Emory,

Make the walls thick enough, or build a solid graphite blank and it will indeed be able to withstand more impact. It still won't be unbreakable,but it'll take a lot more bumping and banging than a tubular blank of the same material will.

It'll be extremely heavy for the stiffness, of course, but it will be one tough son of a gun.

I have several GUSA bass rod blanks here and can weigh them against similar St. Croix or Loomis models. I don't know how fair this is, since I don't have enough information on the types of graphite each uses. But I can use the CCS to verify similar power. I'll try to do a few this afternoon if I get the chance.

..........

I'm stil trying to find any truth to teh statement "twice as heavy based on catalouge research. The more I look, the more that statement is ENTIRELY FALSE.

I'll look at a 6'6 blank rated 1/16 - 5/16oz 4-10# line (1 power)
GUSA 661DHX = 1.80oz
GUSA 65L = 1.75oz

St. Croix
5S66LF 1.2oz
3S66LF = 1.5oz
2S66LF = 1.2oz

Batson/Rainshadow
ISB780 = 1.65oz
ISB781 = 1.89oz
SB780 = 1.68oz
SB781 = 1.68oz
SJ781 = 1.9oz

Lamiglas
LSJ781 = 7/8oz
IMC781 = 1 7/8oz

These are actual weights printed in the online catalouges of each of these companies. I hate getting facts confused with biased opinions.

Tony,
Ref. your list - Senko - DHX703 is at the top - there are a few others as good, but none I've fished so far that are better. I have fished Gr. USA blanks in all the other catagories you listed - one recommendation out of 15 isn't bad - is it? Articles are in progress on all you've listed - plus, the Float and Fly, Carolina rig, Deep spoons, Swim Jig, Big and small structure Jigs (20 total is plenty!). Tom - any way to get feedback from your readers on the highest interest areas first?

Billy V. - exactly.

Billy,
This is straight out of the two catalogs. In each case I picked a medium length and power rod for comparison.

Graphite USA
C663 DHX 6'6" 10-17lbs 5oz $118.00

Rainshadow has a much broader line and tells you what the modulus of the graphite is which GUSA does not. Here are some of the Rainshadow blanks that are as close as I could find to the GUSA so you take your pick.
ISB RX7 6'6" 10-17lbs 2.16oz $50.89
SB783 RX6 6'6" 10-17lbs 2.2oz $37.59
IMB783 RX7 6'6" 10-17lbs 2.53oz $46.94
MB783 RX6 6'6" 10-17lbs 3.06oz 41.93

Unless my math is really off it looks to me like, as I said before, the GUSA blank is about twice as heavy and about twice as expensive.
By the way, you were hardly being fair when you picked the $197 Rainshadow blank. It is their most expensive blank in this category. It is an RX8+ blank, high and mixed modulus, with graphite scrim unlike anything that GUSA builds.

One reason that the GUSA blanks must be heavier is because carbon fiber is anisotropic which means that like wood with a strong grain it does not have the same properties in all axis. The modulus and the strength drop very rapidly when it is at an angle to the long axis of the rod. When the carbon fiber is aligned as it is aligned in the GUSA blanks it adds very little to the stiffness or the strength of the blank. It does add to the hoop strength and to the weight.
Do you understand now or do I need to draw a picture for you.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/2007 01:55PM by Emory Harry.

Ok, exactly what catalouge is that from? Since we're all on a computer, I'll provide you a link to the GUSA website, as well as cutting the specs directly off that link for the 663...you will not like my response as it will contradict everything you just posted, but Math doesn't lie.

[www.hastingsrodmanufacturing.com]
C663DHX 6' 6" Fast Med-Heavy 10 - 17 1/4 - 3/4 5.0 0.515 1.87 oz.

Do you see that Emory...1.87oz. That means it's LIGHTER than EVERY Rainshadow. So while your theory is whatever it is as to why they "MUST" be heavier. In actuality nothing you said is true based on the specs of the blanks...unless can you explain how the GUSA is LIGHTER?

