Reeds

[Eldonvieira]

How long should a reed last

[JohnFitzgerald]

Depends on how much care you give it and how often you practice with it.

I practice at least 3 times a week and I can usually get a year out of them. Copenhagen damages the latex so make sure you wash them off.

[Swede]

I don't practice near enough, and I store mine in a cool dark, dry place, so they last for years.

[flystrait]

How long should a reed last

That's a good question. If you are just referring to how long the latex last before it deteriorates several things come into play. Such as swede mentioned keep them cool and dark and not use them very often they will look great for a long time.

If you are referring to how long before the sound changes "and most people don't even realize it changes" could very greatly, based on use, the amount of pressure you put on it meaning air and tongue and the amount of time using one. This varies greatly depending on a individual. For me one might last me a week while another manufacture might last me 2 weeks until the tones change. When that happens I just through it away and pull out another. Reeds are very cheap for what the average person spends to go on a elk hunt, between tags, gear, gas, food and etc. Calls is where I never skimp. JMO

[ElkNut1]

As Craig mentions so much is depending on ones use? If hunters are practicing lots of Lip Bawl Screams & big bull challenges then you could tear a reed apart in a few minutes of coarse use because of the extreme tongue pressure & forced air flow, this is especially true for newer mouth reed users. More experienced users can have reeds last longer as they are more familiar with what fatigues one quickly.

For normal practical use in cow calling sessions with the occasional classic location bugle along with some chuckling a reed can last for many months. I have a few reeds that last over a year when well taken care of. I do not leave reeds near any sunlight in my rig or near those hot lamps while on my desk, even heat itself can fatigue the latex & shorten its life span. When not in use I keep them in the closet (shade) or refrigerator. During the month of Sept & Oct I keep them in a shirt pocket so no direct sunlight affects the latex. I can use a single reed during those 2 months. Once in a great while I will have to pull out a 2nd one but not very often.

ElkNut1

[BrentLaBere]

I have found that I go through them really quick. Maybe too much of the "bigger bugles" being practiced with lip bawls, screams, hard grunts and growls but I have fun with it any way. I have found so far that after one practice session I can pick it up and hit every note I want and after two or 3 more days I cant hit those high notes to reach out anymore. Still practice with the call until I replace it. Been practicing with Glacier Country lately and absolutely love them! Struggled a little with the cow sounds right away but with Troy willing to help me out like he has I should be coming around with them in time for posting up some calls online here.

[flystrait]

As Craig mentions so much is depending on ones use? If hunters are practicing lots of Lip Bawl Screams & big bull challenges then you could tear a reed apart in a few minutes of coarse use because of the extreme tongue pressure & forced air flow, this is especially true for newer mouth reed users. More experienced users can have reeds last longer as they are more familiar with what fatigues one quickly.

For normal practical use in cow calling sessions with the occasional classic location bugle along with some chuckling a reed can last for many months. I have a few reeds that last over a year when well taken care of. I do not leave reeds near any sunlight in my rig or near those hot lamps while on my desk, even heat itself can fatigue the latex & shorten its life span. When not in use I keep them in the closet (shade) or refrigerator. During the month of Sept & Oct I keep them in a shirt pocket so no direct sunlight affects the latex. I can use a single reed during those 2 months. Once in a great while I will have to pull out a 2nd one but not very often.

ElkNut1

Paul, have you seen someone really blow one out before "tear"? I never have that would be some major pressure for sure.

Paul is spot on as well. The tone differences happen all the time, after a few days of heavy use on all reeds. If you take a new reed out record the sounds use it for a week or two and record those sounds and listen to them both there will be tone and pitch differences. Physics, the latex will change will any air pressure over time, saliva, and heat of any kind as Paul mentioned as well.

Brent, can't wait to hear your sounds!

[ElkNut1]

Craig, yes I have. I've seen guys reef on reeds so hard that they literally rip the latex from the metal frames. I've also received back countless reeds minus the latex from customers that only had them 1 day. They said the reeds were faulty but they really weren't it was just abuse & not use! (grin)

Another thing that can shorten a reeds lifespan is if you are a smoker or chewer, both are very acidic & can attack the latex. Just things to consider!

