surprised no one said a thing

[John]

What's the point of a custom rod if you can't utilize the best blank in the world? The tapers and actions are customized for technique specific uses, add on the hybrid guide system, custom reel seat and no 'custom' rod will come close to a NRX.

 

With all due respect, what is the science that is behind "the best blank in the world"? It is still a mass produced rod, built as a one size fits all solution....it's a $500+ shimano bass rod guys.

 

I'll take my chances with "last years" blank and a custom build.

Edited August 17, 2010 by John

[aplumma]

I have spent a lot of money on commercially made rods over the years and 5 years ago i decided to have a rod custom built by Spiel. Fast forward to today I still have all 4 rods and if you are a really good friend fishing with me I might let you use one of them. I have yet to have someone feel that any of the commercial rods felt as good as the ones built because they are built with not only the reel weight, fishermans hands,type of use all in mind from the get go. I went to a 1 1/2 inch cork diameter tapered, with titanium reels and he was still able to balance the rig. The money you spend after $350.00 because you have it you might as well go custom and get exactly what you want and what feels natural.

 

All of the talk about lifetime warrentees lately brings up a point that if a rod is defective then it will break in a few uses if you use it longer and it breaks it is due to your abuse of the rod. The factories take into account that they will have to eat a few rods in the lifetime warrentee area and over price the rods accordingly. With the custom rods if it breaks then a good builder will be happy to replace the blank with a small charge for building it new. If you then take care of it and don't do stupid things with it then you will never have a warrentee issue. Rods do not chemically change it takes an outside influence to cause them to change state (from unbroken to broken). So if you look in my rod locker you will find the older big name rods but the ones that will catch your eyes are the ones that have a single word written on them it says SPIEL.

 

Thanks for all of the craftsmanship you have instilled in past and the future rods Chris.

 

 

Art

[SudburyAngler]

Spiel makes customs? If so I'll make sure to keep that in the back of my head. Maybe I'll treat myself after I pay of my KHS DJ50

 

 

[John]

Spiel makes customs? If so I'll make sure to keep that in the back of my head. Maybe I'll treat myself after I pay of my KHS DJ50

 

You one of them stumpjumper dudes Tommy?

[Roy]

What Aplumma (Art) said. They're the best rods I own. I won't buy anything else.

[SudburyAngler]

You one of them stumpjumper dudes Tommy?

 

I like big jumps and tricks but I'm not the ass on the trail everyone hates, I mostly ride in the city or XC with my specialized epic.

[Spiel]

To be clear I'm not saying the NRX's are not good rods (blanks), I've never used one.

 

The best rods I own are Loomis (pre Shimano days), but I'll be honest there are other blanks out there for less money that are perhaps easier on the wallet and I do have some. And lets face it, most any rod out there today built today by a reputable known company is definitely better than anything your father used, hell likely better than anything you used a few decades ago.

 

What often separates factory rods from custom is the quality of assembly and attention to detail. I have had many, very many well known rod manufacturers rods come through my door for repairs that would have been unnecessary if they had been built properly from the get go.

 

Another problem with many well known high end rods is that to shave costs while maximizing profits they're frequently under guided.

 

As I said in another thread on NRX a while back, if Shimano isn't going to offer the custom/home rod builder any blanks it's likely I'll never own one. And I got be honest here, the colour of the guide wraps on the one's I've seen were just brutal. What the hell were they thinking.

[canadadude]

Loomis has been owned by Shimano for 15yrs and Gary was still running the company for 11 of those, it's only recently he left. I have a few old IM6 loomis rods which are nice but the newer Loomis rods I've purchased are every bit as good,Loomis rods are still built in the same factory with the same attention to detail as they always have been. To say Loomis rods were better pre Shimano days is just a wives tale,in fact there probably the industry leader in advancment in Blank design and product design. To say a Loomis rod is just a Shimano with a Loomis sticker is very far from the truth,it is today as it always has been, the finest factory rod on the market.

