always wondered .........

[stevelumma]

This is merely just a thought on my part , so your thoughts are appreciated.
Slider turkey yelpers (barrel slides free from the rest of the calk for in field tuning ) have been around before everyone of us were born .
One sider box calls have also been around for a long time .
With this being said , why is it that a slider yelper maker is chastised, while a one sider box call maker is celebrated ?
Always wondered about it.

[BountyHunter]

I believe Heglar " COINED" the Term " SLIDER " as a Name for a style of a call he made and Named it the " SLIDER ". You will find this with several older calls, the Older makers coined them up and NAMED THEM, now instead of being a re-make of a STYLE of Call from Old, they are termed as a style of call exclusively made and named by a call maker, instead of just a Style that they made better, or copied in what-ever way.
Since he named THAT call a SLIDER, all that follow, can not use the name slider, also, anyone who makes this STYLE of call, is now thought to be infringing on his named call, the "SLIDER", which is now thought of as a Heglar Design, instead of a STYLE of call only, that has been made for many years.

You really only see this in the Trumpet, Yelper Turner world. Except, for the Strumpet and Biscuit of course, they catch a bit of heck as well.

[Old Geezer]

Steve,  That is a good question that offers an opportunity for a related comment.   I can not answer to the chastising of the "Slider" maker.  I can offer an answer as to why "Sliders" or better, "adjustable yelpers" likely fall out of faver.  

Experience with making adjustable yelpers has shown me that there is only one position that gives the optimum sound.  My conclusion, why not get the sound right in the first place and make the yelper one piece.  The one-sider maker is ahead of the game when the call is tuned to the one sound that the maker feels is the best.  It is up to the adjustable yelper user to find that sound in his call.  I have seen adjustbles taped into position so is it still a "slider"?

I think most of us have seen the "Frank Harper" type calls with experimental couplings of different lengths.  The couplings purpose was not to interchange them to match a turkeys pitch but to find the one coupling that worked best with the rest of the call. There is a lesson in that fact.

Ralph

[BountyHunter]

I was not Chastising any call maker , merely stating the Fact, that the SLIDER, was merely a name coined to Heglars adjustable caller. This does not chastise Heglar, nor was it meant to. It was meant to give an answer,  to the question at hand.
If One makes an  ADJUSTABLE yelper type call, it will be immediately compared to Heglars Call, the " Slider", and not looked at as an adjustable call, it will be looked at as a copy, instead of call made for quite some time.
 If called a Slider, it will fall into the same thought, even worse.

Point being, w/o chastising, If one makes an adjustable Yelper, it will be immediately referred to as a copy of a Heglar " Slider".

[Crawdad]

If this Heglar slider call is not produced anymore, what would be wrong if someone began to make them again and gave credit where is due?

[GR8CALLS]

Steve

First off, Hegler has received kudos and critic for coining the name "Slider". He didn't coin that name until he saw a three piece call that Parker Whedon brought to him, that moved in and out. Before Parker ever came up w/ that three piece call, there was a turkey call sold in the Gokey catalogue, back in the late 50's and  60's that I and others call the "Gokey Turkey Call" that "may" be the earliest slider style call. I have only seen three of these original calls. And up till last week, when one came up for sale on eBay, only two! Ralph has reproduced a number of these calls, and they are much improved over the original call.

The slider that Hegler made, is unique in that he developed a locking mechanism that allowed for tuning of the call. We can argue the merits or the lack there of, till the cows come home, but, he did put considerable time and effort into that endeavor.

The late, Larry Hearn also developed a sliding style trumpet and received a patent for that call. That call had a sliding middle section and a push in mouth piece. AKA, the Crown Trumpet

Again, whether or not one believes in the thinking, that a call that moves in and out is actually functional or worth the effort, the fact remains.......hunters will always be looking for a better turkey call!



Bill

[BountyHunter]

Nice Post Bill.
I have seen a few adjustable Yelpers, such as Ralph's, and Dewey's that he Won the Nat's with.

I would say the answer Steve, is Trumpet Builder's. You see most of this type of "Mis-Understanding",  , with the Trumpet-Yelper builders, not so much with the Box's, but yet, you knew that already, you have been around long enough to know this, yet, no one can really give an answer to your Question asked above, all, will be opinions un-less you deliberately copy another makers call, then all doubt is removed.

