I can not get ahold of anybody in Yuma, AZ at the Hastings/GUSA place and was hoping that I could do a warranty adjustment on a SW70XH which broke this year. Guess the rod waited to long to break. When I call, I get disconnected numbers and no contact. Are they out of business or does anyone have any better numbers?

I don't have all the information, but it would appear that GUSA closed down a few months back. There has been talk about someone picking them up and bringing them back, but even that might not help your warranty claim.

Billy Vivona at the NERBS outfit would be able to better inform you.

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I can confirm that they're done. Another group has acquired the mandrels and other equipment, however they have nothing to do with GUSA, the products that they used to produce, or their warranty.

Sorry Jim.

The new group will be launching at the West Coast Custom Fishing Rod Show in May.

Mark Griffin
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C&M Custom Tackle
San Dimas, California

Hi Jim,

You have just joined a long list of us with warrantees that no longer have a company attached to them. I am still waiting for Cape Fear. They signed for the delivery of the broken rod and that was IT!!! Sad but it happens.

Capt Neil Faulkner

Jim,

You most likely will not get your replacement rod for the reasons mentioned above.

I can assure you and every other GUSA fan out there that the line of blanks will be continuing. Very soon there will be a press release advising that the company has been bought out and will continue to operate under the new name - United Composites USA. The manufacturing plant has been moved to CA and will be in full operation within the next couple of months. The range of GUSA and United blanks will have the old favorites + the addition of newer United blanks with actions developed from Down Under.

Stay tuned.

Regards
Mark

Well, guess I learned my lesson, I got really fired up with all of the good reports and this was a great blank that has led to the demise of a large number of Yellowtail in Baja Mexico but I should have gone with a Calstar or Seeker blank. Course I have a lot of those and they have never broken. Oh well, at least I have all the guides and other equipment and there was this one tiny flaw in the wrapping that used to drive me nuts cause I knew it was there.

If it's any consolation, a broken rod does not automatically mean there was a defect involved. Normally, defects that result in rod breakage rear their heads very soon after you start using the rod. It may well have been that you'd have sent the rod back only to find out that it broke due to an earlier impact or something.

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