ElkNut1

[flystrait]

Wow Paul! Do you find that it happens more with single reeds? I can confirm that chew does break them down faster as well..

[Wapiti]

For the past two season's running Wapiti River Outdoors I have been really putting our reeds through the paces and doing a lot of calling with the reeds.

I would have thought that because I have an endless amount of reeds on hand that I would be changing reeds every couple days.........but to be honest with you guys the first year I used the same Ridge Runner reed for the whole month of September. It is a very lite tension and very lite latex reed that I thought would have worn out way before it did. It was finally starting to wear out the last days I was out but the tones had barely changed for the month and I was out almost every day !!

Now this past elk season I went with a Bull Buster single latex reed and once again went the entire season with just the one reed. But this season was different as I hunting all of September and all of October !! In totall 48 bulls were called in with that one reed !!

Now I am not saying any other reed wouldn't have done this as I know I could probably use any brand of reed on the market and have the same results that I saw the last two years. They are all that good !!

So why does a reed last so long and some reeds do not ??? It all boils down to the end user. Store them properly and most of all your calling technique is the game changer. My calling is lite and smooth and I am not a big tongue pressure guy. What I mean by that is I let the reed do the work and just blow them solid and smooth and let the reed do the work for you. If you are trying to force the sounds you will damage reeds.

Your calling will also sound way better if you take a breath and relax your calling and let the reed do the work for you.

I hope my findings help you guys out. Reeds are cheap and when you buy one.....buy two instead and then you always have a back up if you should need it !! You should get a season easily out of a reed though unless you lose it !!

Trav

[WapitiTalk1]

I also would say (as others have mentioned) that with proper care and knowing the dynamics and pressure limitations of your diaphrams, you should be able to get a season out of one. I often get almost two seasons out of the calls I use before I have to grab a new one. They are old school Berry big bull red doubles (same original model they have been making for almost 30 years). I really like the ones I use but honestly, they take a lot of air to make sound properly and are much harder to use for most part than the newer models on the market.

[Eldonvieira]

Thanks I got the primos 3 pack with the cd. I'm just starting this the reed that I like best out of the three has changed tones and not sounding right now. I've been practicing pretty regularly. I have the lurkers promo from wapiti on the way exited to try those reeds.

[ElkNut1]

Craig, yes mostly singles but have had doubles treated the same way. I've personally noticed quick fatiguing of the latex on lots of different brands during stages of heavy use/abuse! (grin) Nothing tougher on a reed than Lip Bawls especially those deep coarse ones!

Eldon, good luck with your practicing bud!

ElkNut1

[Birks]

I have a hard time using reads without the pallet plate. Does anyone else have this problem? I don't know if i'm pushing too hard on the latex, or not hard enough. i get great sound out of the Primos, or any other's with the plate, but those without, it's just brutal. I bought some off wapati river when he was in my Home town during a gun show last year, and i just can't use them. Am I the only one?

[>>>---WW---->]

I have a hard time using reads without the pallet plate. Does anyone else have this problem? I don't know if i'm pushing too hard on the latex, or not hard enough. i get great sound out of the Primos, or any other's with the plate, but those without, it's just brutal. I bought some off wapati river when he was in my Home town during a gun show last year, and i just can't use them. Am I the only one?

Nothing wrong with what you are experiencing Birks. Everyone has a different shape to the roof of their mouth. So what works for one guy may not work for the next. There is nothing wrong with Wapiti River calls. They just don't fit you personally. Maybe with more practice you will find the sweet place in you mouth and get them to work.

By the way, wELKome to the forum.

[Birks]

lol i keep trying them, and other ones i have just so i don't have to buy more when the ones i got wear out. lol i haven't practiced since hunting season ended I'm about to pick it up again and start practicing for hunting season.

[Gutpile]

I've "found" reeds in my truck that i forgot about - cooked in the sun, worthless. Storing them in the fridge? does is extend the life because of the cold or because of the dark?

I seem to get smooth tones out of my reeds and prefer the palate plate ones for whatever reason. Is there a trick in getting the raspy sound going? I can't seem to get much of a rasp turkey calling either - suggestions?