[GR8CALLS]

 I think it's a question along the lines of the chicken and the egg. Not which or who did what first, but more along the lines of innovation and which one is the most impressive or eye catching.

Bill

[BountyHunter]

I would guess Parkers idea was to TRY and satisfy his customers in sound. Not everyone's ear is the same in the like department, and maybe that way he was trying to just let the hunter tune it to his or her ear, and lock er down, that way pleasing the hunter, with every call he sold.

Always about innovation and Sound, eye appealing cant hurt it either.

[BountyHunter]

Steve, your work speaks for itself, I would think to build an adjustable yelper would not infringe on anyone unless you deliberately copied or named the call the same, neither, of wich you do anyway, Build away I say.

[stevelumma]

Thanks for the thoughts guys. After thought ,I wasn't trying to narrow it down to the "slider" ,but all adjustable yelpers.
 I do agree that Hegler's design of the adjustable yelper is the current pinnacle of the style,yet is just that , a design of a style.
 I just cringe when someone makes an adjustable yelper , and is told they shouldn't because it is a copy of a Frank Hegler or a Parker Whedon. These guys are as directly responsible for the style of this call as Neil Cost is responsible for the box call. Neil's box style is the single most copied design in callmaking today, and I believe it is out of respect in most cases. I also believe it is because it is one of best designs of a box call.
  Now with this being said, I have an immense respect for all of the men I mentioned above. They have all taken their respective calls to new levels, and get a lot of credit (as though they should), but I also believe they shouldn't be given the credit of inventing the style of call, but should be credited for their personal design of the style.
  I am one who likes to see what others can do with call styles. I like the innovation part of callmaking, and am inspired by others designs. I also try to make my own designs without copying others' designs.
 I believe what this is really about is the difference between the types or "styles" of calls and someones "design" that they can call their own.
 
 

[KYTURKEY]

Steve, I have thought about this question ever since you posted it. I wasn't going to reply, because Bill and the others have said almost everything there is to say. But, I will add this. In my opinion, EVERY call maker is essentially copying the earlier callmakers mentioned in previous posts, and other makers as well. No matter what kind of calls a person makes.  I am not as knowledgeable as some others on the histories of turkey call as Bill, and some others, but, when was the last TRULY innovative call introduced to the public. Not trying to knock any callmakers, of any style of call. Even myself, in my recent endeavors in making calls, I am copying earlier styles. Other than maybe a few cosmetic changes, everybody copies the early call. Why? They are proven to work. That's my thoughts, if I stepped on any ones toes, I apologize.

Patrick

[Old Geezer]

If call makers keep worrying about infringing on some one elses design, where will our craft be in the future?  For some reason this seems most prevelant among the yepler makers.  I don't see the box call makers quibbling about checkering patterns and such.  Let's face it where yelpers are concerned it is more about the ability of the person running the call.

I have heard a lot of talk about patents on this site.  It is up to the patent holder to defend his patent if he thinks it has been infringed upon, not the court of public opinon.  If the holder is strong in his position, you will feel the heat.  I do sympathize with those who get that feeling in their gut, me included, when we think another maker has done work that looks much like ours.  We are a jealous lot by nature.    

Ralph

[Gobbler Commander]

If call makers keep worrying about infringing on some one elses design, where will our craft be in the future?  For some reason this seems most prevelant among the yepler makers.  I don't see the box call makers quibbling about checkering patterns and such.  Let's face it where yelpers are concerned it is more about the ability of the person running the call.

I have heard a lot of talk about patents on this site.  It is up to the patent holder to defend his patent if he thinks it has been infringed upon, not the court of public opinon.  If the holder is strong in his position, you will feel the heat.  I do sympathize with those who get that feeling in their gut, me included, when we think another maker has done work that looks much like ours.  We are a jealous lot by nature.    

Ralph

 

[mmclain]

Experience with making adjustable yelpers has shown me that there is only one position that gives the optimum sound.  My conclusion, why not get the sound right in the first place and make the yelper one piece.

 

the shorter you start adjusting the call you start loosing playability...my opinion only

Matt