question about using cedar, espeially in box calls

[Marc_Stokeld]

i started turkey hunting when today's retro camo patterns when the "brand new" clothes. i lived in north LA where there were just a tiny handful of turkey hunters. 2 men i hunted all year around with taught me the ropes. they said that cedar was "the best" wood for box calls. and we all know "best" is defined as that person's prefferance.

the first box i bought was one i bought from doug camp at the only national NWTF show. it had a cedar lid and sides, with black walnut bottom and front and rear wedges. i lost it during a hunt and bought another just like it.

btw - both calls sounded subtlely different if runnuing in the right or left side. does that make it a 2-sided call, or do you need 2 different sound chambers, or...?

after a few months of closely following a couple of turkey boards i now know that good calls are made of all sorts of materials. when folks write about cedar calls they typically mention it giving raspiness. is this the cedar that makes it raspy?

i rarely see pushpin, pot, or whatever calls made from cedar. is that due to not looking as nice as other woods, or does the cedar not sound very good in the other-than-box calls?

so to sum it up -

- how is cedar as a sidewall and even lid wood for a box

- why is it not used nery often on custom calls?

- why is it not used very often on other-than-box calls?

- what exactly is a "2-sided" box call?

thanks for yall's help on the matter!

[KentuckyHeadhunter]

Every single call can be made of cedar except a diaphragm haha.  Specifically red cedar.  It's acoustical properties are perfect for replicating a hen turkey.  It seems unaffected by knots and sapwood and is soft and "grippy" and vibrates well. 

[ol bob]

Every single call can be made of cedar except a diaphragm haha.  Specifically red cedar.  It's acoustical properties are perfect for replicating a hen turkey.  It seems unaffected by knots and sapwood and is soft and "grippy" and vibrates well.

X-2

[Happy hooker]

What would we do without cedar

Actually one of the "hot" pot calls right now is the Brad Roberts cedar slate and Lonnie Mabrys cedar slates are coveted.
David Hallorans  purpleheart lid and cedar sided box call is a call that lasts maybe one day on the swapboard when they come up, Lonnie Mabrys cedar box calls might be the best value in the sport. I think Albert Paul's favorite combo is walnut lid and cedar box I have one it's amazing.
Last year somebody put up a post about "let's see everybody's paddle calls" and of all the many responses half maybe more had cedar lids. There are some longbox makers that offer only cedar lids.
I've been on Steve Mann's waiting list for two years now so when my turn comes up I want to get it right and it probably will have cedar in it. To me the safest woods in Turkey calls are butternut,walnut,cedar and poplar.

A two sided box call is pretty much all Box calls,,you can play the left side or right. Call makers typically make one side higher pitch to imitate a young or average hen sound and they make the other side raspier to imitate a older hen. Or whatever two sounds you want when you order.
They make single sided box calls but every one I've seen cost the same has a double sided so except for maybe collection purposes I just don't see the value.