be paying a little more attention to the details on this round. We'll see how it goes.
Quote from: Paulmyr on January 25, 2023, 07:41:57 PM
Thank for the replies guys. I must admit, I rushed myself a bit in the making of these calls. I needed to get to the tuning part to see if it could be done. I really wasn't expecting them to turn out as well as they did sound wise.
Working on getting my next blanks ready. I'll be paying a little more attention to the details on this round. We'll see how it goes.
I should have added to my previous post..I've bought much better looking calls that sounded a lot worse than the walnut on walnut call you made. Keep at it. You will be just fine with a little more practice.
Congrats on taking the jump and making some decent sounding calls. That's the first step. Once you have a baseline for your design, you can tune from there. My advice as someone who used to make calls (would like to start back, but life happens...) focus on making a call that you can personally kill a turkey with this season. That is when it all comes full circle, and it is a great feeling. It is rewarding to see others have success with a call you made, but making calls to sell is a whole different animal. It turns a hobby into a job, and taking orders adds more stress. Best of luck on your journey, and I hope to read your post of your first harvest with your own call in the next few months!
Way better than my first ones I can tell you that especially the all walnut. You're on the right track. It all comes in time.
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I have to agree with many of the offerings that were mentioned. Maybe those calls aren't what they should be right now, but I commend you on your first effort! Every successful inventor has had failure after failure before they got it right. Hone your craft, study the finished product, and tweak a little here and there. Take a lot of photos, record measurements, make patterns and get feedback from the forum and other call makers. Look up to the master call makers and the standards they have set but think outside the box and always try to make a better call.
Put those two calls aside so you can look back at where you started and where you are two or three years from now with your craft. Be the best at what you do and who you are. Congrats and thanks for sharing.
Quote from: Paulmyr on January 25, 2023, 07:41:57 PM
Thank for the replies guys. I must admit, I rushed myself a bit in the making of these calls. I needed to get to the tuning part to see if it could be done. I really wasn't expecting them to turn out as well as they did sound wise.
Working on getting my next blanks ready. I'll be paying a little more attention to the details on this round. We'll see how it goes.
Kudos to you for putting this out there and "handling" the constructive feedback. Keep at it, I think you will turn out some fine calls in the future. Good luck....
Not being a discerning box call afficionado like others here, my evaluation of any call is whether they would call in turkeys. Simply stated, I think I could take either call into the woods and, using the appropriate turkey talk at the appropriate time, call in a gobbler with them. They both sound like a turkey,...and I have heard many a turkey that sounded less like a turkey than either of those calls. In addition, I have heard quite a few box calls, both "production" versions and custom versions, that are comparable to your first attempts,...to my ears.
Now, would I buy one of them? Probably not,...but only because box calls aren't my thing, regardless of how good they sound. If they were my thing, and the price was right, I would definitely consider it,...and then go kill a gobbler with it. :)
As for meeting the requirements in sound and call aesthetics from some of the more discerning members here,....keep working at it, I am certain you will eventually meet with their approval. :icon_thumright:
I would purchase one.
Very nice first effort. If I were to buy one it would be the second soundfile, it sounded much better to me. Keep on plugging.
They appear incomplete. No finish apparent, paddle is quite thick, squared off handle, etc. Keep at it.
Quote from: Mabren2 on January 25, 2023, 10:04:19 PM
Congrats on taking the jump and making some decent sounding calls. That's the first step. Once you have a baseline for your design, you can tune from there. My advice as someone who used to make calls (would like to start back, but life happens...) focus on making a call that you can personally kill a turkey with this season. That is when it all comes full circle, and it is a great feeling. It is rewarding to see others have success with a call you made, but making calls to sell is a whole different animal. It turns a hobby into a job, and taking orders adds more stress. Best of luck on your journey, and I hope to read your post of your first harvest with your own call in the next few months!
Thanks.
Gotta feeling that walnut call is going to bump the bug spray can from the box call pocket of my vest this spring. Should be interesting.
Take it and use it with confidence, you'll be glad you did. And when you pull the trigger on the first one, it will be a hunt you'll never forget. Good luck!