Howdy all, amateur rod builder here. I've mostly done fly rods but am building some spinning rods for friends and got a few microwave nanolite guide sets. The blanks are 7ft and my question is that with the grips I made the first running guide ends up really close to the end of the make part of the first ferrule. I measured from the lip of the spool of the reel. Is it better to maybe that first running guide closer to the butt end by an inch or move it up a few inches and wrap it into the ferrule wrap? I just read that the first 3 guide measurements are the most important for microwave guides. When the ferrules are together the 3rd guide (first running guide) ends up about a little more than 3/4 inch from the bottom of the female ferrule. I've just never put a guide that close to the male end of a ferrule joint before which is why I'm wondering if I can incorporate it into the ferrule wrap. But moving it up to the ferrule would make that 3rd guide 41 7/8inch rather than 39 7/8. Then I'm assuming I'd move the second running guide up an inch or so too. Not sure on that.

Other measurements that might be important are as follows. With the grip I built, it's 14.5 inches from end of fighting butt to top of reel seat and 15 inches to the top lip of the reel spool when it's in place and all the way up.

Any advice would be great.

Daren,
Remember you don't have to make that decision right now, you can tape on your guides in both locations and see what you think. You can also test cast both configurations. I imagine if you position the first guide where you need it and than position the third guide where you need it, but as close to the recommendations as you can, then position the second guide by looking through those guides, making a bulleye picture out of the guides as you look down through them, you'll have few if any problems either way.

Good morning Daren, I just sent you an email

The stripper guide is the most critical but that being said, the MicroWave system measurement can be altered slightly to fit the blank you are working on .

_______________________________
God Bless, Don Morse

800-516-1750 ext. 1207 / don@americantackle.us

Rod Building..... It's What We Do.

Great! Thanks. I'll probably move it up to the ferrule and adjust the running guide spacing. I'm Excited to try these out.

I would move the 1st 3 from the reel as a group.