I have read many about many folks who use various type of spiral guide setups.
Simple spiral, revolver and others.
One thing that seems to be fairly common with most of these systems is the direction to set the guide that is nearest to the reel at 0 degrees with respect to the reel seat.

I have found a rather interesting thing with most of my recent spiral rod guide setups.

After placing all of the guides in the position to load the rod correctly, I check and double check the angular alignment of the guides.
For most of the spiral setups that I have built recently, I use 3 guides to get from the top to the bottom of the rod.
When working with the angular rotation of these guides, I mount the reel that is going to be used with the rod.
I will pull off 30 to 50 feet of line, and slowly recover the line under light pressure.
I then align each of the first three guides from the reel on up the rods so that as the line is recovered, the line moves from one side of each guide to the other side of the guide - especially in the first guide.
Then, I adjust the 2nd guide to try to maximize the largest average amount of time spent near the center of the guide. I do the same thing for the 3rd guide.

In doing this process, I have found that the general setup for the first guide is NOT at 0 degrees with respect to the reel, but actually close to 15-20 degrees in the direction that the line is spiraling around the rod.

I.e. by offsetting the first guide from 0 degrees in the direction of guide spiral, I find that the line is actually recovered equally on both sides of the first guide, and also that the line stacks equally on the reel.


In contrast, when I set the first guide at 0 degrees, I find that the line is rubbing against the side of the first guide much of the time, and I also find that the line wants to stack up on one side of the reel. i.e. the line doesn't wind back on the reel as evenly, as if the first guide is offset somewhat in the direction of the spiral wraps.

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Before doing your final guide alignment on your next spiral wrap - do some adjustments - in both directions with respect to 0 degrees and see what you find on your particular build.

One might think that the offset first guide is a bit odd, but it certainly builds into a better casting, fish catching, and line handling rod - than a spiral wrapped rod with the first guide set at 0 degrees.

Give it a try - you might like it.

Take care
Roger

I kind of do the same thing, I put the rod in a holder, load the line up with a 4oz. weight. then slide the butt guide over till the line is centered in the guide. and repeat for the second and third guide.
i don't figure the exact degree off zero but around 15 or so looks about right. last three i did this way and i like the results as well. they were worth building just to see the faces of people when they check them out.

Offsetting the first guide so the line enters the reel along the true 0 degree axis is a component of the Revolver Wrap. RodMaker readers will be aware of it but some others may not.


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thats probably where i got it from, just could not remember the name, i can't remember mine on occasion.

Jim,when you load the rod and center the line in the first guide,where in relation to the reel spool is the line.do you center the line in the spool,left or right or does it even matter?thanks,just trying to learn,jim gregory.