A step by step guide to mouth call making

[compton30]

And there we have it. A brand new diaphragm ready to call in your next gobbler. If I'm doing the math correctly, I can build a call for much less than a dollar per call, excluding the extravagant spending I did on the Feather Ridge products. All in all, it is a very fun hobby and I hope this LONG (my apologies) thread helps someone just getting into it. If anyone has any questions, comments, or critiques, feel free to chime in and join the discussion! 

[ChesterCopperpot]

Thanks for sharing! I ain't worth a ding dittily on a mouth call, but it was neat seeing your process.


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[Upfold99]

That's a very generous post. I'm sure some will gain alot of knowledge from it.

I know it would have helped me when I started.

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[GobbleNut]

Great post, compton30! 

A couple of things I would add for the guys that are considering starting to make their own calls.  The first is that you can get into making calls very inexpensively if you wish to try it without investing too much money.  You do not have to have any kind of jig, and a few simple, inexpensive tools are all you need besides the reed material, call frames, and tapes,....all of which are easily obtainable and also inexpensive.

A second point is regarding the call making materials.  The various latex/reed materials available can be confusing to those that aren't familiar with it.  Generally speaking, stick with reed materials in thicknesses of .004 or thinner (.004, .003, .0025, proph) to start with.  Also, various colors of the same thickness of material have different sound-producing qualities,...i.e. do not assume that all materials of the same thickness will sound the same in a call,...they will not. 

You can also get several frame sizes for your call making.  Again, generally speaking, I think the mid-size frames are a good size to start with, although this variable has to be determined by each individual based on their palate shape and size.  Call tapes are made to fit the frame size you use, so be sure to match them up when ordering.  Tape color, and to some degree tape thickness, are a matter of personal preference. 

The last point I would make is that just about any call a guy might make has a turkey in it somewhere.  It is just a matter of understanding how very slight changes in reed cuts can make a huge difference in the sound of a call.  The point compton30 made about going through a "cut progression" when cutting reeds can't be overemphasized.  Somewhere in a movie I heard the expression "cut small, miss small",....or something like that.  That same theory applies to making mouth calls...   

[Jbird22]

I build calls on a similar style jig that I made for myself. Our building process is similar but one thing I notice is that my side stretches are a bit tighter and that I remove the call from the jig before pulling back tension. Like you said though, it's all about what works for you. That's a very informative post and will definitely shorten the learning curve for those looking to build their own calls.

[compton30]

Great post, compton30! 

A couple of things I would add for the guys that are considering starting to make their own calls.  The first is that you can get into making calls very inexpensively if you wish to try it without investing too much money.  You do not have to have any kind of jig, and a few simple, inexpensive tools are all you need besides the reed material, call frames, and tapes,....all of which are easily obtainable and also inexpensive.

A second point is regarding the call making materials.  The various latex/reed materials available can be confusing to those that aren't familiar with it.  Generally speaking, stick with reed materials in thicknesses of .004 or thinner (.004, .003, .0025, proph) to start with.  Also, various colors of the same thickness of material have different sound-producing qualities,...i.e. do not assume that all materials of the same thickness will sound the same in a call,...they will not. 

You can also get several frame sizes for your call making.  Again, generally speaking, I think the mid-size frames are a good size to start with, although this variable has to be determined by each individual based on their palate shape and size.  Call tapes are made to fit the frame size you use, so be sure to match them up when ordering.  Tape color, and to some degree tape thickness, are a matter of personal preference. 

The last point I would make is that just about any call a guy might make has a turkey in it somewhere.  It is just a matter of understanding how very slight changes in reed cuts can make a huge difference in the sound of a call.  The point compton30 made about going through a "cut progression" when cutting reeds can't be overemphasized.  Somewhere in a movie I heard the expression "cut small, miss small",....or something like that.  That same theory applies to making mouth calls...   

Thank you for chiming in here, Jim. I considered adding photos of me going through the cut progression but I was already annoyed about only being able to upload a single photo at a time even after I compressed them by half. So though I mentioned it rather briefly, it should not be overlooked as you mentioned.

[compton30]

I build calls on a similar style jig that I made for myself. Our building process is similar but one thing I notice is that my side stretches are a bit tighter and that I remove the call from the jig before pulling back tension. Like you said though, it's all about what works for you. That's a very informative post and will definitely shorten the learning curve for those looking to build their own calls.

That's the beauty of building your own calls as you can really tailor a diaphragm to fit how you call. I prefer a lesser side tension because as my adrenaline starts pounding, Ive noticed I tend to really clamp down on a call and my calling can get way too high pitched in the heat of the moment.

It's funny, since I've been making my own, now when I pop in a call from one of the big brands, I can cluck, cut, and do some of the softer whines and whistles, but the yelping is just never even close to as easy or sounding how I think it should sound.

Making your own calls truly is a tailored and fun hobby

[Lonehowl]

Well done!

[HILBY72]

Thanks for sharing, I was curious what the tape cutter that you use costs

[compton30]

Thanks for sharing, I was curious what the tape cutter that you use costs

I think it was like $125-150. In my opinion, it's the absolute least important part of my kit.

[DUCKDIGGLER]

Compton sir......Bravo! Awesome post and thanks very much for taking the time to put it together for everyone! I have been building my own mouth calls for 2 seasons now.....I wish you made this post 2 years ago! LOL! Thank you! 

[compton30]

Compton sir......Bravo! Awesome post and thanks very much for taking the time to put it together for everyone! I have been building my own mouth calls for 2 seasons now.....I wish you made this post 2 years ago! LOL! Thank you! 

Thank you! I could've used it myself!

[larry9988]

Very well done Compton30. I have the same jig and cutter but have also struggled turning out a good call. I will very much use this as a guide. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Larry

[compton30]

Very well done Compton30. I have the same jig and cutter but have also struggled turning out a good call. I will very much use this as a guide. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Larry

You're very welcome, sir! If you have any other questions or concerns, feel free to post them up!

[lacire]

I just read this, good information and nicely put together. Your calls look really professional made.