Name/Title
Jack and Bill JanssenEntry/Object ID
CTC001B00004Description
Bill Janssen, age 67 as of March 2026, has retired from the limestone quarry business. He is currently farming and enjoys upland game and waterfowl hunting, fishing, banjo playing, vintage SXS restoration, BPCR rifle competition, old-tractor restoration, snow skiing, shop tinkering, habitat management, etc. Bill began making calls in the mid-1970s in his native Missouri, and his current home/shop is in Dittmer, Missouri. Bill's callmaking inspiration and influence/s was Jack Janssen (his Dad), local man Ben Johnson, as well as Tom Turpin and M.L. Lynch. Jack's tube calls had wire bails which helped tension and hold the diaphragms or leaf in place. His box calls were made in what Bill refers to as the "Fredericktown style," and the body bore some stylistic similarities to a Bowles with the sloped fore-end, and like Turpin boxes had no spring under the screw. The mechanism for adjusting the position of the paddle was very unique.
Initially, in the 1970s, Bill made calls based on his Dad's earlier work. More recently, he has focused on primarily compact calls inspired by old-time designs. Boxes, scratch boxes, air calls, yelpers, pocket slates, strikers, etc.Create Date
March 8, 2026Update Date
May 31, 2026
