tmontgo1

hey this is going to be my first season turkey hunting. im really good with my box call but wannae get a pot call too. i have no idea what the difference is between slate, ceramic and glass. or the pros and cons that go with each one. So what kind of call do you think is the best for a beginner and any suggestions on good brands to use.

JW

Just above on this page SwampCollier has a great information - look for the Guide on Pot Calls

JW

Wingbone

You can't hardly go wrong with a pot call. they all sound good. I'd say the only downside of an actual slate surface is they are hard to operate in wet or damp weather. Other than that, theyall sound like turkeys right out of the box. Pick the one that sounds good to you

tmontgo1

I didnt even see that up there but that is exactly what I was looking for. THanks JW

SwampCollie

Yeah man.... I wrote it all down for a reason.... and that is so I wouldn't have to write it down more than once!

tmontgo1

Hey i got another question though.Sorry. Is a ceramic call any different from a slate call.

mouthcaller

Slate is a natural rock. To my ears it creats the softest sounds of any surface in pot calls. Slate will work in the rain if you use an acrylic striker. I havea couple of glass and crystal over slate double-sided calls that I really like. I use slate mostly to purr, cluck and tree call.

Ceramic - I never ran one. Can't help you there.

To my ears the surface that sounds the best is glass.Glass won't work inthe rain with any striker that I've found. Glass sounds good with a variety of strikers but my favorites are laminate wood one-piece and carbon/graphite.

Aluminum is my next favorite. Aluminum will work in the rain. It is typically higher pitched, louder, and makes a good locator call. I like purple heart, laminate, and carbon strikers with this surface.

Bernie P.

I have a slate and a glass call.Slates has a nice mellow sound vs a brighter raspier sound from glass.All striker materials have their own sound to so with a few of those you'll have a wide range of tones from all your pots.

RIStrutStopper

I think slate makes the best soft purrs, clucks, and tree yelps and is the easiest to run. If you want volume, go with glass or crystal. Glass/crystal is easy to run too, and you can make some really nice turkey music with them. My favorite running surface is crystal. The Primos Power Crystal has been my go to call for the last couple of seasons. To me, aluminum is the hardest of the pot call surfaces to use, but some days it drives the gobblers just bonkers. I find it hard to purr on an aluminum call, but maybe thats just the one I have or maybe its just me? I have called birds in with aluminum from verylong distances though. One more surface you might want to consider is the sla-tek synthetic type. It sounds pretty good and is very easy to run. Knight and Hale's Ol' Yeller uses this and is an awesome call for a beginner. Hope this helps.

SwampCollie

Now here is a man with excellent taste. I too, prefer glass (or at least my glass call) to all others. And I like to run it with a birch laminate striker. All three last season.... that call had a hand in.

Ceramic, from what little I've messed with it, seems more like glass to me than slate.

As I wrote before, and as you've read here from others, I think metal surfaces are the most unforgiving, but they do carry a long long way. Crystal has similar sound qualities with regards to volume and carry, but is easier to work with from a calling standpoint. They do have minor differences in sound though.