Noob here - haven't wrapped a guide since '70's, then only as a repair. Never will be pro like most of you, just want to do for myself. Anyhow, I want to build some rods in the next year, but before buying all new blanks and components I figured I would re-do some older rods as practice. I scrounged a couple rods out of my dead dad's garage ( he never fished, just collected stuff free at garage sales) and was intrigued by the possibilities. I have an affinity for glass, my fishing pals give me some grief because I'll fish with new modern but will revert to old on the same trip, and typically out fish them, my oldest active rod I have fished for 63 years. Enough back story.

The rod I'm reworking is unknown, no markings or anything, so no idea of the providence, had a only few Sst guides left on it. Need to buy a back issue to get URRS so that I can characterize it. Behaves like a med. weight, slow action, almost parabolic. Two piece, 97 inches overall, 15" Tennessee grip. I'm sure it's glass, but never seen anything like it. Color is like dark mahogony or cherry wood, but finish is not smooth like glass rods I'm used to. You can see and feel something akin to a cloth texture. Any of you experienced guys got a clue on what this thing is?

Here's my real dilemma, wanted to make it look old school to mess with my pals. So scrounged some old Fuji guides, the ones with the white ceramic and color schock ring. Taped them up into a hybrid of the 27X method and cone of flight. Mounted an old Mitchell 300 and could flick a 1/4 ounce practice plug just over a hundred feet. Have not been able to find a vintage Fuji tip top so it is on to new guides. Since I have to do new guides I can't make up my feeble little mind as to which direction to go, even though what I had taped up was not too bad.

So if I walked into your shop with this rod and told you that I shore fished, mostly with cranks and jerks, for bass, eyes, and pan fish, would you tell me to pack it and not come back, or guide me to 27X, NGC or KR concept?

Thanks for your time, and any advice.
Art

Art,
It sounds to me like you have wrapped up a good usable rod. Find a tip that will fit on the rod, (it doesn't have to match), and go fishing with the rod.

You have done what you need to put the rod in a usable state.

With respect to your final statement. It doesn't matter what method you use for guide setup. My put is that if it looks right and if it casts all right - it IS all right and you should go use it.

With any guide train, start with a big guide to began to control the line. Neck down the size of the guide as you go down the rod and finish it off with a tip that will accommodate the line being used on the rod.

Rod building is not rocket science, no matter what anyone may tell you.

It is a simple craft where one obtains a blank, grips reel seat, guides and a tip top - puts them together and either sells the finished product or goes out and uses it for themselves.

You can put theory and all sorts of words and verbs with the craft, but ultimately, that is the vocation. A bunch of components that are assembled to make a good tool to catch fish.

Go out and use it and see how many hundred fish you will catch. No reason that you shouldn't catch a bunch.

Good luck

Since you have an affinity for retro aesthetics, but would also like to keep the performance level up, it seems to me that you should just go with a light weight stainless steel guide and no ceramic ring.

They're cheap, readily available, and lighter in weight than the heavy white ringed old school fuji.

You can also go with the asymmetrical look of the Aetna Foul Proof guides, they might take a little hunting to locate a set, but if you check out the big online @#$%& site they are frequently available there.

To keep the wire theme and go really high tech (light weight) you could go with REC titanium wire guides, but that will require a moderate investment of funds compared to the less expensive stainless steel guides previously mentioned.

What I would do to keep it old school looking is get Pac Bay Minima 4 guides and top (very light and inexpensive) and wrap the guides with a spiral motif, then add a diamond wrap to the but and call it a day. Plenty of info on this site regarding NGC guide layout.

Good luck.

Rod sounds like a Lamiglas "C" series blank. They were cherry/burgundy color and were not sanded. I made hundreds of rods from that type of blank.