Cheap calls vs expensive calls

[supremepredator]

I know more expensive calls like zink, woodhaven and gooserbat are fancier looking, but is there a real difference in performance or sound quality in these $$$ calls?

[USMC0331]

Your customs Calls are generally made better, last much longer, and sometimes easier to get the correct sound. Some of the mass produced Calls are definitely not made very well, latex does not last as long due to improper fit, bad material or poor construction.  However some of the production Calls work ok. Over the years I simply got tired of paying the prices on the production call getting 2 to 3 uses out of them. You could buy a production call then buy a custom that's close to the same design or reed count and see if there is a big enough difference quality and sound wise to see if the custom is worth it. Best of luck with whichever one you chose.

[Ihuntoldschool]

No.

[supremepredator]

Ok thanks usmc0331 i wasn't sure if a $100 call sounded better than a $20. There was a $9 turkey thugs slate call at walmart with three strikers carbon, ash and rosewood i saw today. I was going to buy it just for the strikers, sound like a good deal?

[Brantley]

Depends on the type of call. My opinion is a custom box made well sounds much better than a mass produced box call. I do prefer a woodhaven mouth call to a cheaper one. I find mouth calls to be kind of finicky though. I've killed birds with an H&S raspy old hen and I've killed them with a Scott Ellis signature series. I just find the woodhaven to be more versatile. To me, and it's just my opinion, the biggest difference is in the box/pot categories. The custom call generally sounds and plays much better than a cheap one.

[Bowguy]

The truth is yes n no. A $9 walmart special is never going to come close to most custom calls. Zink, Woodhaven are imo not worth anything near what they ask. To each his own.
Price wise you can pay tons for a box or get one from SS that will blow most others away for way less, so there more expensive is not better, unless you're talking about the walmart stuff again.
Some calls are made from expensive woods, that adds to price. You can get some pots as good as others for less but again no comparison to the production stuff, it's much better.
And some makers just don't make good calls.
Look on the site n see who's names are mentioned over n over, those are good guys. Look at which calls are always for sale, even quickly after being bought, while that might not mean anything a history of it may make you wonder?
Learn who to count on for good information. If all you can afford is the $9 so be it, you're gonna get a call that sounds like you paid $9 for it imo most times

[guesswho]

There is a lot of junk out there, and some of it custom.   

I'd prefer playing any call before I commit to buying it, or at the least hearing the maker play it.  The good thing about a custom call is most of your call makers stand behind their product and will make it right if your not satisfied.  You can usually get the maker on the phone.  Not true with mass produced calls.  I'd rather have a call made by an American turkey hunter than someone in another country who thinks their producing coasters with a drink stirrer.   

And I'm sure a lot of folks could take that $9 call and tag out year after year.         

[GobbleNut]

There are friction calls,...and there are mouth-operated calls (mouth calls/diaphrams).

Mouth calls cannot be "tuned" due to obvious reasons, so every single one of them is a crapshoot, no matter who makes the calls.  Very minute differences in the call construction and the latex materials used can make significant differences in the sound of the call.  Not only that, but the ability of the call user really comes into play.  Mouth calls cost less than a dollar in materials to make and take no more than about five minutes to construct,...and there is no "rocket science" involved.  One guy makes a call and sells it for fifteen bucks,...and another makes a call with the exact same construction and sells it for five bucks.  You won't know which is the best until you put both of them in your mouth and give them a go.  You do the math,....and make the decision on which to buy.

Friction calls are another story.  There are companies/individuals that are in it to make money,...and there are those that make calls because it is their passion and art.  The mass-production, money-maker companies are going to put out some calls that are great calls, but most of them will not have any level of quality control that will insure that every call sounds good.  In most cases, the custom call makers will have that kind of quality control. 

Finally, the average turkey hunter doesn't have the experience or knowledge to know what constitutes a great call in comparison to a so-so call.  Heck, I've been doing this for over fifty years now and there are times when I have doubts about my ability to recognize great turkey calls when I hear them.  I do know this for certain, the real judge is not us,...it is the turkey you are calling to at the time.  I have witnessed over and over and over again gobblers come running to calls that I thought would have scared them out of the country,...and other times I have heard guys run calls that I thought sounded amazing only to have the gobbler act like he was completely deaf. 

...Go figure....

