# Breaking in a call



## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

I keep hearing about breaking in a goose call. Can you guys explain why this is important and how do you do it and why.


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## averyghg (Oct 16, 2006)

when you buy a brand new goose call the reeds are usually stiff so after you've blown them quite a bit the reeds get a little more "limber" which makes the call easier blow and gives a more goosey sound


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## Goose Guy350 (Nov 29, 2004)

Not only does the reed get limber but the reed rubs a groove on each side of the tone channel that it will then fit into. Some guys think it really gives you a different sound but I think its pretty insignificant. The gradual change in sound is so little you don't really hear it as the call breaks in and if you really want a different sound you are much better off to retune.


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

How does a person break in a call besides blowing it.


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## diver_sniper (Sep 6, 2004)

Take a look at this. These are considered to be "broken in guts."










What happens is that over time, the repeated contact of your reed and your tone channel will result in grooves wearing into your tone board. It's supposed to give you more range with certain notes. Not notes that are especially critical in the field though.

Personally I've never been able to do that to a tone board. The first call I got, which was a Super Mag has hundreds of hours of air put through it, and it hardly looks like it has even begun to break in. I assume it's either because I don't blow as hard as some, or because I rarely replace reeds. And as someone already noted, your reeds will soften over time. And I'm guessing that a softened reed isn't going to carve away the same way a fresh one would.

All in all, I wouldn't put too much thought into worrying about having your call "broken in". But if it is something you want, you can just take the easy route and buy some broken in guts. Grounds sells them for 50 bucks, GK for 30, Saunders for 25. Those are all I know of. They seem to go in order of how I listed them in terms of just how broken in they are. I know the Grounds guts will cause you to take a double glance because you almost can't believe how deep the ridge at the front of the tone board is. While Saunders' only look about the same as I would expect to see in any call that has been blown moderately hard for a couple of years.


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## harvester (Jan 23, 2008)

I practice for about an hour a night and it takes me about 4-6 months to break in my calls. The broken in guts give it a different sound and makes the call easier to use on certain notes.


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## goosebusters (Jan 12, 2006)

I wish I had a picture of the guts that Little man had in one of his feather dusters, you would have sworn they were made that way. I have some noches in my calls, but nothing to write home about.

I'm suprised no one brought this up, there is a way that you can break in a call faster by duck taping it to a vacuum cleaner. I've heard it done, but never will do it on my own. Just another option if you are really worried about it.


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

I was just wondering because I have heard so much of this, and I was curious why or even if it is a big deal. I am not worried about it because I have called geese in(I'm not trying to arrogent) with out breaking in calls or what not.


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