As far as selecting the RX8...Dude, I just picked blanks with similar ratings. You're trying to point that they are "unlike anything GUSA builds". Well, the same could be said for Dual Helix - nobody else except CTS is building blanks like that, and that is the primary reason why teh blanks are as expensive as they are. I wasn't looking to compare blanks company process...I just wanted a further explanation as to teh "twice as heavy" comment which was proven totally unfounded....and actaully opened up a lot of eyes since it were teh GUSA's which were actually lighter. With a higher pricetag of course.

PS - I'm not bashing Rainshadow, LAmi, GUSA, loomis or anyone here. I'm just making sure when people read this post they know what the TRUTH really is.

Emory,
Could you please draw me a picture? Do you really beleive that a 6'6"' bass blank would weigh 5oz? I might be able to whittle one that would be lighter.
Look at the websites the numbers are there.

Emory,
I hope you have plenty of crows caged out back. Just get a few out and start eating before Billy V. starts explaining to you the weight difference between a rod blank and a completed rod.

Well, I can see what the source of the misunderstanding about the weight is. If you go to the web site Graphite USA Rod Blanks the weights given are much heavier than on the site Hastings Rod Manufacturing. On the site Graphite USA Rod Blanks where I got the weights the lightest one of the DHX series is 4.5oz.

Stan,
The construction technique used by GUSA has to result in heavier blanks. But I will admit that the weights GUSA published on the Graphite USA Rod Blanks site did surprise me.

Richard,
I am not eating any damn crow because Graphite USA published two entirely different set of numbers on two different web sites.

Again, where did you get that 5oz number from? Feel free to post a link. The ONLY place GUSA posted anything is on their website. If another website posted incorrect info, I'm sure they would want to get it corrected.

As smart as you are you cannot tell the difference between a TIP SIZE and a ROD BLANK WEIGHT column in a catalouge? Rich was close statin it was te weight of teh finished rod...but GUSA to my knowledge never posted that information. Since the Tip on that blank is a 5, and the cloumn is close together......Crow Cutlet Parmagiana for you.

Emory,
I have measured these blanks and the wieght seems to be in line with their powers and the numbers they posted.

Billy, Richard, Stan,
I guess that I will eat a little crow. The site that I got those weights from looks like a Graphite USA site but it is actually a Mudhole site. I apologize.
But I will still argue that there are a number of design trade offs when designing a blank but because most of the load is on the fibers closest to the surface of a blank if you choose to gain hoop strength with the fibers on the surface then you are sacrificing stiffness or adding weight for comparable stiffness. That is the reason that virtually all of the major blank manufacturers have load bearing fibers running straight up the blank on the surface and the scrim, there mainly for hoop strength, is under these load bearing fibers.
I just looked at Mudhole here on RBO and it appears that the weights are correct on that site.
The weights that I quoted came from [www.mudhole.com/docs/usarods.html]



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/2007 04:56PM by Emory Harry.

Well, it seems that you were NOT the one who could not tell teh difference between the tip size and weight....whoever put that chart together is. MY apologies to you for that.

This isn't totally fair comparison, but I did have a GUSA DHX601 and a Loomis SB721 (IM6) and they're almost identical in ERN power, length and action.

The GUSA weighs 1.59 ounces. The Loomis is 1.32 ounces. So not nearly twice the weight, but a full quarter of an ounce more for the GUSA. More than enough to be easily noticeable in the hand. Roughly the same power but the Loomis is much crisper and better balanced. I'm not planning on beating either to they break, but I have no doubt the GUSA is the "tougher" of the two. It's just 60% of the diameter of the Loomis, but has walls that are at least twice as thick.

I'm not saying the Loomis is necessarily better - that depends on what you need the blank to do, but the difference in weight is easily reflected in the reaction and recovery times of the two blanks. Even that quarter of an ounce in a blank weighing just an ounce and a half, is extremely noticeable.

..................