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View Full Version : A true custom rod.



loophole
23-07-2008, 09:54 PM
Ok basicly i wanted to hear some Peoples oppions on this.

Is a Gary Howard rod a true custom rod if its sold in stores like BCF and the like?:-/ my belif is No you canot buy a custom built rod, off the shelf................

Also i have included a poll. Question is , With the range of Gary Howard and Live Fibre rods being very comparisable what brand would you chose to buy.

I own a Live Fibre classic M10 10-24kg is a great rod for my uses, and would happily buy one of there surf rods.

mattooty
24-07-2008, 12:08 AM
Neither, a true custom rod is one that is built to your EXACT specifications and wants.
The last rod i built (well, i had alot of help on the but section) was what i wanted down to a tee. The exact length, which was 8'6", whippy in the tip with alot of grunt in the lower section. As close to a parabolic curve as was possible with my equipment, and a spiral wrap.
That sort of rod just cannot be bought in a store, it might be almost right, but a foot to long, a strength rating of a kg to heavy/light, the reel seat sits abit to high for the reel you're using, and so on.
In saying that, both the gary howards and the livefibres are top rods which will fulfill most anglers expectations.

Horse
24-07-2008, 07:07 AM
They are both well built factory rolled mass produced rods like almost everthing available today. A custom rod is personally fitted to your needs and allows for your physical characteristics and style of fishing. You also get the opportunity to have input to materials and colour schemes in most cases
Many rod builders tout there stuff as custom rods but each rod is made to the same formula with no change in grip diameter or reel seat position so important to meeting each indeviduals needs

NAGG
24-07-2008, 08:15 AM
How I see it ....... A custom rod is one when you tell the rod builder what you exactly want ....... blank , guides , grips , handle length , binding etc etc ..... That is custom made to your specifications8-)

Nagg

Magella
24-07-2008, 08:40 AM
Nagg,
Have alook at www.stuuzrodz.bigpondhosting.com
He explains what a custom rod is

NAGG
24-07-2008, 09:05 AM
Nagg,
Have alook at www.stuuzrodz.bigpondhosting.com (http://www.stuuzrodz.bigpondhosting.com)
He explains what a custom rod is


Thanks Foxie ........ Pretty well what I thought!

Cheers

Chris

DR
24-07-2008, 09:31 AM
true, they are not custom rods as explained elsewhere, but, you will probably find that, unless he has changed, Gary's rods have a lot more thought put into them than other off the shelf rods & will be as good or better than a lot of 'custom' rodbuilders will roll..

kevvie
24-07-2008, 12:42 PM
diagree here a bit...Whether he puts more thought into it or not... just as has been slated so far...they are made in generic lengths, generic actions, weights, grip lenghts etc etc...

They are no more a custom rod than a shimano rolled out of a factory in China.

IMO both are entry level rods anyway and wouldnt rate a mention by todays top shelf customs standards.

NAGG
24-07-2008, 01:44 PM
diagree here a bit...Whether he puts more thought into it or not... just as has been slated so far...they are made in generic lengths, generic actions, weights, grip lenghts etc etc...

They are no more a custom rod than a shimano rolled out of a factory in China.

IMO both are entry level rods anyway and wouldnt rate a mention by todays top shelf customs standards.

No more so than say an off the shelf Millerod ....... well designed , built , good componentry ......nice sticks .............. but they are built to a model plan ( ie baybuster , breambuster brawler , Top end braid barra etc!
Yes Ian also builds true customised specials ........ but at a fair hike in price!

Nagg

rockfisho
24-07-2008, 02:49 PM
I use a gary howard surf rod. I think its fantastic. Its evident that alot of thought about guide layout and such has gone into making the rod. I didn't get a live fibre simply because i wanted something with a soft tip in it aswell.
they are both quality makes of rod.

cheers

Owen

GPB
24-07-2008, 07:09 PM
They are both well built factory rolled mass produced rods like almost
everything
available today. A custom rod is personally fitted to your needs and allows for your physical characteristics and style of fishing. You also get the opportunity to have input to materials and colour schemes in most cases
Many rod builders tout there stuff as custom rods but each rod is made to the same formula with no change in grip diameter or reel seat position so important to meeting each
indeviduals
needs

The Gary Howard rods are not factory rolled as in mass produced, all the GH rods are either made by Gary or have some input by some of his couple of staff, you can find Gary there most days [and into the nights] doing the binding himself, therefore they are often promoted as custom rods. If you want any of his Shikari [Soft Tails], Calstar and Samurai rods custom built Gary will do it for basically the same price, the only downside is it takes a a bit longer due to his work load.
I use GH shelf bought Samurai spin [3] and jig rods, still using a 1998 Knobby Thumper, a Little Billy on light tackleBillfish and a 8kg Soft Tail Snapper for SP's, the only custom work Gary had to do was through my local tackle shop on a Calstar Grafighter GT rod for grip length :tekst-toppie:.

The Live Fibre rods were my goto rods of the late 1980's till late 1990's but now most have been past on, a good rod intheir day, IMO:happy:.

nuggstar
24-07-2008, 07:26 PM
i did not vote. as iv get a better option. wheezer on this web site makes some verry verry nice rods and iv tryed a few out and they are so so nice that im bying one of his rods off the feller that let me use it. they are light, built out of anything you can afford and put to gether like a work of art(there fricken awsome) and id be proud to own one. iv had a custon wilson barra rod that was tuff as nails and i loved it but it dose not compare to wheezers rods. i had a custom shnider glass beach rod that was magic but it snaped on a cast one day, it snaped right where it had been rubbing on the door of the car when ever i stuck it out the window to go to and from fishing over the years. i have not found a good beach rod like that again since. go see wheezer for a work of art and not bcf crap

GPB
24-07-2008, 08:29 PM
So nuggstar you are saying Gary Howard, Live Fibre, Shimano T-curve rods are all crap because they are stocked by BCF? take a reality pill :hammer:.

nuggstar
24-07-2008, 09:42 PM
yep hehehe. naa there ok, but wheezers rods are verry verry good and i get one of them befor the others.

loophole
25-07-2008, 06:21 PM
GEEZ Nugg are you trying to say that G LOOMIS, Gary howards, Live Fibre (texaliums) T-curves, Raiders, Plufegers and the like are BCF crap?

Really you need a reality check.

poundalead
25-07-2008, 07:18 PM
Live Fibre's are what they are, a good middle priced rod that will last forever. I own 5 of them and haven't had an issue with them breaking........but, when will they replace the crap guides they are using with Fuji's or the like. I have my 8-10kg spin-stick in at the moment being replaced with Fuji's and am thinking about putting the whole lot in to be replaced. You can buy a rod for half the price with better guides. I will still recommend them though, there is nothing else on the market for that price that comes close...........Although maybe I should get a custom........

GPB
26-07-2008, 12:17 AM
yep hehehe. naa there ok, but wheezers rods are verry verry good and i get one of them befor the others.


'For Sale G Loomis C643 GL2 baitcaster custom made by Gary Howard'

This a rod posted for sale by wheezer in March, was it custom made or bought from BCF:oops:;)

rando
26-07-2008, 12:06 PM
Have to agree with GPB, Garry rolls virtually all his rods, occasionally has some, help. True many of his rods are built to a template. But i am sure if you want yours set up differently, your tackle shop would arrange it for you.
Top bloke Garry!! makes good rods.