Edited August 17, 2010 by canadadude

[Spiel]

Loomis has been owned by Shimano for 15yrs and Gary was still running the company for 11 of those, it's only recently he left. I have a few old IM6 loomis rods which are nice but the newer Loomis rods I've purchased are every bit as good,Loomis rods are still built in the same factory with the same attention to detail as they always have been. To say Loomis rods were better pre Shimano days is just a wives tale,in fact there probably the industry leader in advancment in Blank design and product design. To say a Loomis rod is just a Shimano with a Loomis sticker is very far from the truth,it is today as it always has been, the finest factory rod on the market.

 

 

 

If Gary's not over seeing the production than it's a Shimano product, no?

 

 

[SudburyAngler]

If Gary's not over seeing the production than it's a Shimano product, no?

 

 

 

 

I suppose so

[canadadude]

If Gary's not over seeing the production than it's a Shimano product, no?

Of course not, thats like saying when Mercedes Benz bought Chrysler, that Chryslers were now Mercedes Benz or worse Mercedes were now Chrylers.Loomis may be owned by Shimano, but it's still a seperate company,and I'm sure after Gary left there was a competent replacment the quality of the product hasn't suffered.

 

If you or anyone else wants a Gary Loomis blank check out Northfork Composites, thats his new company,hold on to your jaw when you look at the prices of his high end blanks

[Steve]

Read through this thread.

 

Lots of opinions with very few folks who have used them.

 

I, like Bdox, have used mine. I was fortunate enough to be the first person to 'buy' a NRX in Ontario.

 

Further, I was fortunate enough to fish with Bdox Sunday morning. I was using my NRX 7'5" Medium Heavy while Brian was using his NRX 7'1" Medium Heavy.

 

I'll be honest, my best rods has been GL3's or St Criox Legend Elite's. So yes, good, but not top of the line. (never even held a GLX)

 

The NRX is SO MUCH BETTER than the two above mentioned rods.

 

I paired it with a Curado E7 and even though it's a flippin stick (for up to 3/4 ounce baits), its the lightest rod I own. Not to mention - BY FAR - the most sensitive rod I own.

 

Problem now is, what do I do with the 7 or 8 other bass rods I own? cause each time i put the NRX down, and picked up another (whether it be Crucial, Loomis, St Criox), they felt heavier and "muddier" than my NRX. Can't replace them all ... but to say they are not worth it ... well, i guess that depends on how much you fish ... by days end i was changing baits on the NRX, rather than switching up rods ...

 

The price is a tough pill to swallow, but like I said to my buddy George, take two of your rod/reel combo's, and sell them. That'll get you to just about the cost of a NEW NRX.

 

Also, their "wild card" warranty is an interesting way of doing warranties. I wish they offered it on other rods, as both loomis and st criox are sure NOT known for their warranties...so I guess it's an improvement for the better.

 

I guess to close, I've USED the NRX, and I LOVE IT!

[John]

Of course not, thats like saying when Mercedes Benz bought Chrysler, that Chryslers were now Mercedes Benz or worse Mercedes were now Chrylers.Loomis may be owned by Shimano, but it's still a seperate company,and I'm sure after Gary left there was a competent replacment the quality of the product hasn't suffered.

 

If you or anyone else wants a Gary Loomis blank check out Northfork Composites, thats his new company,hold on to your jaw when you look at the prices of his high end blanks

 

I might have picked a different comparable. When Daimler Benz took over Chrysler it took less than 18 months for the incest to start. There were more Chry-cedes and Merc-slers than most realize. Similarly when Gary left, the products were designed and built by Shimano. He had no control over the destiny of the Loomis product.

 

It will be interesting to see how many are actually bought with real money compared to how many are "bought" by the pro's.

Edited August 17, 2010 by John

[Marko]

I thought we were in recesion haha.Dropping that kind of cash on a rod is crazy, for me anyways.Then again like mentioned above to each his own. For that kind of coin it better lead you to where the fish are.

