I'm just starting my first spinning rod build and I am having a time with the spacing.
The ngc guide system puts my choke about 13" from the tip, and with only three reduction guides between the reel and the choke, there is a significant amount of space between all of them. They all line up like a bulls eye great when sighting down the rod, so I feel confident they are spaced correctly.
My issue really is only that the space between the last reduction guide and the choke seems farther than I like to see when static testing. also I am ending up with 6 or 7 guides depending on whether I decide to go with three or four runners, not sure if that's too few.
What do you more expierienced builders suggest? Add another reduction guide? Move the choke?
The blank is a st croix 3S68MXF
Guides are byag 25, 16, 8, then blag 4.5' s to the tip.

You could pull the choke guide in a tad closer, or push it out a tad further. Respace the guides and test cast again. I'd try moving it a tad closer, first.

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Static test and see if it will take another guide I try to keep the butt guides at no more them 10 - 12" apart

I guess you are checking out the article in the library page

Bill - willierods.com

Tom, how much do you think I would be able to move the choke towards the reel without any major negative affect? I have read that when using light line it won't hurt too bad. I'm using 8 lb fluorocarbon, not sure if that's light enough, but it seems light to me.
Bill, the first butt guide is 22" from the face of the reel, next reduction guide is 12" from that, next is 10.5" and the space between the last reduction guide and choke is 9.25". That all seems okay too. Maybe my issue is just over thinking it. I just feel like the space is too great between the last reduction guide and the choke, right where the x fast blank wants to start bending.
I'm beginning to think my issue might be with the larger spool size 30 quantum reel and the ngc clashing with the xf action of my croix blank.

An inch or two in your case isn't going to change much of anything.

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Jeremy, it sounds like regardless of the NGC set-up method you used (table edge, chart, GPS?) your reel points WAY down the rod to a far out choke. I agree with Tom in suggesting you move the choke point in. The latest info from Fuji suggests the same thing. With a reel that has a far out choke point the new KR info seems to work really good. To use it, establish a stripper and choke point location as you would with standard NGC techniques. Position guides for a bullseye effect on that "line" from the top of the stripper frame to the choke point. Wherever your last REDUCTION guide falls, MAKE THAT LOCATION YOUR NEW CHOKE POINT. Doing this may move your choke point A LOT, but hang in there. Now reposition the reduction guides (you may need different guides) on the new "line" from the top of the stripper frame to the new choke point. Tape and test. I am suggesting some KR theory mixed with standard height guides so I can't be sure of your results, but I've faced the same situation and had good results moving the choke in as much as 4 or 6 inches.

try replacing the 16 with a 12

rog

Are you using your reel's spool upsweep to set the choke guide? If you measure the spool OD by 27 what does that give you?

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My spool is 2" o.d so 54" from the face of the reel is the choke. I placed the rod atop a straight edge to plot a line from the center of the spool to the top of the choke, then placed the guide frames so they were just touching the line. Im going to move the choke up towards the reel a couple inches and plot the reduction guides again to see if that helps the static test. There is the possibility that I am just worrying over nothing, I just feel the line should be following the blank closer at that point between the 8 and first 4.5, but I may just be splitting hairs as I catch myself doing often.
Also if I can't come to a reasonable solution I have tossed around the idea of building it for a different reel that has a spool 1.8" wide which would allow me to move the choke up substantially. That reel weighs more though, and I have already glued the handle that I built from burl and rubberized cork, so I feel I'm already pushing the weight a bit.

Once you get past the choke, towards the reel, the line has to move away from the blank due to the height of the guides.

Just take what you have now and move the choke guide up an inch or two and reset everything and see how it does.

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Thanks for the help, I'm going to try that out when I get home Monday, I'm currently en route to a wedding in Massachusetts.