Strait Meat vs. Meatgrinder Goose Call

[deanf]

I have been hunting geese for 10 years but have never used a short reed call. I use flutes and regular goose calls. Which call would you recommend for someone new to short reed calls? Is there any sound difference between them?

[IowaMigr8tor]

It all depends on how fat your wallet is. I would go with the SMH over the meatgrinder, but not everbody wants to drop $150 on call. Also you need to try each out at a store and make the judgement on how it sounds and wether you can blow a shortreed. Switchin from flute to shortreed from what I have heard is difficult. I started on a short reed and then learned to blow a flute.

[migrator00]

Don't worry about it. If you're gonna committ it will be tough at first gettin' used to the short reed...but once you have it down..you'll wonder how you blew anything else!!. It gives you a sound that you'll be addicted to! It all comes down to what you think is right for you. They will both kill geese..that's proven. The question is what are you looking for. The SMH is a little clearer and a little louder and can be used for the stage if you ever wanted to go that way. In the end..either call will give you great success. good luck!

[SMOKE]

Im just learning the short reed myself and i went with the meat grinder to start off and love it. Im plannin on buyin a smh at the waterfowl weekend most likely.

[Mark Spence]

DEAN:

Check out the thread titled "SMH vs. MG" in the Ask The Pro-Staff forum. Hopefully that will help!!!!

[Max4Gooser]

I am a new convert to Short Reed calls myself. I just started using them last season. I blew a Flute call for 20 plus years, and the switch took some time. At first I was discouraged, would try to blow a SR in a store and not be able to get a note out, then I made the commitment and bought the SMH, after a few hours I had the basics down. Now I am quite proficient at blowing my SMH and love the call, I still carry a Meat Cutter Flute on my lanyard (the best damn flute call available) but the SMH is now my goto call. What I am really trying to say, is decide on either the SMH or MG, both are great calls, make the purchase, and be patient and stick with it, eventually it will click, and you will go from sounding like a dying cat to a whole group of geese. You will love the SR style call,they are awsome.

[Nick McArthur]

There is some great advice right there.....well said. Both are great, for a beginner, if you ain't got the money for a SMH, go with the MG, you will not be giving up all that much when going with a MG over a SMH, and then when you get better and want to move up, you have many calls in the Foiles arsenal to choose from......good luck, let us know what you decide!!

[Max4Gooser]

Sorry tried editing my above post for some spelling and typos and hit the wrong button.

[deanf]

Thanks everyone . I don`t want to go to Cabela`s and sound like a dieing cat Is one easier to master than the other. If I buy an MG and can`t use it, well I drank that much in one night. I don`t mind spending the money for a SM but I don`t want to look at it on my mantle if I can`t use it. Maybe I have to go try both, but I really don`t want to. I think with months to practice I should be able to use one, but I only want to buy one for now.

[migrator00]

Again...both are great calls. The only advantage to the acrylic is it's a little crisper and louder but the MG is still a killin' machine. They both blow about the same but a lot of it has to do w/ whether it's tuned hard or easy. It's gonna be a new experience and here's some advice......

TAKE EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT BLOWIN' A FLUTE AND TOSS IT OUT THE WINDOW.

I suggest buyin' his callin goose sounds cd or video. It is a big help in how to use your hands and air! Hope this helps!

[Nick McArthur]

Get out there and try em, thats why Jeff sends em to stores.....let me tell ya, you are not the only one that has ever picked up short reed goose call and had it sound like a party horn. I would be willing to bet everyone at some point was in that boat.....so don't let that hold you back....oh ya, for all intensive purposes, the Meat Grinder and SMH are the same animals when it comes to learning how to blow.

[SMOKE]

when i bought my grinder i couldnt make a sound on it at first. i bought his strait meat sounds cd and listend to it the whole way home. before i was out of pittsfield i could cluck and short cluck. i only have experience on the grinder but from the sounds of it both are easy to master.

[Max4Gooser]

he CD, definately the thing to get when you buy the call, I bought one at the shop and listened to it over and over again, and that is how I learned to use the SMH. Don't worry about not being able to use it, like I said just keep practicing. Patience and Perseveriance are the key to making the switch. Oh and Migrator00 is definately right, take everything you know about the flute and toss it to the side, easier said than done, but it is definately worth it. Good luck with the decisions, and let us know how everything turns out. Oh and trust me the pro-staffers on this site and the people at the shop will definately be a big help if you have problems, never seen or heard of a question go unanswered by these guys.

[GearDownGang]

deanf - I switched to a short reed two years ago and haven't looked back. Sure a flute has it's place and I still love getting dirty with mine now and again but you can't beat the range a short reed offers. Drop me a PM if you want some adivce. I would suggest trying out the call before buying it. The ease in blowing the call is mostly in the way it is tuned.

[deanf]

I bought a SMH at Cabela`s. The floor model was one of the easiest calls I have ever used. It took no back pressure at all. The one I bought is a little harder to handle. I also got Shawn Stahl`s video. I love the video but have a couple of questions. Is there any way to tune it easy myself or can I send it to someone? I have a little trouble in the begining getting the low gravely sound on this one vs. the floor one. I only practiced about a half hour with it but the other seemed alot more forgiving. I`m sure I can use it I just like calling with more air than back pressure. The other question is which one of Jeff`s is better` the cd or the video? I hold a call a little differnt than everyone else. That`s why I got the video, but Jeff`s video seems more for how to call geese instead of how to use the call from what I read. I`m going to buy one I just want to be sure it`s a how to one. I`m probably rushing things but I`m getting grief about spending $160 and not sounding as good as my old calls.

[Max4Gooser]

Dean,

Congrats on your purchase, give the new call a little time, and I am sure it will sound better than anything you ever used before. Tuning can often be accomplished by trial and error, but you can also send it to the shop and they will tune it to your specs. Give the a call at 1-866-83-GEESE, The number and address are on the Magnet that should have been in your calls pouch.

As far as DVD or CD, I recommend both, I listen to the CD's and practice in my truck, and watch the DVD's athome and work and practice.

When you call the shop you can get advise on any problem areas you may have, those guys are great down their.

Good luck with you new SMH. What color combo did you get?

[Nick McArthur]

Congrats and thanks for choosing FM calls.......as far as tuning I did a post in the Ask the Pro Staff index about it under Meat Grinder Tuning, check it out there and see if anything on that thread can help you out, as far as tuning goes, the same applies across the board.

As far as one of Jeff's video's goes, my personal favorite is calling the Strait Meat Way, its his first, but thats where I learned, along with watching every video out there and trying to sound as they did to pick up different sounds.

Speed, sounds, clarity, different tones will all come in time, just gotta keep practicing.....if you need any help...just let us know...