Murmur calls

[John Akehurst]

I\'ve been attending a calling clinic at one of our local supply stores.  The guy teaching it is really good.  He uses RNT calls.  The clinic is bring your own call it doesn\'t matter.  I have an olt 77 which is good for straight calling and the landing call, but that is about all I can do with this ( I guess because of how it was built) I have a Zink power clucker which I am growing to love and have a Sean Mann Eastern Shorty Sweet Talker which I picked up at Dick\'s Sporting goods a few years back.  

I have been messing with the reed on the Sean Mann a little bit trying to tune it because out of the box it was really high pitch.  It came with an instructional tape and the guy really sounds goosey.  Like an older goose.  I cannot for the life of me get this sound down.  I have been trying to throw my voice into it and it gets a little deeper but is kind of crackly.  What is the rule on the reed.  If less is exposed is it deeper?  When I do this it gets really hard to blow.  I\'ve been cupping my hand a little to make it deeper which helps slightly.  The power clucker is a bit on the high octave sounds as well.  I am looking to get that deeper sound.

I am okay ( not great but I can get the birds to somewhat respond sometimes) with clucking, landing calls, but my murmur needs help.

Should I invest in another call and shelve the Sean Mann?  

On another note, the calling tutorial on this websight helps, Unfotunately, I do not have a sound card so I can\'t hear it when I practice.  Sorry to you guys about Buck Gardner calls, I don\'t have one.  

Any insight would be appreciated.  

John

[Shane]

Well I can tell you this that Sean Mann\'s call is a great call!
Chances are that it is just not tuned for what you want..
Remember the longer the reed the deeper the pitch the shorter the reed the higher the pitch..
Just make sure that the reed drops down in the hole with out hanging up or clicking. At the same time make sure the reed is as close to the end of the tone channel as possible again with out clicking or hanging up when dropping into the tone channel!
The guts should have a natural break where it drops off that is generally where the wedge is placed to start, then moving it forward a little at a time to make the pitch higher...

I hope this helped you let me know ?

God Bless you!

[John Akehurst]

Thanks,
This helped a lot.  I am sounding better and better with each new day.

John

[Shane]

Great! One thing i remembered is you can also deepen the pitch
by flexing the reed and flicking the reed. NOT bending it but just flicking the reed a couple of times and then give it a test drive.. No more than two flicks at a time ...
Let me know....?

[John Akehurst]

Thanks,  I\'ll give the reed a little flick today and see what happens.  My calling is getting better.  My Sean Mann is starting to sound more goosey.    

John


On another note Mark Hoke from Zink is going to be at my neighbor hood store starting a calling clinic for the month of Oct.  For anyone in Maryland who is interested.  The clinic is at Autumn Sky Outfitters in Harford County MD.

[Shane]

Just remember for each new goose call there is a break in period and then it\'s Goose on!
I am glad you are having success!

[John Akehurst]

I flicked the reed and it helped a little.

Boy it\'s nice to have this board to go to with the questions.

I am really working on my RNT call now.  It\'s the only all wood call that I have in my arsenal and it has the best sound.

[Shane]

Dont give up on that Sean Mann call because I have blown them and they are the fire!
When you flick it you have to flex it a little then flick!
CAUTION just dont bend it...
God Bless ya man!

[EasternShoreMAX4]

how\'s that mann call working out for you bud?

[John Akehurst]

Thanks for asking...

To be honest, I haven\'t been blowing it a whole lot the last two weeks.  In fact over the course of the last week, I think I\'d be lucky to say I\'ve practiced 5 minutes.  Even though I have it hanging from my rearview mirror in my work truck, I have been extremely busy at work, and have been in the woods deer huntin the past few free times I have had.

One issue I have.  I think I can get most of the calls down, meaning, double clucking etc.  It\'s just trying to put them all together to sound like a lot of birds.  I practice and practice but ... am I practicing correctly or enforcing bad habits ... I\'m not sure.  Somebody said that I should tape myself.

John

[John Akehurst]

Easternshoremax4   What Part of MD are you from??

[Shane]

Send me an Mp3 sound file of yourself calling so I can hear you and we can go from there..
Start studying and practicing layering your notes and with that varying tones and pitches to create the illusion of numbers. You have to push yourself to take it to the next level...Get as much hands on advice from great callers as you possibly can the rest will work itself out...
I cant wait to hear it!

Post edited by: Shane, at: 2007/10/19 09:12

[John Akehurst]

Hey Shane,

Thanks for the offer to listen to me.  I apologize for my ignorance ... I don\'t know how to do an mp3 of myself.

I do have a brother that is into computers so I\'ll check with him and get back to you.

Thanks again,

John

[EasternShoreMAX4]

I\'m the Eastern Shore part of Maryland, the good side. lol.  Getting the hand of things?

[Aaron Heater]

I\'ve never blown a Shawn Mann