I read the article by Tom but am confused..
Being a beginner I understand the Concept here but don't have a lot of "parts" specifically guides laying around to attempt this. Is there any "rules of thumb" I can use to determine a fairly accurate guide size and count for a spinning rod I am building? I realize the best way is as Tom stated " Don't preselect" the guides.
I just don' t build very many and don't want to buy a lot of guides I don't need.
The blank is a 1266 and will be matched with a VS150-VS200. If I can't use the New Guide Concept what other recommendations do you guy's have that would allow me to purchase the least amout of hardware needed?
Thanks

I took some advice and bought some of the less expensive guides in every size. Then, set up the rod and buy only the size you need. You only have to buy the full set once and it's a good investment.

Considering what you've already spent on the blank and the reel, even a $20 investment in additional guides to keep and use for set up purposes is really a pittance. Consider them a "tool" like you would a tape measure or set of reamers. Don't shortchange yourself into a rod that doesn't perform as well as it could just because you wanted to save $10 to $20 on not having guides that you "don't need."


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Tommy, I struggled with this very issue when I got started, but Todd and Tom are right: bite the bullet and buy a bunch of guides. If you're only going to be building spinning rods for now, you can get a good array for about $30 -- my testing guides are Fuji Aluminum oxide (BSVOG), and they've worked well for me. You can probably find cheaper ones, but I like the BSVOGs because if I need to make a repair in a hurry, I can use one, and their quality is good enough for me to be comfortable fishing with them. Tom recommended to me, on this very board, to consider a "guide bank" a tool that you need to get started in rodbuilding. If you needed a $30 or $40 piece of equipment to build rods, you'd buy it; why not consider the guide bank the same way?

Since you're building a surf rod, I'd suggest that you get guides from size 8 up to size 30 or 40. If you have the cash, I'd include a 50 as well. You almost certainly won't need it (not on this rod, and probably not ever), but it's worth having around to use during test casting.

If you're really strapped for cash, you can try to figure out how many guides, and what sizes you're likely to need, and order just a few extras. But if you can swing it, I strongly recommend getting a lot of guides to test with. Once you have them, you won't regret it.

Greetings Tommy & all,

The 'primer' in the library just simply works.
And I am certain all (NGCers) know enough to pick-up on 'added personal nuances' which take the primer to a logical point.

Here are my added nuances:

1) As the 'primer' instructs the butt guide size is '1/2' of the reelface and as the 'primer' instructs the butt guide should be located something like between 17 to 23 inches from the spool face on most freshwater type rods and 21 to 30 inches.

My personal nuance for even on 'lights', always, is not less than 22 inches.

2) Then, the idea of the 'next guide' comes up.
The 'next guide size' is approximately '2/3 rds' of the current guide size. Now, clearly my kitchen table 'tells me the where'.

So for example, if your butt guide was 40mm, the next guide is '2/3 of that' which to the nearest approximation. is 25mm. And so on.

3) Now, because I have no imagination, I'll almost always use either a BYAG8 or BYAG10 at the crossover because that works.

4) As to locating the crossover, 'that' is according to my personal nuance a matter of flexure near the tip of the blank. So, while the blank is being 'held' flat on the table; I will flex the tip until I can see 'approximately an inch but no more' than 1 inch of flex. The blank is held firmly at the handle & reelseat area..
I'll call that 'the crossover'. And it is the dividing point between the back-end and the front-end of guide arrangement.

5) I am not sorry to admit that, I dont do a 'static guide placement' test for locating front end guides.

Instead, I do this:
I follow a procedure (found on the internet) called <guidespace.html>. It assists in providing a progressive spacing between the first gap next to the tip
and on to the crossover. I select the: a) the first gap and b) the number of frontend guides.

6) My final nuance is about sound cues.
Early 'on', it bothered me that a qualitative decision following an adjustment had to be so 'tricky and subjective'.

Now, I rely on the sound cue and spreadsheet help, alone.
The latter is primarily graphics and simply illustrates the 'line track through the guides'.

I have noticed as I am sure you all may have , also, that there is a significant sound to be heard 'WHEN and ONLY WHEN' the the rod is setup 'RIGHT'.
As silly as it may seem, this 'telltale sound' (eg. a PFFFTT!!) has become my personal confirmation that no further tests are needed.

I listen for it when I am testing the latest setup.Such a test is 'best done' with the 'fully setup rod' and while making a forceful cast,

On the otherhand, sound may also show need for more 'tuning'. For example, there is nothing more disappointing when the cast rattles through the guides...that always means 'more work', at best!

good luck,

Bob

One last idea - scrounge used guides in the sizes and styles you most often use and keep those as your "set up" guides. Yard sales are one good place to find junk rods for very little money. Sometimes a sporting goods store will just give you their returns and broken rods, if you'll aks.

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tommy - i can't see your email.

send me one if you please and I'll try to help out some...i don't have the time for typing it out right yet.

vmineck01
hotmail.com

If you want to build it with lightweight single foot guides FUJI CYAG 25,16,10 followed by CLAG 8s or equivalents is nice and light. In a more tradional double foot guide, A BHVLG 30 or 25, followed by BSVLG 20, 12 and then lowframe NSG? size 10s out to the tip. I typically end up with these sizes when setting up spinning rods.