Youth Frame Help

[DKB]

Everyone - just looking for a little help.  I've been making my own calls with Thad's auto stretch for a couple of years now (basically learned by stalking this forum lol).  I have a small palate and have to use youth frames.  I've been able to get some fairly good sounding calls, but only when the side tension is super low.  Like .05-.075. They do sound pretty good, but there is some room for improvement.  There is some rasp with some fair backbone, but I can't get that hard rollover like some can. I've tried over and over to run calls with higher tension, but I just can't get them to sound right. 

My question is this.  Do you all find that you need lower tension on smaller frames, or am I just doing something wrong?  I've tried varying back tension, and every cut with variances that I can, but just can't get it where'd I'd like it. 

For the record, I'm okay with it if the youth frame itself is limiting me, I don't plan on entering any calling comps or anything like that.  I just want to make sure I'm not missing something. 

[Jbird22]

I run nothing but youth frames also. For me, my stretch starts somewhere around .25 but this is on a homemade hand jig. I'm not sure how that would translate to the jig/press you're using though.

[GobbleNut]

I have tried using the youth frames just to see if that size frame might work well for me.  They don't fit me well, I think because the calls move around too much in my mouth, so I have pretty much given up using them.  Assuming that might also be the case with you, have you tried using a slightly bigger frame?  (FYI,...you can trim the edges of the metal on the bigger frames to make them fit better, if needed). 

If you are certain that the youth frames are the size you have to use, I really couldn't say what you need to do other than just experiment with call designs, stretches, and cut variations to see if you can find a combination that gets you where you want to be.  That sometimes takes a lot of call-making, though.   

[DKB]

Yeah, unfortunately I have an extremely narrow palate, so youth calls are my only choice.  Normal sized calls actually stick out past my teeth on both sides. 

I stretched a couple to .25 yesterday and they sound like they're stretched an inch.  I'm starting to think that's it's just the way I've learned to call over the years.  Maybe I'm "tightening" the reeds even more with my tongue or something. 

Either way, thanks for the replies!

[Paulmyr]

Yeah, unfortunately I have an extremely narrow palate, so youth calls are my only choice.  Normal sized calls actually stick out past my teeth on both sides. 

I stretched a couple to .25 yesterday and they sound like they're stretched an inch.  I'm starting to think that's it's just the way I've learned to call over the years.  Maybe I'm "tightening" the reeds even more with my tongue or something. 

Either way, thanks for the replies!

The roll over is created by relaxing the pressure of your tounge allowing the reeds to vibrate more readily. I was just talking the other day with a buddy that just started making mouth calls about how I'm not  a fan of some the raspier cutts available these days. I feel they are made as a crutch for people with poor mechanics.  They can't get a roll over so they try and compensate with a raspier call. I find the rasp tends to bleed into the roll over washing it  out.

If you want a good roll over it's all in the mechanics. I use a youth frame. Actually can use both now (standard and youth)because of a little help from the dentist. I'm finding, as I thought over the years after being forced into youth frames, youth frames just don't have the range as a standard call. If you want a good roll over. Get that call anchored as good as possible and work on dropping your jaw more to release the pressure on the call.

I find I get my best yelps come from moderately cutt calls like the cutting 2.5 and not ones that look like snake tongues.

[Jbird22]

Yeah, unfortunately I have an extremely narrow palate, so youth calls are my only choice.  Normal sized calls actually stick out past my teeth on both sides. 

I stretched a couple to .25 yesterday and they sound like they're stretched an inch.  I'm starting to think that's it's just the way I've learned to call over the years.  Maybe I'm "tightening" the reeds even more with my tongue or something. 

Either way, thanks for the replies!

Is that with his hand jig or a press?

[DKB]

Feather Ridge hand jig

[Jbird22]

Hmmm, I don't know then. You should be able to make a decent call starting at .1875 and going up.