Question for the Callmakers

[letinmfly]

Unless a customer specifically orders it, why is it that some of you build boxcalls with the lid and base made of different wood?  I'm just wondering, for my own curiousity, what the reason for this is.

My personal preference is that both the lid and base be the same wood.  IMO it just looks nicer.

[Jake St. John]

I will answer from a personal opionion.  I have found that different density woods and different grain woods react differently when combined in a box.  A walnut box is a very dense wood.  When you combine the walnut box with say a mahogany lid that is softer, it mellows the yelp more to and an actual hen.   That is not to say that a walnut and a walnut with a sharper harder yelp will not turn that old boy around.  It is more of listening to different combinations and making a call they like.  They like different combinations at different times.  I think that is why you see so many combinations.

[misfire]

I try to keep the lid and base the same woods, as well as the inlays the same. I am with you, it just makes a better presentation. Doesnt effect the sound of the call, but I dont want it to look like I found the pieces at Goodwill either

[letinmfly]

John.

I appreciate your response, but I think you misread what I am asking.  I'm talking about a Cost style call persay, with the lid and base being the same wood.  Not the actual body of the call.
My apology if I misread your post.

[Blackfalcon]

Lou, I am with you and Lee on this, if I were to make a poplar box with a cherry lid, I would want to make the base out of cherry as well. The base has to/should be glued to the box when it is tuned, I am not going into the specifics as to why that is a general rule, except to say,trade secrets,lol. Some times the plan is to build a box in a certain comb, say osage over butternut. The box is built and then it doesn't want to play with the woods chosen,osage paddle, it has to be onery, and will only play with a walnut, purpleheart or zebra wood paddle,just for example. This is one reason you might see this, otherwise it is just a choice made by a call maker or customer.

[letinmfly]

Thanks Dave.

That makes sense to me! 

[Barefoot]

I try to keep the base and paddle of the same wood when possible. But sometimes, after trying several paddles of that wood and the call doesn't sound right, I may try a paddle of a different wood of similar qualities. Once the base is glued in place, there's not much you can do about it, but you can change the paddle if that's what that particular call wants.

[Porter]

I try to keep the base and paddle of the same wood when possible. But sometimes, after trying several paddles of that wood and the call doesn't sound right, I may try a paddle of a different wood of similar qualities. Once the base is glued in place, there's not much you can do about it, but you can change the paddle if that's what that particular call wants.

Or you could do like Morgan and paint the call so it's like the customer wants 

J/K.

I have a few that are like Lou describes and it was due to the intended wood not working as a paddle...

[Mark Rainbolt]

Hey Lou,
            I use the same wood for the paddle and the base, just makes for a nicer looking call. To me diffrent woods makes the call look like a scrap call. If I can not get a call to sound right with the wood I am using I scrap the call. That is just me.
               God Bless,
                           Mark

[SS Custom Calls]

 Dave said it purdy well. One exception I've seen is when the paddle wood is hard to get and someone may not want to use it as a base. I try to match them unless asked to do otherwise.

[3CB]

Yes for aesthetic reasons they should match. But if the call is right why trash a perfectly good box. Turkey's don't care and if the box kills turkey's what does it matter! 

[gonehuntin982]

I try to keep the base and paddle of the same wood when possible. But sometimes, after trying several paddles of that wood and the call doesn't sound right, I may try a paddle of a different wood of similar qualities. Once the base is glued in place, there's not much you can do about it, but you can change the paddle if that's what that particular call wants.

You can easily remove the base on a jointer just plane it down to the bottom of the box and the two side will come off install a new matching base  

Mike

[Barefoot]

good tip, but.... I don't have a jointer.

[Jake St. John]

John.

I appreciate your response, but I think you misread what I am asking.  I'm talking about a Cost style call persay, with the lid and base being the same wood.  Not the actual body of the call.
My apology if I misread your post.

My bad, The situation is different with my boxes and cost boxes.

[jmck]

I agree with you guys on this one....the same base as the lid does look matched up or more asthetic to the eye, I like to do them that way also. The only one I have ever changed up was for one someone wanted --its a call that I just posted the other day. Its a Limba under Walnut with Osage inlays and a Osage bottom. The call looked good but I like the more traditional look alot.