I am starting my first project in the next week. I am building on a 9' 6wt 2pc All star austin blank. I have read the static guide placement article but dont really understand it so much. I figure I will a bit better once I get this first rod finished. Was hoping that someone who has built on this blank might post the guide spacing they used so that I could build using them as a guideline.

Brendan; You might try going to the library section on this site and read the articles on guide placement. That should get you off on the right foot. You can also do a search on Guide placement and probably get more than you want.

Read the article again, and give it some time to sink in. Guide placement is really very easy and you can do it better than any chart can do it for you.

I have no idea where you're located or what you might be doing this weekend, but if you can make it to the National Rod Builders Show in Charlotte, NC, either myself or somebody else there will be happy to show you all the ins and outs of guide placement, in person.

.........

Brendan,

I normally use a chart for a guideline and am extremely happy with the way my rods cast.......IMO it doesn't make a huge diffrence to move a guide a little bit one way or another. I have found no matter how you place the guides you end up with them pretty close to the same spot on the blank..for me it is easier to look at the chart then slightly adjust them by my preference.

But a couple things I always do...

I always mount the first stripper guide to your own reach to be able to grab the line...many people will point this out to you and it is common sense...however it might not occur to you until after you start fishing the rod you are building...too late then.

Second always try to put a guide near the ferrule...I like to put it on the female section and use the same wrap for the ferrule portion as for the guide....

Consider single foot guides..I believe they perform as well or better than snakes and only require one wrap per guide. I think it makes the blank feel more crisp...with a lot less thread and epoxy on the tip section especially.

Lastly...have fun...your first one most likely won't be the prettiest one you ever build but you will have a sweet spot for it...fish it til it dies...then repair it and fish it some more!!