Just saw the TT review of the Megabass A. Martens rod - "One of the most unusual features of this rod is the eccentric first guide. It is mounted to the rod upside down putting the guide closer to the reel in order to aid in casting distance."

Okay, it's not actually on upside down, but they have the foot of the butt guide pointed towards the tip.

Good grief!

_________________________________________
"Angling is extremely time consuming.
That's sort of the whole point." - Thomas McGuane



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/23/2010 05:29PM by Chuck Mills.

I believe the butt guide is on back wards and too close to the reel . Chuck, maybe that is a new custom builders trend. Or maybe I'm missing out on something.

Good Grief !!

J.B.Hunt
Bowling Green, KY

That is awesome! They finally found a way to get a guide closer to the reel!

Jeez...

Someone will buy it though... shame.

This is so funny I noticed it on a bassmaster show and comment to my wife. We even did a frame by frame on the dvr to ensure what we saw. I questioned it also an reverted to thinking it was a two piece rod and they turned the guide upside down to wrap the guide and the ferrule with one wrap. Either that or they came up with a weird idea to make a sale.

They have been doing that on some Japanese PE rods for a long time. It is just another way of marketing rods by differentiating them from the masses.

Low Rider in the system is used in the same way!

Marco Antonio (São Paulo) ( Brasil)

I actually have a customer that request me to put his 1st guide on that way. He has seen the Japaneese rods I believe and is convinced the line dont slap the guide frame when casting. I have test casted each and cant find any measurable difference in the two. But it looks ok, and actually has him convinced it works better. The next spinning rod I build him Im going to put all the spinning guides on reversed and he will probably like that too.

This concept (whether correct or not) has been around for a long time.
The thought process being that the strippr guide being backwards prevents the line from deflecting off of the guides frame as it spirals off the spool.
Eliminating the added friction caused by the line rubbing the frame which reduces casting distance, would then improve performance.


I have a rod in the shop that was built (judging by the components) some time in the 60 or 70's maybe earlier, that utilizes this concept. Based on its guide’s design in which the aft leg extends out pretty far, I could see where this would have been an advantage. But guide designs have changed quite a bit since them.

Here are three pictures of the rod in which it is easy to see that the thought process made sense with those guides. Sorry for the quality, taken with my cell phone.
It’s hard to tell from them, but the rear leg actually intrudes into the space of the 30mm’s guide’s circumference.
Effectively clipping off a portion of available ring space, which if not mounted backwards would cause a rubbing problem with line coming off the reel.


[www.rodbuilding.org]

[www.rodbuilding.org]

[www.rodbuilding.org]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/24/2010 09:54AM by Steve Gardner.

Steve -- Those are what was called "Foulproof" guides. I first started building rods in the mid-70's and it was common procedure to turn the butt guide just as you have in the picture.

Bob McKamey
bobm@mudhole.com

Mike Thompson

Show him some pictures of the two guides together as the Microwave guide set up He may like it he could be your tester.

Bill - willierods.com

duplicate



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/24/2010 10:52PM by Steve Johnson.

To clarify... I didn't mean it's a shame if someone buys it. I meant it's a shame that most of them will have no idea exactly why. I don't think their marketing wording is very accurate. At least TT realized that it probably made no difference.

Putting them on this way def. eliminates any contact with the frame, even if it is slight.