Ghost cut

[saverx]

Anyone making ghost cuts? If so, what size reeds? I use a jig and I'm having trouble hitting on the right combo for me. I'm burning thru frames trying to figure it out. I really like Dave Owens sound especially on the soft talk. A reverse combo or ghost works for me but I struggle making a good ghost cut call. The mystery continues....

[Candyman]

My favorite ghost cut calls are made by Paul Hicks and Sadler McGraw. Both are on here, might send them a pm.

[compton30]

Wouldn't we all love to sound like Dave Owens! I wouldn't get too down on yourself if you're trying to sound as good as what I would consider a top 5 turkey caller on the planet. Also maybe the best turkey hunter out there.

Mouth call making is, in my experience, extremely trial and error based. However, as you build more and more and fiddle with things you can figure out what you can do to try and influence the sounds. Deepening your cuts to get more rasp, removing a sliver from the top reed to get a little more front end. Then it comes down to how much talent you have personally and how much you practice the craft. Is it the call or is it you that's the limiting factor? I ask myself that all the time when I'm not getting all of the sounds I want. More than likely, it's me.

I really wish I could help more. Hopefully someone with more experience can help you out!

[GobbleNut]

Mouth call making is, in my experience, extremely trial and error based. However, as you build more and more and fiddle with things you can figure out what you can do to try and influence the sounds. Deepening your cuts to get more rasp, removing a sliver from the top reed to get a little more front end. Then it comes down to how much talent you have personally and how much you practice the craft. Is it the call or is it you that's the limiting factor? I ask myself that all the time when I'm not getting all of the sounds I want. More than likely, it's me.

Perfect summation...   

[saverx]

Great comment. Encouraging and depressing. Ha. I'm going to ruin some more frames tonight. If I ever find a great design, I will post it on the forum.

[Basspro24]

Did you ever come up with anything? I am having the same struggle.

[Fdept56]

I'm still fairly new to call building but a ghost cut is about all that I build and use. What are you not getting out of the call that you want?

[Basspro24]

Pretty much everything lol. I haven't built too many of them but the ones I have just seem sloppy.

[GobbleNut]

Each of us is different, but here is the combination that I found for the ghost cut that works well for me:  (forgive me if this is hard to follow,...best I can do to describe it)

                    basic ghost cut                                                    ghost cut with edge shaving and nick in center of second reed
                         

Two reed .004 over .004 (I like natural over yellow, but that is based on material batches that I have had for a number of years);  stretch of the reeds: I don't use a tension meter, but I stretch the reeds approx. 1/4" to 5/32" and with some backstretch.  Reed spacing (front edges) of 1/16" to 3/32" or close;  center-cut width of roughly 3/16" and with angle (off of perpendicular) of roughly 15 degrees on both sides;  depth of cuts roughly 3/16"; 

If I don't get the sound I want with this design, I shave the front reed "flaps" down along the edges in increments until I get the rasp and break-over I like to have (often I will shave from center to edges at an angle to get the sound right)  If that still doesn't give me the sound I want because the bottom reed stretch is not quite right, I will put a very small "nick" in the center of the bottom reed to adjust the sound (pic on right has edge shaving and nick in lower reed,...but hard to see)

*Again, always remember that very small changes in cuts can make a very big difference in sound.  Don't get carried away with changing things too drastically,...little cut changes at a time!

Obviously this is just a suggestion,...may not work for anybody else.  It took me a long time to find a combination for the ghost cut design that suited me,...and this is it.  Try it if you wanna...   

[Fdept56]

I have found that the closer together the tips of the cut are together, the raspier the call will be. This is because you're leaving more of the top reed (I'm assuming anyway). I clip the tips on mine to give it an almost hourglass shape. If you do this a little at a time, you can give yourself more and more of a front end until you figure out what you like.

[Shady valley birds]

This is awesome info thanks guys!

[maxbo36]

Just  little tip I learned from one of the top Ghost cut callers in the land.  For the soft talk we all love so much, try running the call upside down.  Sounds crazy, I know, but just give it a try on a ghost.