My friend somehow managed to snap 3" off the tip of one of my Rainshadow IP844 rods. Is it worth cutting off a guide and putting a new tip top over the clean break or is it totaled?

I would put a tip on it and see if you like the feel. At the absolute worse you could move some guides until you were satisfied. I have had a few rods lose an inch or two and was happy with the new tip.

I broke 1.5 inches off the tip off my 8 wt ATC blank and it made it an extra fast 9 wt and I love it.

Albert,
If I were you, I would put 3 inches back on it and enjoy it.

With a blank like the ip844 - much of the feel and action of the blank is in the last few inches of the blank.

Fix the break and go fishing
Take care
Roger


p.s.
To fix it right - I would find another blank with the same action and cut about 2 feet off the ip844 and splice it back to its original length with the same tip action.

It is tough to fix a blank right with a 3 inch break on the tip. The splice at 3 inches tends to turn that spot into a dead zone.

Albert,
If I were you, I would put 3 inches back on it and enjoy it.

With a blank like the ip844 much of the feel and action of the blank is in the last few inches of the blank.

Fix the break and go fishing
Take care
Roger


p.s.
To fix it right - I would find another blank with the same action and cut about 2 feet off the ip844 and splice it back to its original length with the same tip action.

It is tough to fix a blank right with a 3 inch break on the tip. The splice at 3 inches tends to turn that spot into a dead zone.

I would also encourage you to position a new tip on the rod and test it out. One of my very best pompano jigging rods is a broken off Lamiglas XMG LP844 ... it is faster, stronger and works absolute magic. I actually like it better now as a jigging rod than I did before as a popping rod.