Long box questions

[MS]

I've been making short, Cost style boxes for 12 years and want to try my hand at a long box.   I know most lids are red cedar. What wood-- butternut, poplar, Sitka spruce, other -- makes the most consistent long box?  Also, on the dozen or so long boxes in my collection, the ends of the sound chamber are smooth and rounded in all but two calls, which have squared ends. How do you round the inside ends?  I cannot see how it could be done with a chisel.  Any help appreciated

[WillowRidgeCalls]

Forstner bits and files.

[culpeper]

I couldn't agree on most lids for LB's being Cedar.  I and many other callmakers use a lot of Bloodwood, Yellowheart, Beech, Maple with good success.  I would say Butternut is probably the most consistent wood for bodies, though even Butternut can change a lot in tone depending on where and when it is harvested, how dense it is and how it's dried.  Poplar also works well, but here again it needs to be a softer Poplar and most is harder than ideal for LB's.  Haven't tried Sita, but Alaska Yellow Cedar works well as does Black Limba and Sycamore.  To round the inside corners I use a dremel tool with a small grinding drum about 1/4" dia.  I used to use chisels and keep them square, but found the sound doesn't change when rounded and it's more work to square them.

[Britton40]

Cedar over Butternut.  I would start with this. The other wood choices seem to require more tuning and different thicknesses in lids and sides from what I have witnessed.