[2kj]

LMAO!!!!!!!

I can imagine my wifes face. She gave me a weird look when I ask if I could place my rod on her neck.

Tried that one on my wife already, she didn't buy it the first time! lol

[fish_fishburn]

I went to Paddletails this morning and stocked up on Slammers and other things. Man I love that store. I looked at the new Loomis twigs and the first thing I was turned off by was the colour of the guide wraps. There plain ugly. They are super light though and feel really nice. I walked out without buying one even if it came with a really cool looking jacket worth about 150.00. That promo is on till the 20th of August I believe. I am going to start making my own rods this winter so the 5 bones I held onto will go towards most of my equipment to get started building my own. Seriously 500 bucks for a off the rack rod is out of my price range. But I would spend that on a custom build thats made exactly for me and the way I want it to feel. And the beautiful guide wraps that come with it, make it a piece of art. They are no doubt great rods but time will be the best judge for that.

[aplumma]

I went to Paddletails this morning and stocked up on Slammers and other things. Man I love that store. I looked at the new Loomis twigs and the first thing I was turned off by was the colour of the guide wraps. There plain ugly. They are super light though and feel really nice. I walked out without buying one even if it came with a really cool looking jacket worth about 150.00. That promo is on till the 20th of August I believe. I am going to start making my own rods this winter so the 5 bones I held onto will go towards most of my equipment to get started building my own. Seriously 500 bucks for a off the rack rod is out of my price range. But I would spend that on a custom build thats made exactly for me and the way I want it to feel. And the beautiful guide wraps that come with it, make it a piece of art. They are no doubt great rods but time will be the best judge for that.

 

well said you can P.M. a few of the rod builders on the board and they will be happy to help you get started and answer questions as they come up.

 

 

I own Shimano, Loomis,St Croix and custom rods. None of the name brands compare to the custom made rods. The customs were made with a specific reel and a specific fisherman in mind. They were designed for the lure weight and style of fishing I do. The blanks are cutting edge and purchased from top name makers. The grips are hand formed for what fits me and the reel seats are wet bonded to the rod blanks for maximum feel. Some of the rods have 9 rings for a 7 foot blank The rings can be of any quality you want but the key is that they are spaced and mounted on the spline correctly.The rings are wet bedded and then hand wrapped into place with 3-5 coats of clear sealing the rods. Time from start to finish is up to 12 hours for a 7 foot rod and the mid 20's for a 13ft rod. If you go for the intricate thread work then the sky's the limit on time.I know from experiance that none of my company made machine wrapped rods come close to the attention that is put into the customs. A custom is not for everyone and it is a lot of money for a good one but to some like me it is worth it.

 

Art

[canadadude]

If your looking for a high end custom be prepared to pay $350-$400 just for the blank.

[aplumma]

If your looking for a high end custom be prepared to pay $350-$400 just for the blank.

 

Some of the rods I have seen are over $1,500.oo if you want to spend that much. I prefer to keep it to a more common price like $200.oo for the blank and build from their. The first custom I got was built on a $100.oo blank and with the other components matched to ME and the REEL no one has identified it as the less expensive of the 4 he has built. If you get a custom rod built it only has to make you happy and it only has to cost as much as you want to spend to build it. A $400.oo blank that is not crafted into a great end product is just a high priced stick.

 

When you buy any rod you need to feel like it is an extension of your arm it needs to be balanced in your hand. It needs to be light enough to use all day but have the ass to fight the fish in an ethical way for releasing after a short battle. The rod should load easily for long casts with accuracy for difficult placement. The reel is also a major expense costing sometimes as much or more than the rod. If you do decide to go down the road of custom equipment be prepared to find yourself slowly abandoning the other rods and reels you own.You will find yourself putting your favorite lure on the customs and even cutting off the lures and retying just so you can use the perfect combo longer. If you do find yourself able to go down this road be generous and pass down your combos you don't use to someone who will appreciate them I have give a few to younger fishermen who have cherished them and continued fishing and honoring the only promise I ask of them. That is to treat it well and pass it on to someone when you upgrade to a newer combo.