[Wapiti]

lol i keep trying them, and other ones i have just so i don't have to buy more when the ones i got wear out. lol i haven't practiced since hunting season ended I'm about to pick it up again and start practicing for hunting season.

Hi Birks,

With our reeds keep in mind they are very lite tension reeds so they require very little tongue and air pressure to make noise. Try using hardly any tongue pressure and make sure you are using the air in your chest and not blowing like whistling. The air coming out from your chest should be more of a hissing sound like a snake would do. So it's like this hhhhhhhhhsssssssss.

I also start the shows again starting next weekend in Red Deer so come by and I can help get you going !! I'm Not sure where you are from but I'll be in Edmonton as well. Not coming FSJ or Dawson as I'm booked in Abbottford and Prince George this year.

Also try moving the reed forward and back to find what works best for your mouth shape as everyone is different. Hold the reed on your thumb and stick it up into your pallet until the reed frame fits between your upper molars. That should be the proper placement roughly.

Mostly just keep practicing as once you get it you'll be glad you did !!

Trav

[Birks]

lol i keep trying them, and other ones i have just so i don't have to buy more when the ones i got wear out. lol i haven't practiced since hunting season ended I'm about to pick it up again and start practicing for hunting season.

Hi Birks,

With our reeds keep in mind they are very lite tension reeds so they require very little tongue and air pressure to make noise. Try using hardly any tongue pressure and make sure you are using the air in your chest and not blowing like whistling. The air coming out from your chest should be more of a hissing sound like a snake would do. So it's like this hhhhhhhhhsssssssss.

I also start the shows again starting next weekend in Red Deer so come by and I can help get you going !! I'm Not sure where you are from but I'll be in Edmonton as well. Not coming FSJ or Dawson as I'm booked in Abbottford and Prince George this year.

Also try moving the reed forward and back to find what works best for your mouth shape as everyone is different. Hold the reed on your thumb and stick it up into your pallet until the reed frame fits between your upper molars. That should be the proper placement roughly.

Mostly just keep practicing as once you get it you'll be glad you did !!

Trav

I'm in Fort McMurray, i don't know if you remember me, but i had my 2 year old son bugle for you, he used your grunt tube lol.

I'll try them out again, i always go back and try them all a few times then when i get fed up, i go back to the pallet plate one lol.

[ElkNut1]

I think many folks like the pallet style reeds because that seem to automatically find a comfortable place in ones mouth without much re-positioning. I know I find that it works for me that way. Travis does have some nice reeds too so it won't hurt to give them a shot!

To get a growl use a Grrrrrr through voice inflection with your throat like you would growl like a bear, then with reed in place & with light middle of the tongue pressure on front end of the latex & needed air allow the reed to flutter a raspy type sound. The voice growl & reed fluttering together will help achieve a growl. For most bull location methods a growl is not necessary so don't get to carried away with it! (grin)

ElkNut1

[Trophyhill]

For me.....it depends on the manufacture. I can blow a bugling bull reed out quickly. Within hours when practicing a lot. Conversely I've yet to blow a Phelps reed out with tons of practice!

[msd1228]

I have a hard time using reads without the pallet plate. Does anyone else have this problem? I don't know if i'm pushing too hard on the latex, or not hard enough. i get great sound out of the Primos, or any other's with the plate, but those without, it's just brutal. I bought some off wapati river when he was in my Home town during a gun show last year, and i just can't use them. Am I the only one?

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess you are having a similar issue that I have had with non-palate calls in the past - that being you may have a shallow palate (i.e. it has very little natural crown), and as a result the latex tends to touch the roof of your mouth and messes the call up. The palate plate prevents this simply through design. I have a couple suggestions:

1) If you do have a shallower palate you'll never get the calls to work with them placed in the traditional spot that is taught, that being just a bit back from your top teeth where the roof of your mouth begins to slope (essentially just behind the eye teeth) - there simply isn't enough clearance between the roof of your mouth and the top of the latex. Start sliding the call back in your mouth bit my bit and use your tongue to feel the distance between the leading edge of the latex and the roof of your mouth. When you have found the spot where the gap is the greatest, start using it in that position and see if things improve. You absolutely do not need to have the reed at the front of your mouth to be able to make the sounds, its just the preferred position for a lot of people. 1 thing to note is that the farther the call goes back in your mouth, the more the pitch will come up with less tongue and air pressure, so adjust those pressures accordingly to get the desired sound.

