Soundboard questions

[Footballer]

While I'm deciding whether or not to buy a lathe and jump into real call making, I have been buying the pre-cut stuff and putting them together. I must say, it is quite addicting!

Anyways, what are your thoughts on wood soundboards? Do you use these for a particular call or striking surface?

Also, I believe I read that most people prefer a soundboard that is .50" smaller than the striking surface. Is this the general consensus and is this true for every size surface from 2.5-3.5"?

Finally, what effect does the size of the soundboard have on the call? I put a 2" soundboard in a 3" pot and that sucker screams.

[WillowRidgeCalls]

Wood soundboards are all I use, no matter what surface.  There is a very good reason why all high end musical instruments are made of wood.

[drenalinld]

trumpets, saxaphones,??

[lightsoutcalls]

trumpets, saxaphones,??

I use glass soundboards in 90% or better of my calls.  In my experience with my pot design, I don't get as crisp a sound from a wood soundboard.  I have tried cedar, walnut, cherry, osage, persimmon, maple, yellowheart and purpleheart for soundboards.  I know some other folks that love wood soundboards, but they don't produce the sound I want in the pot design I build. 
I do use acrylic in some of my calls for a soundboard.  Again, it is one of those things you will have to try for yourself to see what you think.  There are too many variables to be able to make a generic statement that material "A" sounds better than material "B" in all cases.  Alot of the choice will come with the sound you want to produce with the call as well.

[scoot12]

In my opinion as a call buyer I really like wood soundboards in glass and slate calls.  I didn't know how I would like a slate over wood soundboard until I seen it proven this year in the woods.  Everybodies idea of what they want to hear is different but thats what I like.  Last year had great luck with a bronze glass over canarywood soundboard to harvest my bird.  If you back away twenty to thirty yards calls with wood soundboards they sound awesome.  Scoot

[Footballer]

In my opinion as a call buyer I really like wood soundboards in glass and slate calls.  I didn't know how I would like a slate over wood soundboard until I seen it proven this year in the woods.  Everybodies idea of what they want to hear is different but thats what I like.  Last year had great luck with a bronze glass over canarywood soundboard to harvest my bird.  If you back away twenty to thirty yards calls with wood soundboards they sound awesome.  Scoot

What were the differences in sound you noticed compared to a slate or glass soundboard?

[TRKYHTR]

I tried some wood soundboards and didn't much like the sound of them. I guess it's just in the design of my pot. I do use a small wood soundboard on my triple pots and it works well.

TRKYHTR