The History of Gaston Custom Calls

Like many other callmakers, David began learning from a master call maker. Many of the old callmakers taught the trade to a younger person so that the art of making calls would never die. Such is the case of many of the present day callmakers.
 
David’s quest to learn to make duck calls began in Mississippi with a fascination of duck calls by the name of “Southland Duck Calls”, made in Leland, Mississippi by Gordon Hartley. A trip to Leland was all that it took to set David on fire to learn the art of call making. Mr. Hartley had cancer at the time, but spent an afternoon talking with David not revealing much about the art of call making. He told Mr. Hartley that he was interested in making calls and the advice that he was given was to get the tools and some wood and start making calls. This is exactly what David did! Turning a call was no problem but the sound was a different story! The first attempts were crude at best, but David finally managed to get a sound from this crudely crafted call.

 It wasn’t until years later that David met the legendary call maker Alvin Taylor of Clarendon, Arkansas. Over the next eighteen years the two of them became very close friends and Mr. Taylor shared his years of experience with David until he was satisfied that David could make duck calls that he would be satisfactory to him. Under the guiding hands of Mr. Taylor, David learned what it took, to produce a duck call that any hunter would be proud to hang on his lanyard.

 These two men spent many hours and days in the Taylor shop, one being the teacher the other being a devoted pupil, willing to listen and learn from the master. Listen and learn the pupil did and now has the knowledge of Alvin Taylor filed away in his mind and notes that were taken during this time. The secrets of call making are not something that is readily shared by many and is held scared by those who know how to do it. Mr. Taylor’s willingness to share his experience with David speaks volumes about how much he trusted David and believed in him. David told Mr. Taylor that he would not make calls as long as Mr. Taylor was making them and this promise is a tribute to the friendship between these two men. David stood by his word, and Mr. Taylor finally told David that it was time for him to start making his calls.

 This is how David came into the world of making duck calls. The memories that Mr. Taylor and David shared are too numerous to describe here.

 The first time that David met Mr. Taylor he replied after the introduction “please to meet you Mr. Taylor”. He was quick to say “Just call me Alvin”. Mr. Taylor always told David to call him “Alvin” and David would always tell him in that he had been taught to address older people by Mr. or Miss before their name. To the day that Mr. Taylor passed away, David always referred to him as Mr. Taylor. He fussed for eighteen years about this mannerism but David continued to call him Mr. Taylor.

 When David first asked Mr.Taylor if he had showed anybody how to make a duck call Mr.Taylor looked as if he had been kicked in the groin. He was anything but cordial to David for a couple of years, but David kept going by the shop every time that he was in Arkansas and visit Mr. Taylor. After several years Mr. Taylor told David “you asked me a question some years back and the answer is yes, but I’ll tell you when.” David knew exactly what Mr. Taylor was talking about. After seven years, Mr. Taylor had decided that David was someone that he could trust and that he could share his experience about call making.

 Mr. Taylor began to show David little things about what made a duck call work each time David came by the shop for a visit. He would show David things about tuning a call that didn’t have just the right sound. He would show and explain what he was doing and why, he was doing it. Mr. Taylor told David over and over what the most important thing in making a good call was.

 In 1996, Mr. Taylor told David to come up and spend some time with him after duck season went out. In June of that year David went to Mr. Taylor’s house and spent a couple of days in the shop, with him talking about duck calls and making several calls during that visit. Mr. Taylor was satisfied that David could make calls but was not satisfied with many of the things that David did while making a call. It was not Mr. Taylor’s way and his way was the only way! For those of you who knew Mr.Taylor you know what I mean. He was a bit contrary and cantankerous at times. He spoke what was on his mind and didn’t hold back very often.

 From that time on David made calls and took them to Mr.Taylor for inspection. The calls never seemed to be good enough. This continued on for a couple of years and then, in September 1998, Mr. Taylor called David and told him that he had cancer. The next two years were tough ones for him. Nothing the doctors tried seemed to work. Over the next two years Alvin and David had many phone conversations and David visited more frequently than during duck season.

 During a visit to Clarendon in August 2000 Alvin and David made their last trip to the little shop behind Mr. Taylor’s house. They made one more duck call and that was the last call that  they ever made together. When David helped Alvin back into the house and into the bed Mr. Taylor looked up to David and said, “you don’t need me any more”. David replied “ I will always need you my friend”. They bid each other a good bye and a “I love you friend”. This was the last time that David saw Mr. Taylor alive.

 On September 29th 2000, Mr. Taylor passed away. David was one of the pallbearers and at the conclusion of the service several of Mr. Taylor’s friends, at the request of the family, with Taylor Made Calls in hand gave one final hail call for him.

 David told me that the highlight of their friendship was that he had a chance to “tell Mr. Taylor about Jesus Christ”. Mr. Taylor as contrary and cantankerous as he was made his commitment to Jesus Christ. It was late in his life but he did make the commitment. He even called David to tell him about it. What a wonderful thing it must have been!

 During the fall of 2000, Gaston Custom Calls became a reality and we have been "carrying on the tradition" of keeping Mr. Taylor's spirit and memory alive ever since. David said every call I make is a tribute to Mr. Taylor and I am thankful for the friendship and trust that Mr. Taylor put in me.