2) If you are using a single reed, it really doesn't matter that much how you have the call oriented (i.e. right side up or upside down). Most retailers suggest having the folding tab of non-palate calls face down because then the crown of the frame conforms with the crown of your mouth, but again, for shallow palate people this may not work due to the clearance issues I mentioned before. Try flipping the call the other way around so that the folding tab goes to the roof of your mouth (if you look at the very back of the frame through the tape you can see where the folding tab used to close the frame is located). Doing this will give you approximately double the clearance between the roof of your mouth and the top of the latex. Wapiti River is probably the only brand of call I know of that actually designs their calls to be used tab up, so give that a shot. I've talked to Wapiti about this quite a bit and we are very much the same with regards to how we need to place and orient non-palate plate calls, and doing the things I've mentioned here works for both of us. Again, keep the call a little farther back in your mouth and feel with your tongue until you find the spot where you get the most clearance between the leading edge of the latex and the roof of your mouth.

Give those things a shot and see how you make out. Don't be afraid to move that call back a bit to get the clearance you need. Everyone's mouth is different. You can make every single sound with the call back farther as good as you can with it forward, you just need to get used to it.

[elk.addict]

I was just getting ready to post a new thread asking others how long their reeds last, but did a search and found this one first. Anyhow, wow, I cannot believe you guys are getting that much life out of your reeds. I must be doing WAY too many raspy high pressure bugles (I'm only getting 2-3 days out of each reed when things are action packed). Anyhow, the reed that sounds the best to me is the Rocky's Raging Bull. Last year I tried some of Phelps calls, and I couldn't make them sound good, and I think I blew a lung out with the air pressure required.

Anybody have any suggestion for a comparable reed to the Raging Bull? I'd like to try something else and see if they last a bit longer. And obviously I need to examine my own techniques to increase longevity

[Gselkhunter]

How long do reeds last? Hunter's Specialties quit making the 3.5 in 2000 when they took over Carlton Calls. I received 24 3.5s that April and I still have 6 left[1 went to Travis]. In 2000 I quit tournament calling so the life of the call went up. I was getting 3 years out of a call but always had at least two going. As they have aged I get about a year out of a call. Now I demand far more out of a reed than most and have found that most singles and doubles don't last more than an hour for me. Nor can I get the sound out of them I want. I have torn them from the frames, split them down the middle and had one blow into four pieces.
If you work a reed hard and have them failing you need to consider a few things. One, reed thickness[.003 or .0035] the .003 can make a call easier to use but will last a shorter time frame. Two, amount of reeds in the call. In most cases a 2 reed call will be sturdier than a single reed call and last longer. They can also be capable of doing a wider array of calling but most will contend they take more skill to use. Then a triple requires more skill again but will last longer. Third is how the latex is stretched on the frame, the tighter stretches can increase the easy of gaining higher pitches but the latex may fatigue at a quicker rate from being stretched tight.
In all my years of teaching calling I have always suggested starting on a double. Beginning callers are hard on reeds point blank. They tear them apart because they don't have the technique to use them yet and are trying so hard they kill reeds. I showed the guys in my seminar how to get started to do less damage to their calls and gain technique at a quicker pace.
I have some calls that people have sent me to try. I have a double from Berry Game Calls, nice pitch but the frame is a little to narrow for my mouth. I have a double from MossBack Calls that I like OK but it falls short[breaks] when I go for high pitch at high volume. I have a couple doubles from Travis[Wapiti River Outdoors] that I like very much. To this point I can get most of the tones[highs and lows] I get out of my 3.5s without too much effort. The thing these calls lack for me is the volume I can get out of the 3.5. When Travis comes up with a 3.5 the world will be complete.

[Csrbowhunter]

Man I ordered some reeds from elknut's store and got them quick! I'm in Ohio so I was surprised how fast I got them. I don't know how many of you use the reeds he sells but I really like them. Most I get a full season or two out of them!