Tuning a Single Reed Duck Call

Hi, my name is Tate Flaskey, I help people create better sounding and easier to blow calls in the great outdoors. I am going to demonstrate how to make an outstanding sound in the wilderness. Today I am going to show you five simple steps to tune a single reed duck call. Such as cleaning, dissembling, cutting, identifying, and putting back together. Truly a good caller is a talented musician.  

Tuning a duck call can be hard, but if done correctly it will make calling a lot easier out in the field, slough, timber, or swamp. Tuning a duck call is all preference just like in life everyone has a preference on how they do things the way they like to do it. I've spent 5 years out in the field and water trying different tuning techniques. The things to have for this demonstration are a single reed duck call, which can be an expensive or cheaper one, and a pair of sharp scissors, preferably fine cut scissors. 

First, the disassembly process; take the barrel of the call (The end that gets blown into) and pull it apart from the insert (This piece goes inside the barrel). Take the wedge out (cork or rubber) the wedge will be in the slit of the insert, I will be using a rubber wedge. The wedge may be snug in there; either use scissors or something with a dull end and push it out. Next take out the reed. The reed is thin, normally white, and squared plastic. The reed is made of mylar, so be careful not to rip it in this process.  

Next, take the insert and reed and run it under water and clean them and then dry them off. Secondly, check for cracks or scuffs in the barrel, reed, wedge, or insert. If something is wrong with it, buy a new piece.  

Third, grab the reed and identify the back of the reed, normally squared off to match the back of the insert. Cut with your fine scissors only four to five thousandths of an inch off the squared end of the reed at a time. However, if too much is taken off it can make the call not sound correct and will have to order a new reed. 

https://youtu.be/t3f0vLON12I

Fourthly, reassemble the call; be sure when putting the reed back in put the reed between your thumb and pointer finger and squeeze gently till the reed bows. The direction the reed bows should go downwards on the insert. Then slide the squared end all the way to the back of the insert, try to square the reed on the insert width wise. If not placed right will end up with no sound. Then place the wedge in, sometimes you will have to wet the wedge a little to slide easier. I normally use the non-sharp end of the scissors and push it down to get more leverage. Make sure the wedge is in correctly so the barrel of the call can slide over the insert.  

https://youtu.be/0_h7ni-0vBY

Finally, blow and see if it sounds good. If higher pitched is wanted; cut off a little more until it sounds right for your preference. The more that is cut off the easier it is to blow. Blow the call with a single “quack.” Once the quack sounds good add in high end note known as the “hail.” If desired, then add a series of high- and low-end notes and trim till it is to your liking. 

In conclusion, there are several steps to tuning a duck call, but it is something that anyone can do with proper direction. Some like a lower pitched call and some like a higher pitched call and it takes an extraordinarily small length of a cut to make an enormous difference in tones a duck call makes. The tune of the call all depends on what kind of ducks you are going after, for instance if you are going after a mallard drake which is a male duck you are going to want a lower and raspier pitched call if wanting a hen which is a female you are going to want a higher and squeakier pitched call. It also depends on where you hunt if you hunt a field/slough or any water with no trees then there is not as much eco, but if you hunt in the marsh or timber then there are many more reflection points. 

https://youtu.be/lhV3hAYfvus

https://youtu.be/uvhGSxWNKec