Pot Call Question

[turkeyinstrut]

I see all these pictures of people's pot calls with only a small spot sanded on the playing surface, my question is how do you know where the calls "sweet spot" is if you don't sand all of the playing surface?

[ol bob]

A well made pot don't have a sweet spot it will play good over the entire surface.

[howl]

The ones I have came that way. I could see where you'd want to condition more to do more, but I ain't good enough to rely on myself for that in the heat of the moment.

[turkeyinstrut]

A well made pot don't have a sweet spot it will play good over the entire surface.

But you would think it would have to have different sounds or pitches around the playing surface?

[swampchicken]

All my calls get stoned or sanded almost the whole surface area.

[trap4fur]

The valuable pots they say will lose value if you scratch the entire surface up don't no why but a couple guys told me that

[turkeyinstrut]

Thanks fellers, I have been a turkey hunting fanatic since 1985 and I have never owned a "custom" call but I have been contemplating buying a couple of custom pot calls. I know my original question sounded a little off the wall but I just always wondered.

[coconut]

The valuable pots they say will lose value if you scratch the entire surface up don't no why but a couple guys told me that

I use mine to kill turkeys and don't care how it looks. I guess if I was a collector it would be different

[firedup]

Never heard of scratching up the whole surface running the value down if you do it correctly. Unless you scratch over /off the makers name or something like that. If that's true I have ruined a bunch of nice calls. Like Ol Bob said, a good pot should run all round the ring. But generally, it will be higher pitched in sound to the outside and deeper to the middle. And it should be consistant in sound if you draw a circle on the surface at the same distance from the rim and run the call along that line all way round. Make sense? So why pick a spot? Surface conditioning is very, very important in a pot call. If your a hunter, why condition everything when you only have to keep a smaller spot conditioned? Helps a lot on glass and metal calls. handle the call how ever you want just don't touch the prepped area. On my favorites I normally cut a small notch in the edge above the prepared running surface. I can find it with my finger and then hit the spot without looking at the call. But as a callmaker I can tell you that the sweet spot / area is often predictable based on how its made internally. In other words you prepare the surface by correctly conditioning it, in the best possible spot to make it sound as solid as possible and make it easier for the customer / user/ TURKEY HUNTER! And in a custom call isn't that part of what you are paying for? Seriously, custom call, off the shelf call, discount yard sale call....condition em anyway or where ya want as long as you do it correctly. Cause if it don't talk some turkey.....its pretty much just a cool looking coaster or paperweight.

[misfire]

I send glass and crystal calls out with a small area surfaced so that my logo is easily seen. I leave the rest up to the customer to do with as they wish. My main reason to condition it at all is to make sure the call will run before it leaves my shop. Never had one fail in any way not to play, but I err on the side of caution.