I have been lurking here for a while now and built myself a few rods using the information I've learned from here. I usually by a "rod Kit" from one of the websites which comes with the guides or I buy my guides from a local place near me. The local place just has the guides in a tackle box with no name brand or part number, just the sizes. So far I haven't had any problems with the guides, but I'm thinking I want to build myself something a little more "High End" and would like to be able to purchase the guides I think would work best. But I'm having trouble figuring out the part number break downs on the guides. Do the guide makers (Fuji, Alps, Etc.) give you a break down of what their part numbers mean? Or do I not worry so much about the part numbers and just by the sizes I want with the insert material that I believe would be best for my application?

The part numbers are enough to uniquely identify a guide. Take something like a BDYZG 16 Alps spinning guide. B - color = Black, DY - frame style = deep pressed y-frame, Z - insert type = zirconium, G = Guide, 16 - ring size = Outside diameter of the insert is 16mm. Each manufacture has a similar nomenclature, but each is different, as there is no industry standard, but the string of letters will help you figure out which guide you are looking at. Each frame style has unique properties, ie. different heights for each size guide, different amounts of frame material for light duty or heavy duty applications, etc. Each insert type has different hardness ratings, coefficients of friction, etc.

If you give a description of a rod you would like to build, the folks around here can be very helpful in pointing you in the right direction for which guides are a good fit for the build.

Another important thing to keep in mind is that you really don't need to break the bank on a set of guides. For my personal rods, I find myself most often using stainless steel guides with a black finish and aluminum oxide inserts. Not because I am cheap, but because they are more than adequate for the bass and panfish rods I build. If I am working within a budget, I would much rather spend more on a blank than take away from the blank budget for a set of guides. Blank choice, grip design, and a good job of guide sizing and placement (doesn't need to be perfect as guide trains are fairly forgiving as can be seen when looking at the number of variations that work well with spinning rods) are the most important factors in a build for me.

Joe

Get on the websites of some of the guide companies, they usually have a good breakdown of which style of their guides is matched for a type of fishing. Saltwater vs freshwater, inshore vs offshore, shore vs boat. etc.

Doug, I think you are about to embark on an important journey. Often the tough part for many is getting over what you think a fishing rod "should look like". Over time we have become conditioned to think that there should be a progression of guide sizes and guide spacing. Rod and guide "kits" perpetuate that myth.

These days there is more science and research involved. IMHO Fuji has always led in this area. Other than a slight price penalty, they are the name I would suggest to begin your journey with. This isn't to say there aren't a lot of other top choices, because there are.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

What kind of rod are you building (spinning-baitcaster) and what kind of fish do you plan on catching? Will it be used in saltwater also?