Any love for the other small Ambassadeurs?

[tincanary]

I know many here adore the older classics like the 1500C, 1600C, 2500C, and 2600C, but what about the forgotten small Ambassadeurs?  By forgotten, I'm speaking of the older Black Max, Pro Max, Silver Max, and Tournament Pro round reels of the 90s that came in the 1600 and 3600 sizes.  I got my first Black Max 1600 earlier this year and it has quickly become my favorite reel.  Since that first one, I've since become hooked and have been buying them up.  Now I have three Black Max 1600s, a Pro Max 1600, a Black Max 3600, and two Pro Max 3600s.  All have been upgraded to Carbontex drags and light blue brake blocks.  In the case of the 1600s, they can really throw the light stuff.  I've had no issue throwing baits as light as 1/8oz from my ML rods.  I really dig the disengaging level wind and how they sit low on the reel seat.  To me, they palm almost as easy as many low profile reels on the market.  I think these reels will make up the majority of my arsenal from here on out due to the increasingly high prices of the classic 1500C/2500C.

[mo65]

I'm speaking of the older Black Max, Pro Max, Silver Max, and Tournament Pro round reels of the 90s that came in the 1600 and 3600 sizes. 

   I really don't know much about the models you've mentioned here Tincanary...I guess we know what Mo will be googling today! I have a feeling you are about to send me on a small Ambassadeur chase.

[tincanary]

I'm speaking of the older Black Max, Pro Max, Silver Max, and Tournament Pro round reels of the 90s that came in the 1600 and 3600 sizes.  

  I really don't know much about the models you've mentioned here Tincanary...I guess we know what Mo will be googling today! I have a feeling you are about to send me on a small Ambassadeur chase.

Here's some good reading for you http://www.realsreels.com/servicing/servicingtuningABUBlackMax.html  From a service standpoint, they are very much like the Ultra Cast 4000 to 6000 reels, so very easy to work on.

[thorhammer]

I have a 5600 and 6600 promax- 200 each bucks in 1992! I think they had ten bearings, very smooth; I like them a lot but the finish was very poor and scratched easily.

[tincanary]

The finish on the Pro Max is very poor to say the least, but the Black Max isn't too bad.  The letter wears off easy on the Black Max but that's about it.  With the Pro Max, they are very prone to paint chips.  Those reels were also sold with a lifetime warranty.  One of the last purely Swedish Ambassadeurs before Pure Fishing bought the company.  I need to borrow a scale from work so I can weigh the spool on one of my 1600 reels.  They are super light, much lighter than any other production Ambassadeur spool I've encountered.  They are made of some sort of aluminum alloy.

[Keta]

Any ABU except the 5xxx and 6xxx are rare where I live but occasionaly a 4xxx shows up I have a 3600C.

[tincanary]

Oh yeah, these take the same Carbontex drags you'd use on a 4000 to 6000 sized C3 or C4 (replacement for Abu part no. 20907).  The only difference is there is no drag washer at the base of the driveshaft.  In its place is the cog wheel that drives the level wind when the spool is engaged.

[tincanary]

Here's a Black Max 1600 I serviced a couple of months back.  Works like a champ for stream trout spooled with 6lb CXX.

[YellowLabs]

Works like a champ for stream trout spooled with 6lb cxx

This is what i've been trying to do with my 4600!!

What rod do you use?  What is "cxx" ?

[Ron Jones]

Does the cog under the main gear make it tougher to make a CT out of these? I'd really like a teeny tiny Abu for yellow perch and such at the local lake, assuming they ever let us fish again.
The Man

[oc1]

There are no small ambassadeurs and it would be a major ordeal to make/hack them smaller. I have 1500C and royal 4600.  You can scarcely tell the difference between them and a 5000 when it comes to palming it.

The older ABU 2659 and ABU Record 2200 feel smaller.
-steve

[tincanary]

Does the cog under the main gear make it tougher to make a CT out of these? I'd really like a teeny tiny Abu for yellow perch and such at the local lake, assuming they ever let us fish again.
The Man

Not at all.  The cog rotates the gear on the worm shaft.  Remove the worm shaft and you're fine. 

[vilters]

the 3500, center reel in pic, is a bit smaller diameter than the 5000, similar to a 2650. i've not fished it yet, but it is in a box with some other abu's i'm going to service. the 2650 is a shelfer.

[YellowLabs]

tincanary

Tell me about your stream fishing for trout.  I want to give this a try this summer with a 4600 and a cheap Eagle Claw rod I found on eBay a while back.  I've got the 4600 spooled with 10# stren right now, You said you use your 1600 w/6# line, would that weight differential make any appreciable difference in reel performance?  What size rod are you using?

[DougK]

thanks tincanary.. I didn't even know about these until someone posted one on the fiberglassflyrodders miscellaneous forum..
https://fiberglassflyrodders.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=71338

Always wanted a 1500 or 2500 but prices on those have gone way into the stratosphere, particularly since baitcast finesse fishing became a thing - the Japanese are bidding them up now I think.

So just got a 1600, will upgrade the bearings to ceramic and maybe drag, look forward to trying it out.
I've been using an old Lews for light baitcasting and it's been great, but have a fondness for Abu..