filing the tone board

[Jduckman]

Hey guys, i have been combing through the site for about a year now and learning everything i could about how to make turkey calls. Now I have moved to my real passion, duck calls. After many failed attempts, i have made my first tone board that makes duck sounds. It has very good top end, but the low end takes a little to much air for me. basically my question is, where do i file on the tone board to change what sounds. I hate to start filing away with no direction and screw this one up too. thanks in advance!

[James Strickland]

The toneboard should start sloping away in front of the cork.  The reed should barely touch the toneboard at the cork and then gradually slope away.  From the pic, it looks like you may need to file at the cork going forward.

Don't take much off at a time and take notes of where you filed and what affect it had on the sound.

[FDR]

Here is a tutorial on the basics of tone board tuning.  There are 2 others under duck call tutorials.

http://thogamecallsforums.com/index.php/topic,15814.0.html

[Jduckman]

thats exactly what i have been looking for! thank you so much!

[Chris at Owens Custom Calls]

I know you don't want to hear it, but it's worth repeating.  Everything changes everything and the only way to learn is to screw up.  Change one thing at a time and keep notes of what happened.  There are no shortcuts in this game, and experience is a hard teacher.  But you'll learn more through failed attempts

[dogcatcher]

Get a few sticks of 5/8" dowels, cut to insert length.  Buy your self a notebook, or keep notes on your computer.  Start making cheap inserts, every time you do something write notes as to what happened.  Then when you "think" you know what is happening every time you fix these dowel inserts you should try fixing this insert.  It is the easiest way to learn the ins and outs of inserts.

Don't forget to keep notes.

Marvin

[Fowl Mood]

The toneboard should start sloping away in front of the cork.  The reed should barely touch the toneboard at the cork and then gradually slope away.  From the pic, it looks like you may need to file at the cork going forward.

Don't take much off at a time and take notes of where you filed and what affect it had on the sound.

Good advice!