hey i have heard of people filing down the reeds on their calls, what exactly does this does, make it sound deeper? I would like to be able to make more subtle sounds with less air when the geese are approaching. Whats the technique to doing this and is there anything else i can do to make my call more effective. I have a Buck gardner Canadian hammer 2, and a quack head. I would like to get a nice achrylic call but this it what i have for now. please lemme know what i don't. thanks
Goose call modifications
- Thread starter fowlmouth
- Start date
arcticcathonda
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Alberta
Shaving the reed "lightens" it so it cracks over a little easier while still maintaining deeper noises attributed to a longer reed. There are a number of videos and tutorials how to do it correctly if you want. Hope that helps.
- Location
- London Ontario
I suggest looking into Bad Grammer the DVD by Molt Gear. I thought I knew a bit after watching youtube videos on calling. After watching Bad Grammer I am a much better caller. I thought I needed to shave the reed, get a more expensive call, etc, etc to call well. The only issue with calling well was my technique, lol.
order lots of spare reeds from the manufacturer before you start! you WILL screw a few up.
personally for a hunting call I never bother.
another thing you might want to look at is a set of B.I.G's (broken in guts) the worn tone board might give you more of the sound you are looking for. Almost all major call manufactures offer them.
personally for a hunting call I never bother.
another thing you might want to look at is a set of B.I.G's (broken in guts) the worn tone board might give you more of the sound you are looking for. Almost all major call manufactures offer them.
the spank
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Planet Earth Wearing My Tinfoil Hat
Tuning a goose call is a rather simple thing to do. There are some good tutorials out there for sure. Watch the one's by the pros. I tune all my calls myself. Where the reed sits in relation to the wedge(stopper) is the first thing to consider. If you like the pitch your call makes then mark your reed with a pen line along the edge of the wedge. That way when you put the call back together you have a starting point to tune from. Pushing the wedge in more or leaving it out further changes how much reed is freed up or pressed tight to the tone board and changes the pitch. Higher sounding like smaller geese to deeper sounding like larger geese. The reed should always sit in such a manner that you can push down on the end and it will just clear the rounded edge of the groove in the tone board. Too big of a gap between the edge and the reed will cause it to sound fluttery and take tremendous volumes of air to crack over. As well if the end of the reed overhangs the groove in the tone board you probably will feel like you are blowing into a blocked tube.
If you feel you want it lighter to blow at this point remove the reed by pushing the the tone board, reed and wedge together as one in further until they loosen up. Then remove the tone board, reed and wedge. To shave the reed lay it flat on a hard surface and shave the end that faces you as you blow into the call. Make sure the reed is facing upwards properly. Starting about 1/3 - 1/2 of the way in scrape with a very sharp knife using a gentle touch out to and including the tip. Go in small amounts. Shave off a tiny bit, reassemble, test, repeat until you find the air pressure you want. You can also use one of those really fine emery boards our wives use to do their nails. The flex in it allows me to put pressure across the whole reed and sand it evenly. If your call has been used a lot and you see a groove in the tone board from being broken in and should you wish to use a new reed be sure and sand the edges of the reed to fit that groove. Good luck and good hunting.
Here is a link to a great set of instructions with pictures I pulled off another forum by pro caller Wade Walling, doesn't get any better than this.
http://www.refugeforums.com/refuge/showthread.php?t=612023
If you feel you want it lighter to blow at this point remove the reed by pushing the the tone board, reed and wedge together as one in further until they loosen up. Then remove the tone board, reed and wedge. To shave the reed lay it flat on a hard surface and shave the end that faces you as you blow into the call. Make sure the reed is facing upwards properly. Starting about 1/3 - 1/2 of the way in scrape with a very sharp knife using a gentle touch out to and including the tip. Go in small amounts. Shave off a tiny bit, reassemble, test, repeat until you find the air pressure you want. You can also use one of those really fine emery boards our wives use to do their nails. The flex in it allows me to put pressure across the whole reed and sand it evenly. If your call has been used a lot and you see a groove in the tone board from being broken in and should you wish to use a new reed be sure and sand the edges of the reed to fit that groove. Good luck and good hunting.
Here is a link to a great set of instructions with pictures I pulled off another forum by pro caller Wade Walling, doesn't get any better than this.
http://www.refugeforums.com/refuge/showthread.php?t=612023
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