This past weekend my wife had a continuing education class in Atlanta. So, instead of sitting around and being miserable, I decided to visit a couple of callmakers in that area. Saturday morning found me at Mr. Billy Buice's. We talked an hour or so about the Indian artifacts he had hanging on the wall. We then got down to some serious buisness, running turkey calls. I played everything from scratchboxes to trumpets to box calls (longboxes, hen boxes, turpin boxes). I came home with 2 extra mouthpieces for the trumpet that I have and one of the best sounding turpins I've ever played, walnut over striped maple. I must have played 7 or 8 before settling on that particular one. From the first note, I knew that was the one. He and his wife are two of the nicest people you will ever meet. It was a morning well spent!
I left from there and swung over to Buford, GA to visit with Mr. Russell Beard. Russell was building longboxes. You talking about some super good sounding longboxes. Russell has stepped up his longboxes. He built 5 while I was there and they were all first class boxes. He didn't have the finish on any of them, so I could bring one home with me. But, I didn't leave empty handed. I came away with a crow call for my wife and a call bag for each of us. I can't leave his wife Cathy out, she made a wreath for us with our initial(S) on it and fall colored flowers made from old neckties. Two more of the finest people you will ever meet and a Saturday afternoon well spent!
I'll post up some pics of my haul later.
