A little Q & A with the call-maker:

Why is the Maximas different from other calls out there?
The main point is that it's tuned on geese at the appropriate distance to duplicate their
language. What I mean by this is that sounds change dramatically over distance. It
doesn't even need to be a great distance; even 10 or 15 yards can be very significant.
We’re talking about basic sound propagation. It’s hard to describe because our ears are
all so used to the behavior of sound transferred through air. Our ears expect the shift in
sound energy. Walk a hundred yards from your friend. Yell at him. Do it at fifty. Do it at
twenty. He will plainly hear there’s a big difference in the pitch and tone of your voice.
Flutes and even many resonant-cavity and short-reeds, like it or not, were developed and
designed based upon what geese sounded like to the person making the call. It turns out
in call-making history, quite literally, that the geese were not very close to the call-maker
when his/her ear was trained to what a goose sounds like over his/her years of exposure
to the bird itself. Flutes themselves were unknowingly crafted to mimic the human
perception of a sound energy loss! Canada Geese are shrill birds. Nothing about their
call is meant to be bellowing—irrespective of their size. However, if you set a goose one
or two hundred yards out, they sound that way to the human ear. I recorded and studied
Canada Geese, point blank, in their face, microphone to bill (don't ask me how) and I
found my recordings to be a world apart from others. I spent hours hand filing and tuning
my toneboards. I analyzed and augmented every element of the call until I developed
that "just right" sound. And my call is 100% ORIGINAL- no borrowed parts or elements
from other calls as so many other "premium" calls have.

What exactly is the "just right" sound?
The "just right" sound, to me, is what the call should sound like as if you had a goose
sitting right next to you. Not too much louder, and no softer. Because if that's the volume,
tone, and pitch they hear in nature that's what is going to work best every time. As "real"
as it can be!

What can a caller expect from his or her new Maximas call?
I designed the call to be easy to blow, requiring very little air pressure. This translates to
being easier to get your calling very fast without turning red in the face or running out of
air too soon. Additionally, the learning curve for the Maximas is much higher because
less air is generally easier to control than a larger volume of air. Many callers may need
to blow much less air than they are accustomed to with their current call, and are often
surprised how little air was required to hit the break note on the Maximas.

Why not wood?
I'll tell you why; wood is too unpredictable. Lots of call-makers craft their instruments
out of wood, and they make some absolutely beautiful calls. But, wood shrinks and
swells. It absorbs moisture. They use exotic hardwoods and impregnate them with oil to
try to prevent this but it is still just wood. For the collector they are great. I’ve got many
a classic in my own personal collection. But, in freezing cold temperatures they change.
The whole call changes and it often affects the sound. Also, wood calls can get ruined
out in the field. The Maximas was meant to take the abuse that guides and serious goose
hunters can dish out and still perform when the time comes.

Speaking of moisture and freezing cold, have you done anything to correct the
sticking problem hunters have with calls?
It is a very common problem, and I would be happy to explain it. The fact of the matter
is that all calls will stick given certain moisture and temperature conditions. But, I have
done a few things to prevent this from happening. First, there is a much more generous
saddle between the mouthpiece and the toneboard of the call. Most calls have the
toneboard resting or hovering a mere few thousandths of an inch above the mouthpiece
inner wall. When a call starts to accumulate moisture on the toneboard surface, it runs
off and down into this space. If the space isn't very big it will fill up with water quickly
and create a sticking problem because there is nowhere else for the moisture to go but
right on top of the board where the reed lays. Additionally, since this crevice is filled
from edge to edge, the incredible surface tension of water makes it almost impossible to
shake out of the call. The Maximas, however, has about a full 1/8" of space below the
board. So moisture can run off the board freely and collect in a pool and is easily shaken
out. Freezing is also a major cause of sticking in calls. Since the board on the Maximas is
closer to your mouth than it is on most calls, your breath heats it up faster and can free up
a frozen reed pretty quickly. If you do run into a stick up—just turn the call around and
blow into the exhaust end of it. That usually does the trick.

The mouthpiece is a little different than most, wouldn't you say?
Sure. The mouthpiece is slightly larger than your average opening to aid in proper mouth
position and airstream regulation. Most callers will find this is a great asset in perfecting
proper short reed operation.

Will I be able to pick this call up and start calling right away or what?
A caller who is familiar with short reed calls will probably be able to run the call pretty
easily. In the instructions I break down how the sounds are produced with mouth and
tongue positions. I didn't just want to give the same old, "say this….and you will make a
honk." This old method leaves too much room for error and is vague at best for teaching
you how to operate the call properly. I really tried to break down what should be going on
inside your mouth to produce the sounds. By understanding where to put your tongue, or
how far to open your jaw, you will take less "dead end roads" while learning, which helps
you learn faster.