All American titanium roller guides

[mikeysm]

Does anyone have any experience using the All American titanium roller guides. I ordered a set and I am matching it up with a Calstar GF7465-H blank. I am still making up my mind on the rest.

Mike.

[Lowprofile]

Personally I hate the style. The titaniums are super expensive too. Over $500 in guides alone.

They work though. Keep them clean and greased.

[mikeysm]

Do you have personal experience using these guides or is that just a opinion.

Mike

[Lowprofile]

I don't own any but a few guys i fish with do. But yes, you'll need to keep them clean and greased as with all rollers.

[mikeysm]

As with anything used in saltwater it has to be cleaned and lubed after each use. Using aluminum for a frame material the guide feet have to be wrapped and sealed to keep out the salt water. It wouldn't last long if it got down into the feet. Stainless is good if you use a good quality material. But if you want complete non reactive guides you use titanium. Most of the titanium comes from Russia so the cost is high. It's not for everyone it depends on how long you want the rod to last. You get what you pay for and it comes down to what you can afford.

Mike

[Lowprofile]

. You get what you pay for and it comes down to what you can afford.

Mike

Have to disagree with this. I, as well as many on here, can afford to rebuild all my rods with titanium guides and chose not to. If you want it as a status thing then by all means, get them. Titanium guides excel on surf rods. They are super light and as you stated very corrosion resistant if not proof.

The grease is to keep salt from building up in the bushing or BB's, which ever you choose to use, not for corrosion resistance. You also do not have to seal the guide feet. I have seen and fished with rods that have guide thread unfinished or the guides are simply taped on. No issues.

You asked if anyone has had experience with them after you purchased them. That is asking for an opinion and I gave mine about them aesthetically and also commented that they work, which they do and I haven't heard of any complaints.

IMHO that rod is better built with ringed guides but that's the beauty of building our own rods is we can pick whatever we want to put on them.

I hope you're build goes well and your happy with the outcome. Please post pics when your finished.

[Normslanding]

I wrapped two rods with them. A Super Seeker 2x4. and Calstar 700XH. Several Tuna in the 150 range were landed on the rods. The guides were fine.
I have since sold the rods. Would I build another rod with titanium guides NO, Oh maybe a fly rod. They are nice and light, and lower maintenance, but IMO not worth the cost. Just one thing that could happen is breaking a guide ring. It has been my experience that rods do not hold value. Go to any tackle swap meet you will see lots of rods that don't sell. So you want to strip them off a old technology rod and put them on a new rod, whoops you have one guide with a broken ring, or grooved from heavy use now what?
Thank I will stick to SS guides.

[mikeysm]

Well getting back to my original question which was about durability not price. As for a ring breaking titanium is extremely flexible it can bend and be bent back without breaking. Also you can buy a replacement if needed. I guess I will have to test the guides myself and form my own opinion. If money is the main issue fishing is not a Hobbie to have. 

[Lowprofile]

Curious why you got a calstar blank? You have in your opinion the best guides, a Winthrop adjust a butt (why not go with Winthrop guides as well?) but then you chose a manufacturer that can barely produce a straight blank and has the most inconsistencies in rod action.

[SoCalAngler]

Calstar rods are bad IYO? I have been fishing them since they first started and to this day all of my rods except one are Calstar (edit two other than Calstar). I have owned other manufactures as well but get rid of those because they don't stand up to the type of fishing I do. Calstar IMO makes fine quality rods and that have been a standard here on the left coast for what 40 years now? Other companies try to copy Calstar blanks and some even used the same numbering of their blanks to be more like them.

For a time I worked in the tackle industry and personally have see 1000's of their rods, pulled on 100's side by side their own rods as well a side by side other manufactures rods in the same line class have not ran into anything close to what your saying. Maybe if your buying blanks and having them wrapped you better check with your rod wrapper or if doing so yourself maybe other issues are there.

To state "you chose a manufacturer that can barely produce a straight blank and has the most inconsistencies in rod action" IMO shows me that you don't really have a clue when it comes to Calstar rods.

[Lowprofile]

Actually, Calstar has produced great rods in the past and are a leader in the industry. However over the past couple years their quality has deminished greatly. Go check out thier new stock. Blanks produced from July 2015 till now. Compare those to rods you have sitting in your house and tell me what you think.

[Lowprofile]

Funny because I actually ran across this browsing BD on the toilet after posting about the blanks. Seems like
Bill doesn't like them either.

http://www.bdoutdoors.com/forums/threads/faux-baloney-stand-up-rod.620665/#post-4051334

[SoCalAngler]

Ok makes perfect sense now, you go to BD for fishing info. I'm sorry to say most of the people that go onto that site know nothing about fishing. I'm not saying you but many jackholes there don't have a clue about fishing. Even the owners of the site don't get it.

I was on a bite at the south end or the Corodado islands that we and two other boats got going with chumming live bait when the owner of BD's site boat ran into the middle of about 4 boats all hooked up, did a couple of circles, cut off one fish and tangled another fish in their prop. We yelled at them as they were about 20 yards from us. You know what they said? It's a big ocean and we can fish where we want....true a hole response. Ok since they shut down the bite we left and working with another boat we start to catch some nice yellowtail again and guess what boat ran over the fish and shut off the bite again? We were maybe 2 to 3 miles away from them and they did the same f'ing thing.

Sorry to rant but taking anything from BD's site is just a shot in the dark. I have posted there and I know others that know about fishing and gear do as well but about 95% of what is discussed there is just plan crap. Look who pays advertisement on their site and I'm sure you will find the next best fishing stuff and all the rest that don't pay for advertisement...well their gear is just crap in their minds.

But, you said Calstar rods were not good and you have nothing to back it up other than what others have said. Do you run the BD boat as well. Seems like the same mind set to me.

[Lowprofile]

I didn't base my opinion off of the BD post if you read my post you'd see I said I ran across it after posting.

And no i do not go in BD for fishing info, especially since non of them are here in Japan. I have used the long range section for info on specific rigging but that's about it.

And no, I've never been on the jihad.

I've had the 700ml and L in the past and liked them a lot. We ordered 4 graphighters for a charter build and they were sent back. That's my experience with the new batch. It's not based off someone's post.

[mikeysm]

All I wanted to know was how do the titanium guides perform from someone who has a set on their rod. That's all I asked. Yes I did pick a calstar blank and yes the blank is straight. I will find out how it performs when the rod is built. I still haven't decided on a butt yet but after a little research I will make my decision. I am sticking to facts not personal opinions.