New Mabry Pot

[AppalachianHollers]

Blessed to spend 2.5 hours at Lonnie Mabry's shop near Waleska/Canton yesterday. Could have spent many more but had to get back.

I had in mind to buy another box call. But he adjusted the screw on my Sp. Cedar box w/Purpleheart lid such that I couldn't find anything else *I* played to my liking that sounded distinct enough from it that I would really use it over what I have. But I did narrow it down to 3 excellent boxes.

I could have forced myself to buy one of those boxes, but I would not have had my heart in it.

Instead, I played with some pot calls and fell in love with this Glass over Mahogany (cannot quite tell what the soundboard is because I failed to ask...but it glimmers a bit and looks to be either raw aluminum or glass). Haven't run it with my other strikers yet, but of the ones I came home with that day, the Yellow Heart is my favorite, followed by the Jatoba. Excited to hear how the Sassafrass likes my other 2 pots (anodized aluminum over walnut, slate over cedar). I hit it with the YH striker, he suddenly stopped mid-sentence and said "what was that? Whatever that was was very good." After I told him, he said he's killed more mature gobblers over the glass + mahogany combo than anything else.

Now those of you on several call makers' lists and travel hundreds of miles to Unicoi every January will think, "that Fool of a Took! He went to Waleska and got JUST ONE POT and 3 strikers?!!" But I got so much more than that, and most importantly, it's what I neglected to get before: Just talking to him, in no rush. Spent at least half an hour soaking up tactics and stories before I picked up a single call of his to play. The first two times I'd gone to Mr. Mabry's workshop I rushed to play calls, and didn't soak it in. This time, I knew I wanted to savor the company. At his age, you just don't count on there being a next time.

Time of life requires me to keep my "collection" to what I'll actually hunt. Three pots, a pile of strikers, and a short box is about right, now. Add the memories, and I've come home with a pile.







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[Upfold99]

I too enjoy the stories with him. Fine gentleman who can talk turkey for hours.

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[3bailey3]

Very nice caller.

[SwampRooster17]

The stories and knowledge you get from talking with Lonnie is worth the trip! Congrats on a great call!


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[310 gauge]

Great experience and choices! Had the pleasure of visiting there myself recently.

[aclawrence]

I've been wondering how's he's doing and thinking about giving him a call. I got to go to his shoo for the first time last year and really enjoyed my visit with him. Did he have a decent amount if calls left after all the Unicoi traffic?


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[AppalachianHollers]

I've been wondering how's he's doing and thinking about giving him a call. I got to go to his shoo for the first time last year and really enjoyed my visit with him. Did he have a decent amount if calls left after all the Unicoi traffic?


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Pot calls and strikers, yes. Plenty of those, in each surface type. Even had scratch boxes. But he was down to fewer than 20 short boxes, and 2 paddle boxes. There was a really good walnut/poplar and a black limba (can't recall if the lid was PH or walnut—it had a twin, but one of them played better for me) short box that someone needs to take home. One of the walnut/Asian cedar had a wicked good left side, too, if I recall right. Of course, we all play them differently, which is why Mabry makes you come play before you buy (well that, and "The day this becomes a business, I'm locking that [workshop] door.")

Part of the issue is a few months back he sliced his thumb badly on the table saw. He's fine now and been back at making calls for awhile now. But it set him back 2-3 weeks, during which time he made no calls at all.


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[AppalachianHollers]

But he is working on a bunch of boxes, right now. Matching ready lids, specifically. He says it is one of the most tricky parts of the process.


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[aclawrence]

I think the favorite call I bought from him last time was a poplar long box with a purple heart lid.  I want to go back and visit with him again before it's too late.


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[wchadw]

If anyone goes and sees him anytime soon I'd love a frosted glass call
I can send $


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[gergg]

Lonnie loves his shop visitors, always a fun time there.

[Beards and Hooks]

Lonnie loves his shop visitors, always a fun time there.

Lonnie is a blast to visit, awesome guy and call maker. Hoping I can get down there in the near future to visit him, and nice pot!

[Sixes]

I love visiting Lonnie, I held off visiting last year due to Covid and not wanting to expose him if for some reason I had the virus.


You mentioned his scratch boxes and they are often overlooked, he makes some great scratchers.

[AppalachianHollers]

I love visiting Lonnie, I held off visiting last year due to Covid and not wanting to expose him if for some reason I had the virus.


You mentioned his scratch boxes and they are often overlooked, he makes some great scratchers.

FWIW, he said he's vaxxed and boosted.

It was quite something hearing him talk about how during a hunt he would try a scratch box after not getting responses to pots and boxes. And to his ear it sounded nowhere near as good. Yet a previously undetected gobbler would fire up like crazy each time.


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[bowbird87]

I went Sunday and had a great time. Mr Lonnie is one heck of a callmaker and even better story teller. I picked up a cedar slate with wood sound board and walnut and black limba box, both are pure turkey.