[HFultzjr]

In my opinion, there are several classes of calls priced as such:
$ being a "dollar" digit"

Store bought production calls: $ to $$$
Some are just over priced junk made to sell hunters, not call turkeys.
SOME of the least expensive ones are the better ones.
Middle of the road.....you start to be in the custom range
High dollar calls are usually, over-hyped and not worth the price.

Custom Turkey Calls: $$ to $$$
I have some very in-expensive custom calls that are nothing worth looking at, but man do they talk turkey. Do you want a call to: Call Turkeys, Look at, or both. Of course, exceptions apply.
Generally your best HUNTING calls are in this group.

Collector Calls: (As I call them:) $$$ to ?
Very beautiful calls
Very good sounding calls
Valuable, due to availability
No longer made
Or, just want one
Any of the above features combined
To me, these are TURKEY CALLS, not hunting calls. If I owned them, chances are the wouldn't be in my vest. Well maybe on special occasions.

Of course, this is just my opinion and not carved in stone.
XYZ may be a great turkey call and not cost much.
ZYX may be a beautiful call, but couldn't get a gobble.
YZX may not look like much, but can get a bird to gobble.
ZZZ may belong in the fireplace.
And so on.

Also, if you get a BAD call, don't give it to a kid or a beginner. Wong way for them to start. GOOD calls are not that more expensive and good deals can be found.

Unless of course, you just want to give someone (a kid), something to get under someone else's (parents) skin...LOL

[rblake]

Previous post are all sound advice.
I have spent too much money trying to trying to strike gold with a mass produced call at Walmart. Most of the time, it doesn't work out. However, I have had much better luck with custom call makers. You can try your luck and buy 5 pot calls at Walmart for $10-20 or spend $50 from a call maker on this forum and get a winner.

[beakbuster10]

With mouth calls, in my experience it's all about finding whatever cut suits you, for me it's a half batwing. I've yet to find one in that cut that I can't get turkey out of, but I've tried some other cuts from some of the better call makers and just could never be consistent. So for mouth calls, no there is no real difference. Just find the cut that suits you and role with it.

Friction calls are a whole new ball game. You can count on any pot or box call coming from one the highly reputable makers to be better than the vast majority of production calls. Not saying it's impossible to find an awesome production call but they're few and far between. Heck I've got a stone cold killer in a production call, but I still don't buy production calls anymore. The box I have is a $12 hs strut with the plastic sound board and ends. I dropped the call on concrete when I was 12 years old, breaking a piece of the sound board off. From that moment on it has been a turkey slayer.


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[g8rvet]

I like the raspy old hen.  I would probably like a custom with similar characteristics better.

I think a decent call, used from the right location with the right cadence, is better than a world class call, from the wrong spot, with the wrong cadence. Some of the ugliest calls I have ever heard were from live hens. 

I bought a pretty, custom made, hand tuned duck call because I wanted it. I blew a couple and the guy picked the right one for me (grunter) that would sound the best.  It looks good on my lanyard.  I use it a lot, and have called a lot of birds in (or at least did not turn them).  I also have a cheap acrylic that I was given a long time ago, can't even tell who made it or recall where I got it, that I get compliments on the sound from experienced mallard hunters and want to know what it is.  It just fits me, I reckon.  Maybe the chunks of chewing tobacco in it are the key to the sound ( . My buddy duck calls like ****.  It sounds ugly to me.  A lot of my other friends have laughed when he started calling.  But he calls in birds, all the time, in SK, MO and MS.  I have seen it.  There are a lot of voices in the duck and turkey worlds.   

Nothing wrong with buying one because it is pretty, but you probably don't need it.  You can kill plenty of turkeys with a single shot H&R. 

[supremepredator]

Thanks for all the advice guys. Im go ahead and post all the calls i currently use.

Mouth calls: primos true double.
Will primos signature series. (or something like that)

Box calls: primos hook up.
Primos box cutter.

Pot calls: primos power crystal.
Lohmann turkey tracer.

As you can see i reckon im a primos fan, also got some HS diaphragms and flextone locator calls.  My go to call for hunting is the pot call, so im looking to buy a new one. I want a good alluminum call and some quality strikers. Any suggestions?

[beakbuster10]

I'm on Darrin Dawkins list for his stoned aluminum. I've never heard a bad thing about his,  jimmy schaefers, John Sinclaire or Lonzos aluminum. Sure I missed some awesome builders too. But if you're considering something metal give Ryan Hershberger a shout and check out his copper trough call.


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[rblake]

Try Mike Yingling, he is on this forum , I got one on the way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6E67hwBMOwY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31TjYyytm2A

RB