what makes a call, custom!

[flashover6]

I want to get your opinions about what makes a pot call a "custom call" and when is it ok, or not ok, for someone to sign a pot call. So, assuming you are not a celebrity where someone would want you to sign a call, I have always had the view that if you chose a wood species, decided on sound board type, worked out specs for pot depth, wall thickness, bottom thickness, pedestal design and height, etc.. etc.. turned your pot, finished and assembled it, then you had a custom made pot call and therefore could sign the calls as the maker like an artist signs a painting. I was at a hunting show recently and witnessed what I will call a "wanna be" selling pot calls that he had purchased a cnc pot, purchased sound board and surface, signed the sound board, put a feather on it and told people for 3 days that he had "made them", "turned them" etc.. and lead every single customer to believe they were hand made custom pots. As a true "custom call maker" who makes every part of his pot calls except glass, slate, or, aluminum. Who has spent years, and thousands of dollars building pot calls to develop my own design and specs, this rubbed me the wrong way to say the least. I overheard him tell several customers that he had turned the one piece strikers he was selling, yet I know for a fact he has never stepped up to a lathe and that they were purchased from a well known supplier of cnc made products. Where do you guys fall on this matter? Am I over reacting?

[Fatbeard]

I do not do pot or box calls but I do make custom wingbones. That I personally cut, put together, wrap and put on the dryer. It is a shame some one buys precut items and puts together calls. Even I could do that. He is some of my custom work. I get $35 on these and that is a deal. Have around 6 hours in them

[Spitten and drummen]

I think you are 100 percent right. turkey calls have become so popular that people who do not even know what a turkey sounds like , are buying kits , putting them together and calling them custom. trying to make a quick buck. what is sad  a lot of hunters do not know the difference. they are under the assumption that they have a custom call. to be honest , there are a lot of calls from custom call makers floating around that do not sound as good as some mass produced calls.

[ol bob]

If you turn the pot you are a call maker if you buy a kit you are a call assembler if you make a call to a customer request its a custom call not like all the others you make. Most today assemble.

[Muzzy61]

If you turn the pot you are a call maker if you buy a kit you are a call assembler if you make a call to a customer request its a custom call not like all the others you make. Most today assemble.

Makes sense to me.

[Onpoint]

I want to get your opinions about what makes a pot call a "custom call" and when is it ok, or not ok, for someone to sign a pot call. So, assuming you are not a celebrity where someone would want you to sign a call, I have always had the view that if you chose a wood species, decided on sound board type, worked out specs for pot depth, wall thickness, bottom thickness, pedestal design and height, etc.. etc.. turned your pot, finished and assembled it, then you had a custom made pot call and therefore could sign the calls as the maker like an artist signs a painting. I was at a hunting show recently and witnessed what I will call a "wanna be" selling pot calls that he had purchased a cnc pot, purchased sound board and surface, signed the sound board, put a feather on it and told people for 3 days that he had "made them", "turned them" etc.. and lead every single customer to believe they were hand made custom pots. As a true "custom call maker" who makes every part of his pot calls except glass, slate, or, aluminum. Who has spent years, and thousands of dollars building pot calls to develop my own design and specs, this rubbed me the wrong way to say the least. I overheard him tell several customers that he had turned the one piece strikers he was selling, yet I know for a fact he has never stepped up to a lathe and that they were purchased from a well known supplier of cnc made products. Where do you guys fall on this matter? Am I over reacting?

Folks you are in the presence of greatness here.
this is one of the finest striker turners you will ever meet. Give it up for Mr. Stuckey.

[Bowguy]

I agree the skills required to do this are not by any means "custom" and should not be sold as such

[SteelerFan]

Not over reacting at all.

I totally agree with your definition of "custom call" maker: " I have always had the view that if you chose a wood species, decided on sound board type, worked out specs for pot depth, wall thickness, bottom thickness, pedestal design and height, etc.. etc.. turned your pot, finished and assembled it, then you had a custom made pot call and therefore could sign the calls as the maker like an artist signs a painting."

What you described is a sad misrepresentation. Unfortunately, like all other dealings in life, sometimes you encounter truly good people - and sometimes you encounter people that suck!