 

Art

[fish_fishburn]

Canadadude if your talking a Sage flyrod or pin rod your correct but there are some awesome bass blanks out there that are totally awesome and nowhere near that price. The Rainshadow RX8 bass blanks for example. It all comes down to how all the components are assembled that makes a good rod. You can have the best blank in the world but if its not put together properly all you have basically is a meat stick.

[Fish Farmer]

Spiel made me a ultra light 1 pc custom rod out of a Rainshadow blank 2-4 LB test. I caught a 40" muskie on it this summer with about 40' of 6 LB test and 4LB backing on a ultra light reel. Rod performed out standing. As for that NRX rod, I laughed at the winding job, Chris (Spiel) you don't have to worry, NRX can't hold to your winding job,. I just came back from the tackle store. Out of all the rods I looked at in hand, Shimano Loomis,NRX, and St.Croix. St Croix would be my pick for a factory assembled rod and nicer finish. Give me one of yours any day Chris.

Edited August 18, 2010 by Fish Farmer

[12 Volt Man]

not sure why people are saying these are just a shimano product with a Loomis name on them.

 

shimano has owned Loomis since 1997. 13 years so far.

 

and I think some people think they just bought them yesterday..maybe because they just heard??

 

the thing is, Loomis branded rods and shimano branded rods are completely different and might always be.

 

no shimano branded rod is anything like a Loomis rod and vice versa.

 

shimano rods are made in china. Loomis rods are made in washington in the USA.

 

these new rods are no doubt no exception.

 

personally, I have not been a fan of any shimano branded rods relative to Loomis and St. Croix rods. they are just not as good IMO.

 

for the best of the best, I think SC and Loomis are still tops and they are still made in north america which is good in terms of quality control.

 

shimano rods are not.

[DRIFTER_016]

What is the warranty like with Loomis? Pricey but sounds like they are worth checking out for fun.

 

Lifetime

1 year replacement and after that the replacement cost is $100US or $120CDN (they just increased the price not too long ago)

[canadadude]

Rainshadow, Lamiglass and others at best may compare to a Loomis GL2 blank.I tried a couple Rainshadow customs last fall/winter bottom bouncing Steelhead and was not impressed, they were nowhere near as nice as my Loomis.The Blank IMO is the most important component of any rod, you can build a rod with high end guides, custom reel seat, fancy wraps ect, but if it's built on sloppy blank it will be a sloppy rod.I've built 10 rods over the years and it really isn't that difficult unless you get really fancy with the wind which is just cosmetic.Splining the blank, figuring out guide spacing, building the reel seat and winding is not very hard to do although it takes time.Anyway my next project I think will be a North Fork 9'8" steelhead blank for bottom bouncing the Niagara, just gotta come up with some serious $$$$$$$ and find a distributer to get it to Canada

[John]

Rainshadow, Lamiglass and others at best may compare to a Loomis GL2 blank.I tried a couple Rainshadow customs last fall/winter bottom bouncing Steelhead and was not impressed, they were nowhere near as nice as my Loomis.The Blank IMO is the most important component of any rod, you can build a rod with high end guides, custom reel seat, fancy wraps ect, but if it's built on sloppy blank it will be a sloppy rod.I've built 10 rods over the years and it really isn't that difficult unless you get really fancy with the wind which is just cosmetic.Splining the blank, figuring out guide spacing, building the reel seat and winding is not very hard to do although it takes time.Anyway my next project I think will be a North Fork 9'8" steelhead blank for bottom bouncing the Niagara, just gotta come up with some serious $$$$$$$ and find a distributer to get it to Canada

 

Post some pic's, would love to see them.