I've been building rods for about three years and have now been asked by a local tackle shop to do their repairs. I haven't done but a few repairs before and now have two problems:

1. The first rods the shop gave me are old and each needs a guide replaced. All are the same rod model and thread wrap (triple wrap) design (boat rods for a local sport boat). The top wrap is orange (Guidebrod #221) -- but that is only evident when the wrap is cut off and one can view the "bottom" or "inside" of the thread wrap. The outside of the wrap has faded to kind of a yellowish-orange or, if you prefer, an orangish-yellow. What to do? Do I wrap this one guide on each rod with the original color and expect it will eventually fade to match? I have done a test color stick and no combination of yellow, yellow/orange, orange, orage/yellow with and without color preserver matches the current -- faded -- color. These are the first rods they have given me to repair, so I want to make a good impression. What is anyone's advice on this?

2. Having only done a few repairs for friends for "a few bucks", what should I be looking at for price on triple-wrap guides for a tackle shop which will obviously add their margin into the price? I have read -- with great interest, Tom -- the pricing articles in RodMaker, but would like to hear from Southern California (San Diego County, California market) rodmakers who have a tighter handle on what kind of fair price I should be asking. Any help is appreciated.

Thankyou,

JC

For a charter don't worry about thread color match. Strip that guide all the way to the blank and go back with the same color of thread with no CP. Be hard line with your price and do not waiver if the shops seeks you to discount to them. If you have to do the stripping, wrapping and finishing I would suggest a minimum of $ 10 per guide foot. You need to get paid for your time and if any negotiations are done to get the final price to the customer down it should come from the shops side of the deal. He will be using you talents as marketing for HIS business not yours. I would ask him to cut the old ones off and clean up the guides if rollers as well. If you play your cards right you are in the drivers seat. In California maybe you need to up the ante. Send Doc Ski and Jim Upton emails maybe they can help with shakey side pricing.

I'm not in So. Cal. but can tell you that on saltwater rods I get $10 to do a double wrap. Wrapped and finished. Plus the price of the guide. I can't see doing it for less.

What I do on older rods is try to find a color that is close to the now faded color so the repair doesn't stand out like a sore thumb. Remember, you have NCP and regular nylon with and without color preserver so you can get 3 color shades with each regular color. Keep looking. Or just get close. Guys with older rods sometimes have to accept the fact that the stuff their rods were made with many years ago just can't be had today. So you get close and get them back on the water with something that's functional.

Really can't help you with pricing on that type of wrap but I do a lot of repairs and get $6 SF and $9 for a DF No underwraps, simple wrap w/tag wrap on end plus retail for parts. I have a couple shops that send me customers because they don't know how and don't want to bother. They give my number or card to the customer and they contact me and bring the rod to me, which is what I want. This way there is no misunderstanding of what is going to be done. I like to think of every repair as a potential new build. Most have never even seen or heard of a custom rod. These are the people that I want in my shop.

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!