[greentag]

if this is the derrick stuckey that makes the strikers I agree with the last post,they are awesome strikers,i have a massagar ebony of his I run on a lot of calls,its all ive used the past couple seasons,love it.gonna get some more when I get a little funds saved up.truly the best feeling strikers ive ever run

[Greg Massey]

I agree with what your saying about the custom calls etc.. but also think of it this way I had rather see a selling calls reguardless how he makes them or puts them together than going to these so call hunting shows and gun shows and seeing all these people selling jewelry, honey and those cheap Pakistan knifes....also maybe some fathers bought some of his cheaper calls for kids to learn from...

[Bowguy]

I agree with what your saying about the custom calls etc.. but also think of it this way I had rather see a selling calls reguardless how he makes them or puts them together than going to these so call hunting shows and gun shows and seeing all these people selling jewelry, honey and those cheap Pakistan knifes....also maybe some fathers bought some of his cheaper calls for kids to learn from...

I think most guys'd agree on that but being dishonest about turning pots n calling em custom is I believe what upset flashover. Assemblers are different than guys who spend all the time, effort n money making something great

[flashover6]

I have no problem with someone assembling calls and selling them. I also agree that there are many "assembled" calls out there that sound better than some "custom calls", that is the custom call makers fault, if it doesn't sound real when it is finished then you should never let it out of your shop alive. I just feel you should not assemble a call from purchased parts and sign it as you would a custom call. Now, an exception to that might be, if you developed a custom call, entered it at Nashville, and won with it, then you might have someone reproduce the call, to your developed specs, sign it, and sell it. That is a completely different thing. I think some people want so bad to be viewed as a "call maker" they justify taking a short cut rather than investing the time and money required to become the real thing. By the way, they were not being represented as cheap or inexpensive, nor priced as such. Thanks for the kind words Onpoint and greentag.

[Onpoint]

I have no problem with someone assembling calls and selling them. I also agree that there are many "assembled" calls out there that sound better than some "custom calls", that is the custom call makers fault, if it doesn't sound real when it is finished then you should never let it out of your shop alive. I just feel you should not assemble a call from purchased parts and sign it as you would a custom call. Now, an exception to that might be, if you developed a custom call, entered it at Nashville, and won with it, then you might have someone reproduce the call, to your developed specs, sign it, and sell it. That is a completely different thing. I think some people want so bad to be viewed as a "call maker" they justify taking a short cut rather than investing the time and money required to become the real thing. By the way, they were not being represented as cheap or inexpensive, nor priced as such. Thanks for the kind words Onpoint and greentag.

You're welcome, you've certainly earned it

You probably have no clue who you're talking to..ill give ya a hint

Live in kentucky, and me and my wife fight over your strikers like cats and dogs. We can have 2 identical woods and of course one will usually sound slightly better than the other. I once traded a twisted sister, paul.platz slate and a pat strawser call to her to swap me macasser ebony strikers. I'd do it again tomorrow too.

[Onpoint]

I have no problem with someone assembling calls and selling them. I also agree that there are many "assembled" calls out there that sound better than some "custom calls", that is the custom call makers fault, if it doesn't sound real when it is finished then you should never let it out of your shop alive. I just feel you should not assemble a call from purchased parts and sign it as you would a custom call. Now, an exception to that might be, if you developed a custom call, entered it at Nashville, and won with it, then you might have someone reproduce the call, to your developed specs, sign it, and sell it. That is a completely different thing. I think some people want so bad to be viewed as a "call maker" they justify taking a short cut rather than investing the time and money required to become the real thing. By the way, they were not being represented as cheap or inexpensive, nor priced as such. Thanks for the kind words Onpoint and greentag.

You're welcome, you've certainly earned it

You probably have no clue who you're talking to..ill give ya a hint

Live in kentucky, and me and my wife fight over your strikers like cats and dogs. We can have 2 identical woods and of course one will usually sound slightly better than the other. I once traded a twisted sister, paul.platz slate and a pat strawser call to her to swap me macasser ebony strikers. I'd do it again tomorrow too.

Not that mine was bad..it was my go to striker the whole season. But that one she had is really somethin special. It's like Mozart when it hits a glass or crystal surface.