Well, it has been about 7 years since I last bought a store bought rod (before I got into rod making) and today I decided that I would swing by academy to look at a couple rods to see how different colors looked together. To my surprise, I could not believe the craftsmanship on some of the rods that were in the 100-160 dollar range. I am very critical of my work and I sometimes drive myself crazy trying to make everything perfect but I was shocked to see how poor some of these rods were made. Unpacked wraps, blobs of finish, bubbly finish, foggy finish, size D thread on some smaller bass rods, messy reel seal / grip installation, extra long wraps on very short guide feet, wrap tails poking out, very thin finish, etc,etc.

Is it just me as a custom builder that I will critique others work or is it that we custom builders do that much better of a job?

Scott,
I can also go into a dozen different shops that sell fishing rods, go through the entire lot of several hundred rods and find virtually no flaws.
It is really dependent on the supplier that supplies the stores. Some factories do a less than steller job with their rods. But the overwelming majority - in spite of our mayby not liking it - do an excellent job in assembling rods.

It is up to us as builders to always present the very best product that we can to our clients- irrespective of what others may or may not do.

Take care
Roger

take a good look at the handles. i have done some high end rod repairs and found the cork to be very poor and have a lot of fill.

Bill - willierods.com

I echo Scott's comments. Nothing like going to a show and seeing the $300 - $400 factory rods with unaligned guides and epoxy globs around the butt cap.

But the customers buy it anyway and don't seem to mind...

-----------------
AD

I agree with Roger, I've looked at alot of high end factory rods and I've rarely seen any flaws. As custom rod builders, we all know that factory rods are built on the cheapest components that will allow the companies to still make a quality rod. Why should it be any surprise when these rods may be a bit less than perfect? They're built in mass quantities as quickly as possible.

As custom rod builders, what are we hoping to accomplish by constantly criticizing and making fun of factory rods? It's certainly not going to make us many friends or help our image at all. To again agree with Roger, we can't control how others build rods, but we can control the quality of our own work- and that is what we need to worry about.

jeremy

Understood....but I am not trying to criticize or put down any rod builders/manufacturers as was the reason why I left out company names. My main reason for the post was because I was truly baffled at what appears to be less than par work. However, I am sure that many higher end companies do real good work. None the less, I will continue to strive for excellence and sorry if I offended anyone.


Jeremy Wagner Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I agree with Roger, I've looked at alot of high
> end factory rods and I've rarely seen any flaws.
> As custom rod builders, we all know that factory
> rods are built on the cheapest components that
> will allow the companies to still make a quality
> rod. Why should it be any surprise when these
> rods may be a bit less than perfect? They're
> built in mass quantities as quickly as possible.
>
>
> As custom rod builders, what are we hoping to
> accomplish by constantly criticizing and making
> fun of factory rods? It's certainly not going to
> make us many friends or help our image at all. To
> again agree with Roger, we can't control how
> others build rods, but we can control the quality
> of our own work- and that is what we need to worry
> about.
>
> jeremy

Scott,

No offense taken. I know where you are coming from, quality control is an issue (and not just in rod building). That's the beauty of what sets us apart as custom guys, we strive for quality and excellence in eveything we do in our builds.

jeremy

That's why they are production rods Like said people by them --- maybe the name ??

Bill - willierods.com

Scott - you shouldn't feel like you offended anyone. If they can get $350 for globbed up epoxy and crooked guides - might want to figure out why that's a successful business model for them.

When a factory rod is in the $300 range on a bass rod, they are competing in the same market price point as many custom builders. It's up to you as a salesman to understand the differences and highlighting something like what you saw could be used by a prudent salesmen and incorporated into how they could present a product to a prospective customer. You want this to be a hobby, or do you want to make $?

I'm not saying throw X company under the bus. I'm just noting it's always possible to highlight that's one of the quality measures you make sure to put in place and something for them to look for in others when they compare.

I'll throw this one at you... did you know the new custom rods created by a mass producer - totally custom (pick all the options yourself) - require an extra $50 surcharge if they are to be delivered in 3 to 4 weeks? Standard (free) is 6 to 8 weeks. Knowing these kinda of things can help you make a sale, or at least help a customer see the value in your product offering.

-----------------
AD

The difference is the brand image. By the time the consumer picks up one of those rods he's not likely to really spend much time taking a close look at the quality, or lack of it, in the rod. He's already been sold by the marketing and advertising efforts that have created a positive image of that product in his mind.

This is the one thing that most custom rod builders lack - they have no brand image, good or bad, in the customer's mind. Thus, a customer looking at a custom rod will give it a very thorough going over, checking out every facet of the rod and often being far more critical towards it than a commercially made rod. Never make the mistake of thinking that things like a website, appearances at local fishing shows, ball caps with your logo, business cards, etc., are wasted money. Properly done, they all contribute to building a positive brand image for your product.

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

Not to mention most of these customers don't look at the rod blank properties, alot of them are sold on brand name and decent looks (color).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/25/2010 06:54PM by Francois Larabie.

Again, wit the caveat that I am not a custom rod builder for anyone than myself, I suggest that what distinguishes your rods from high quality production rods is your ability to understand the customer's needs and present them with a custom solution. Many people probably love the personal touch and sense of control that arises from customizing their rod.

An analogy is the choice made between buying an expensive, high quality suit or spending a similar amount on a custom-made suit - if people care enough about the end result to work with a skilled tailor, they care enough to appreciate the many small and large differences provided by that tailor.

This is how I would look at things as a buyer of a customer product - cannot say for sure if this is what prompts a person to invest in a custom product.

Regards,
Rick

Also look at the prices of those rods. A lot of them to buy the rod, is the cost of parts for a lot of builders.

Bill - willierods.com

Tom Kirkman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The difference is the brand image. By the time the
> consumer picks up one of those rods he's not
> likely to really spend much time taking a close
> look at the quality, or lack of it, in the rod.
> He's already been sold by the marketing and
> advertising efforts that have created a positive
> image of that product in his mind.
>
> This is the one thing that most custom rod
> builders lack - they have no brand image, good or
> bad, in the customer's mind. Thus, a customer
> looking at a custom rod will give it a very
> thorough going over, checking out every facet of
> the rod and often being far more critical towards
> it than a commercially made rod. Never make the
> mistake of thinking that things like a website,
> appearances at local fishing shows, ball caps with
> your logo, business cards, etc., are wasted money.
> Properly done, they all contribute to building a
> positive brand image for your product.
>
> ............


In my opinion I found very nice responses, but Tom! perfect!

I invest much in advertising, gifts, and especially new products in our custom rods work I do some others I buy because it is new


Marco Antonio

A good salesman educates his customers to allow them to make the best educated purchase. As custom rodbuilders it is inherent to constantly point out the differences in product and why our products seem to be more expensive than store bought rods. By the time most of my customers come to my shop to talk about custom rods they are already fed up with poor quality and performance. All I need is a little schooling and I've got a customer for life that will gladly pay a little extra for custom. And remember that brand loyalty. Reward them for thier loyalty and give them a further incentive to come back. Don't discount your work, just make the initial price a little more reasonable, maybe a 10% cut will bring that customers friends back the next time. Word of mouth is our best form of advertising. I also point out that the more customers I get from that one person the better his deals will get. Works every time to have free salesman on the street also makes you do the best job on your product.