Hello,
Thanks in advance for reading this post.
I'm new to diaphragm calls and am looking for recommendations on calls that have worked well for you. I know this will vary wildly as diaphragm calls are very personal and your God given abilities affect will help or hinder how well you run the call.
Looking for a consensus to pick up a few calls to try for myself. Sadler is one that caught my eye in some posts here.
Thanks again
Lots of people make good ones. Regardless of who you get them from (Sadler McGraw and Gooserbat (Sam) are both on here and make good diaphragms), get several different cuts (right cuts, left cuts, center cuts, no cuts) and see what you like. Then run them like crazy. See what you can make the most consistent sounds with.
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I learned on a Woodhaven Ghost. Not sure if that's the best for beginners necessarily, but it worked for me.
HS 2.5 cut was something I bought as a backup from Academy one day, and I could not make it sound good. I added a diagonal cut to the uncut side, and it now sounds much better. May be my flow of air does cross the factory cut side, but I'm no expert.
If you have any sort of commute, the truck is a good place to practice with Primos How To pulled up on YouTube.
Good luck!
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You can buy some very fairly priced calls from several of the makers here and they will all be willing to help you out. Buy some cheaper ones of each cut first and find out what ones work best for you, not every cut is for everyone and there is no sense buying some high end call that is not going to work for you. Once you figure it out then get the higher end stuff from these guys on the forum.
I can only use the Ghost Cut, Batwing Cut or standard double cut but all the others are useless to me because of how I blow air out The Mouth Call Mechanics Kit it has helped me a lot. It seems "The Mouth Call Mechanics Kit" is no longer being made (Not on the site anyway) or I would suggest that to figure out what works best for you first.
Small explanation of cuts here. Ignore the name brands in the article , these guys here on this forum make them just as good if not better. https://www.realtree.com/turkey-hunting/articles/do-you-know-your-turkey-hunting-mouth-calls
That's something you'll have to fight through a ton of.
Ideally once you find the right cut for you and the way air moves across your pallet most any brand will do.
For this I'd find who's cheapest and get different cuts. I personally think 3 reeds are the easiest and usually best sounding
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I have been using Sadler McGraw mouth calls, ghost cut, batwing, reverse combo cut. All very good. I will suggest that you get you some ghost cut first.
Have a good one, Bo
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Thank you all for the thoughtful responses. I appreciate the time spent. I'll reach out to the members mentioned in the posts.
What is the best way to find them?
Sadler McGraw is all I have to say!
I struggled at first until I realized I had a narrow palate. Went to the small frame calls and never looked back. Every time I go to the NWTF convention. I will buy a couple of calls from different vendors, including some on the forum. Very few are completely wasted, but over time, I have found my favorites. I have some that are higher pitched and some that are raspier. Never know what Ol' Tom will want that day. Getting calls from reputable makers helps but you have to experiment to find what maker, size and cut works for you.
If you need a smaller size, I would recommend sticking with standard frame calls and cutting the tape instead of going to the smaller frame. You should have more range with the standard frame and end up with a call that fits too.
There are some good callmakers on here and some good custom call makers around. My first choice would be to contact one of them directly and just ask them for thier easiest blowing call for a beginner, then go from there. Heck, some of them might just build you a simple call. A simple double Reed or ghost cut that's easy to get some basic sounds out of would be where id start. When you feel comfortable with some basic sounds and a diaphragm in your mouth, then try out some other cuts and brands to see the differences and find some that match your style/ability.
An example of a simple, easy to get sound out of commercial call would be a Primos Limb Hanger. Cheap, simple, easy to use. I'd never use one now, but I learned how to use a diaphragm and called my first tom in with one.
I'd watch "mouth call mechanics" with Shane Simpson and go from there. Maybe even start with his kit to figure out what cut you like before buying anything else. It will decrease your learning curve greatly. Here is the link
https://youtu.be/gFs--tKA46I
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Tons of guys out there but I have a hard time going with anybody but Denny Gulvas(2.5 reed)and Sadler Mcgraw(judge and jury). IMHO
The Best Tutorial On How To Use A Mouth Call - Mouth Call Mechanics where to buy: https://www.shanesimpsonhunting.com/product-page/the-award-winning-mouth-call-mechanics-kit
Quote from: Terry on March 08, 2023, 08:38:43 AM
I'd watch "mouth call mechanics" with Shane Simpson and go from there. Maybe even start with his kit to figure out what cut you like before buying anything else. It will decrease your learning curve greatly. Here is the link
https://youtu.be/gFs--tKA46I
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X2
I would start with a plain double reed call (sinse you are new) and learn the basic mechanics. THEN advance to different cuts. Remember, these calls were developed by folks with years of experience (and many trophies) under their belts.
There are steps to become good on any type call. Don't skip any of them.
Thanks again. I'll check out the mouth mechanics video. Sounds like a great place to start.
Hooks calls are the easiest I found to use. Killed several turkeys since starting with them a couple years ago. Try the beginner kit, the calls in it are great to learn on.
Quote from: Terry on March 08, 2023, 08:38:43 AM
I'd watch "mouth call mechanics" with Shane Simpson and go from there. Maybe even start with his kit to figure out what cut you like before buying anything else. It will decrease your learning curve greatly. Here is the link
https://youtu.be/gFs--tKA46I
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^^^^
This
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Quote from: The Lung on March 11, 2023, 02:01:08 PM
Hooks calls are the easiest I found to use. Killed several turkeys since starting with them a couple years ago. Try the beginner kit, the calls in it are great to learn on.
Actually sent him a question a few days ago and learned that he just recently passed. His nephew is now running the website. Very sad to hear.
I picked up Shane's kit and the ghost cut is the only cut I can get the high front end with, so I believe that indicates I have a center channel of air. His kit doesn't include a batwing cut, so I was wondering if this cut should also work for a center channel of air or should I just stick with ghost cuts?
I am a center cut guy and batwings are my least favorite cut. Everything I can run to the best of my ability is either a ghost cut or a variation.
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Some folks with a center channel of air can run a batwing really well. I'm a center flow guy, but I, like Terry, struggle with a batwing. Ghosts are my favorite. Some combo cuts work ok, but nothing as well as a ghost for me.
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It took me a while using standard sized diaphragm's to realize that they did not fit my mouth because I have a smaller upper pallet. An older, wiser, and very experienced turkey hunter advised me to try a youth sized diaphragm with smaller frames and like magic I started making decent calls. I used youth calls for a couple of years and killed birds with them. Then I discovered Hook's diaphragms and found that their standard frame is smaller than most regular calls and they worked for me. Their quality calls with the smaller frame are perfect for me. I have been a religious Hooks fan now for about 12 years and do not head in the turkey woods without them.
Understanding your air flow so you can use the best cuts for you is crucial, as mentioned by others here, but I believe this mouth sizing and fit issue is also a major problem for many that can not seem to produce good calls with diaphragms. Unfortunately some folks never figure it out and give up on mouth calls.
GunRunner
:turkey: