# Zziplex naming convention



## Hudak (Sep 10, 2007)

Can someone explain to me what the letters in the model names for zziplex represents? For instance, SST what does that stand for. I have been told that each letter represents a quality of the rod, but I don't know how to decipher the letters.


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## Tommy (Jan 24, 2001)

I can help out a little here.

SST = Super Speed tip (or tournament, I've heard both)

HST = High Speed Tip (same as above)

FT = Full Tournament

XTR = Experimental Tournament Rod

Primo Syncro = Primo Syncro

ZTI = Zipplex Tournament International.

XL after any means Extra Long, usually 14'2".


Tommy


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## RockhopperUK (Jul 13, 2005)

GSI = Grand Sport Intermediate (aka Dream Machine)

HSM = High Speed Match

LT (after is) Long Tip

Mackellow knows them from way back.....some names have a funny history attached to them, its hard to know if some are true or not

This is what I got told when I asked the question rgarding the *M4**......"it was the 4th prototype and we made it in March" * from the man himself, but he has a cruel sense of humour:redface:

Tom.


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## Hudak (Sep 10, 2007)

Now that is entertaining....M4


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## Connman (Apr 14, 2001)

Agreed LT is Long Tip but Terry is confusing as some Lt's are Light Tournament , as in Primo Syncro Lt .
I understand Primo is in honor of Primo Livenais but what the hell does the "syncro" mean


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## surf rat (Jun 30, 2004)

*Syhchro*

Synchro means that it loads in a synchronized fashion or stages. Like a synchronized transmission. I think the Primo Synchro loads in three stages. Great fishing rod ,I fish one a lot for drum and striper. A pleasure to fight fish with.I am having a 3500 built as a light heaver right now. I have a Dymic hst and a groundcaster on backorder. These will be 7 and bait and a 8 and bait rods. Zziplex are in a class all of their own as far as I'm concerned.


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## Sea2aeS (Jan 7, 2005)

damn rat, how many heavers do you have. I thought I had it bad, i feel better now. kinda jelous too thou


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## surf rat (Jun 30, 2004)

*Heavers*

Not that many. I use them for a while and sell most of them. I have owned and fished about every heaver made at one time or another. I am still looking for the perfect 8 and bait rod. I think the groundcaster will be next. The cts 405 is the ultimate 6 and bait rod and the Primo Synchro might be the perfect 5 and bait rod, unless the 3500 is better. 7 and bait I want to try a Dymic hst. There isn't much left to try after that. The 605 Makoi cts is the best 8 and bait rod I've found so far.


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## RockhopperUK (Jul 13, 2005)

I will be surprised if you favor the 3500 over the Synchro.

For bigger weights either the Tournament International Bullet (old school, but still a great fishing rod) or the Dymic LT Bullet...bite detections not great, but it will get you out there and its got the strength to bully anything IMO

Tom.


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## Connman (Apr 14, 2001)

I know this will be considered zziplex abuse but I have fished with my 3500 anf 9andbait at the point , weekend before last used it much of the day in a Noreaster with 8and bait in a Jersey tournament . it can handle it but it is pushing the limits . I do it because of my bad shoulders , the 3500 is easier to load and lighter to hold than a Primo Synchro . The Primo makes a great 8 and bait but more tiring for holding for long . I stepped up to 10oz and the primo when conditions got worse two weekends ago . 10oz is pushing the primo hard and I was backcasting . I didn't have my xtr or straight8 with me which would have handled 10oz better. I also like the Quattra Sport for 8oz as it is easier to load like my 3500 , but it's a big fat rod and not for holding too long , good if using a rod holder .


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## curtisb (Jul 21, 2004)

It is amazing to think as popular as Zzippies and Centuries are here in the US, the American rod manufacturers would wake up and see what they're missing on these rods. If you would build rods like this with this quality it would be a whole lot cheaper than importing them. Of course I'm talking the British rods here. Not knocking the imports from other countries like the Rainshadows, but they just don't compare to a good Brit rod.

CB


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## Mark G (Nov 15, 2004)

curtisb said:


> It is amazing to think as popular as Zzippies and Centuries are here in the US, the American rod manufacturers would wake up and see what they're missing on these rods. If you would build rods like this with this quality it would be a whole lot cheaper than importing them. Of course I'm talking the British rods here. Not knocking the imports from other countries like the Rainshadows, but they just don't compare to a good Brit rod.
> 
> CB


Popular among elitists and tourny guys yes, not knocking em- I own a couple from the Zzippy line and like them well enough, just not sure they can be manufactured here to the same standards at a price the general fishing population would be interested in. 

Just a thought.

:fishing:


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## curtisb (Jul 21, 2004)

Surf Cat said:


> Popular among elitists and tourny guys yes, not knocking em- I own a couple from the Zzippy line and like them well enough, just not sure they can be manufactured here to the same standards at a price the general fishing population would be interested in.
> 
> Just a thought.
> 
> :fishing:


A lot of the price is the dollar to pound, shipping and duty cost to get them here. And I may be a tourney caster but elitist by no means. I have to sneak a new rod or reel by my wife just like the rest of you.


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## Mark G (Nov 15, 2004)

curtisb said:


> A lot of the price is the dollar to pound, shipping and duty cost to get them here. And I may be a tourney caster but elitist by no means. I have to sneak a new rod or reel by my wife just like the rest of you.



It would be interesting to know what an equivalent rod could be manufactured and sold for in the US.

I still think it's a mass market hurdle that can'tbe overcome.

A dealer here in the states offers Century TTR for around $585.00, that's just the blank. Safe to assume another $150 to $200 for a finished rod. Total price is over $700.00 no exchange rate, no import duty, tho some of that is sure be factored in to the US retail price.

I understand they may not be "quite" the same thing, but the AFAW line up is quite a bargain, comparably speaking, and is much more in line with what the fishing population is willing to fork over for a decent fishing rod. 

A lot of fishermen don't want to go custom, for those that do, there are a few choices that will not cost over $500.

If your spending more than that you are among a select few, making you an elitist, whether you care to where the moniker or not  

I spent over $900 to get my Zzippy ZTI imported, I don't consider myself an elitist either, a little nuts perhaps.   :redface:


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## Hudak (Sep 10, 2007)

Well, it looks as if I will be throwing a Zippy SST XL. As far as I am concerned right now, SST must stand for "learn how to load it stupid." Or something like that. LOL Guess what my wife is getting for Christmas. LOL


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## Tommy (Jan 24, 2001)

Surf Cat said:


> I understand they may not be "quite" the same thing, but the AFAW line up is quite a bargain, comparably speaking, and is much more in line with what the fishing population is willing to fork over for a decent fishing rod.
> QUOTE]
> 
> 
> ...


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## curtisb (Jul 21, 2004)

Surf Cat said:


> It would be interesting to know what an equivalent rod could be manufactured and sold for in the US.
> 
> I still think it's a mass market hurdle that can'tbe overcome.
> 
> ...


Ok, if you must call me that, but out of all the UK rods I own, the 3 Zzippys, 2 Centuries, 1 Penn PPT Copperhead prototype and a Team Diawa Paul Kerry Model. 2 of the Zzippys($450.00 ea.), the Penn PPT($250.00) and the Diawa($150.00) I bought used at a good deal. The 2 Centuries($450.00 to $475.00) and the other Zzippy($250.00) I built. And you do still pay for that import shipping and duty cost even on blanks. Most people who order them order them in bulk to cut down on shipping because several blanks cost the same as one to order. At least that's what everyone I have delt with in the past has told me.
Oh and the AFAW line is still considered a UK rod(designed in the UK I beleive is what they say but Tommy could better tell this).

CB


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## curtisb (Jul 21, 2004)

thekingfeeder said:


> Well, it looks as if I will be throwing a Zippy SST XL. As far as I am concerned right now, SST must stand for "learn how to load it stupid." Or something like that. LOL Guess what my wife is getting for Christmas. LOL


Great your getting the SST-xl. Heck of a rod. I threw one Tommy had a couple of years ago(the standard SST) and wish now I would have bought it. But circumstances at the time wouldn't permit it. I think you will enjoy that rod bro.

CB


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## curtisb (Jul 21, 2004)

Oh, the two Centuries I built were a WR300 and a CME and the other Zzippy I built was a Powertex Bass.

CB


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## curtisb (Jul 21, 2004)

surf rat said:


> Synchro means that it loads in a synchronized fashion or stages. Like a synchronized transmission. I think the Primo Synchro loads in three stages. Great fishing rod ,I fish one a lot for drum and striper. A pleasure to fight fish with.I am having a 3500 built as a light heaver right now. I have a Dymic hst and a groundcaster on backorder. These will be 7 and bait and a 8 and bait rods. Zziplex are in a class all of their own as far as I'm concerned.


Kinda sounds like Century's Gearbox design.

CB


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## Mark G (Nov 15, 2004)

curtisb said:


> Ok, if you must call me that, but out of all the UK rods I own, the 3 Zzippys, 2 Centuries, 1 Penn PPT Copperhead prototype and a Team Diawa Paul Kerry Model. 2 of the Zzippys($450.00 ea.), the Penn PPT($250.00) and the Diawa($150.00) I bought used at a good deal. The 2 Centuries($450.00 to $475.00) and the other Zzippy($250.00) I built. And you do still pay for that import shipping and duty cost even on blanks. Most people who order them order them in bulk to cut down on shipping because several blanks cost the same as one to order. At least that's what everyone I have delt with in the past has told me.
> Oh and the AFAW line is still considered a UK rod(designed in the UK I beleive is what they say but Tommy could better tell this).
> 
> CB


Guess I'm kinda confused now. I thought you were asking why US manufacturers aren't producing a rod equivalent to the UK rods. As far as True US rods ( I know of only a couple that are actually produced here). Most US manufacturers, and even the UK designed AFAW are having the blanks produced overseas.

I think we need to discern between strictly tournament rods and fishing rods, tho some may serve both purposes. 

Perhaps I misinterpreted your meaning, when you stated the "popularity" of Zzippy and Century rods. I was thinking only from the tourny perspective. I don't see enough of them in the hands of fishermen to consider them to be "favored" by the fishing masses.

I guess now I am not certain whether you were saying there is enough interest (popularity) in the US for manufacturers to be willing to go after the tournament rod market. If that is the case I don't see it happening.

More to your point maybe they would be more popular if they were produced at a more affordable price, but I think my view point is , "can they be?", ie, produced more affordably.

Interesting subject, 

One thing to keep an eye out for is a new line of CTS rods being manufactured for the heavy hitting surf crowd. Can't say much more about it at this point, but the grapevine says they will be available early next year, perhaps by February.


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## curtisb (Jul 21, 2004)

Actually Surf if you read Zziplex's adds or talk to Terry himself you will see that most of his rods are used for fishing over there. There are only a couple that were strictly built as tourney rods. Even my Dymic LT Bullet(which is one of Terrys' stiffest rods) is used for fishing. And yes I know that most the rods and blanks here are built elsewhere. And as for making them here cheaper, why would you think it would cost more to make them here versus importing them from the UK. The American rod manufactures just don't know how or won't build rods of the quality of the UK's.
It could be done here just as easy as there and you wouldn't be paying that exchange rate difference or the shipping and duty cost. To have a rod shipped from the UK right now just shipping and duty alone is going to run you about $100.00 not counting that the $2.00 UKpd/$1.00 US$ difference in exchange rate.
Would there be enough interest? Well I know plenty of people who have and use them for both tourney and fishing. And people are always buying them used here or ordering them.

CB


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## Mark G (Nov 15, 2004)

Still confused, if an American company were to copy the UK blank, I still think the blank would be built oversees (Asia). In other words the blank can be built cheaper overseas than here in the US. 

I get the exchange rate quagmire only too well, after having bought two new Zzippies and several reels this year from overseas (UK) it hurts. 

THe only rod manufacturers I know in the US, I am not sure they would want to be known as "imitators" of Zzipplex, tho I guess plenty of manufacturers line up in an attmpt to copy fuji componenets, so why not.

The problem is it will always be a copy and not the original- bottom line if ya want a Zzippy, you'll have to pay for it. Unless Terry decides to move over to this side of the pond, we'll just have to keep forking over the necessary price, tho as you mentioned, ocassioanlly a deal can be found on used equipment.


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## curtisb (Jul 21, 2004)

I don't mean to copy him but just the same quality. Several rods built in the UK are bulit along the same lines. Zziplex,Century,Conoflex,Grays even the rods like Penn,Diawa,and Shakespere are totaly different rods than we have here. Just check out Summerlands or Veals and you will see these other rods. My Team Diawa UK is nothing like other Diawa surf rods from here I have had in the past. It cast and performs just like my other UK rods. Let's just face it, the Brits have us beat when it comes to making quality surf rods. And you can't compare the Asian rods to the true UK rods.

CB


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## toejam (Jan 28, 2005)

curtisb said:


> I don't mean to copy him but just the same quality. Several rods built in the UK are bulit along the same lines. Zziplex,Century,Conoflex,Grays even the rods like Penn,Diawa,and Shakespere are totaly different rods than we have here. Just check out Summerlands or Veals and you will see these other rods. My Team Diawa UK is nothing like other Diawa surf rods from here I have had in the past. It cast and performs just like my other UK rods. Let's just face it, the Brits have us beat when it comes to making quality surf rods. And you can't compare the Asian rods to the true UK rods.
> 
> CB


It not where they are made as much as it is who designed them and how they are made. The factorys no matter where they are, only follow instruction and specs as to how the rod is manufactured. All resins are not the same, neither are all composites. How and where they are combined is understood by a few. Quailty is also a function of time. That great rod you bought this last year, will it be a great rod in 5years, 10years? The sad truth of the matter is that there are not enough fishers on this side of the pond willing to purchase a quailty rod to justify making them while for the same investment of capital you can have a far greater return on your investment having WallyWorld Specials made to sell to the turons for their usually once and only fishing trip.


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## curtisb (Jul 21, 2004)

I can understand this for the guy who doesn't fish that often(heck I actually don't fish enough to justify all my gear)Just look at all the regular people on this and all the other fishing boards on the web in this country. What I'm saying is there is a market but the US manufacturers don't take advantage of it. Nick Meyer is a Diawa representive and he was testing a Diawa Saltiga conventional reel he mounted a mag unit on. He brought it up to Diawa at one of the seminars and after figuring in the cost they asked him who would pay for such a reel? Nick told him to go down to the beach sometime and look at all the fixed up fishing rigs(trucks) rigged with thousands of dollars worth of equipment on them and there is your market. There is a market, you just have to go get it.

CB


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## Mark G (Nov 15, 2004)

> The sad truth of the matter is that there are not enough fishers on this side of the pond willing to purchase a quailty rod to justify making them while for the same investment of capital you can have a far greater return on your investment having WallyWorld Specials made to sell to the turons for their usually once and only fishing trip.


Pretty much follows my way of thinking. Big buisiness isn't interested in developing products for a small niche of society. It will lead to market saturation and price decline. Better to make $1.00 per product continuously off of millions of consumers, rather than $100.00 for a short time off of a few thousand potential customers.

Yes, I see a lot of trucks on the beach set up for fishing. Quite a few have standard off the shelf mass produced rod racks (as I do). Some settle for homemade racks that aren't nice and shiny but get the job done. 

Then there are a few who spring for the $1000.00 custom rod rack, again it's a small niche and the reason high end rod racks aren't mass produced, but generally custom built to fit each ride and the owners wishes.


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## Hudak (Sep 10, 2007)

Well, I got the SST in today. I would lie if I didn't say it was a little intimidating looking at it and holding it. I am definitely up for the challenge. Green and red.....ought to clash nicely with my yonder. Thanks again Mike, it seems that the delivery truck must have gone straight from you to me, and did not pass go. We were informed I would have it sometime Fri. Not the day after he shipped it. I wasn't home when it got here so I can only assume a 24hr delivery time. Not bad at all.....


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## curtisb (Jul 21, 2004)

Ok Surf. my last thought on this subject would be, If what you said in your last post were true then people like Zziplex and Century shouldn't be doing as well as they are. Fact is they're developing new products every year. Another example is ABU taking the CT frame out of the US market yet they still sell them in the UK and Diawa sells the heck out of levelwind less reels every year in the US. I know, I know, ABU probably took the CT frame out because of lack of sales. But they sell like crazy on Ebay. Seems to me someone else is trying to tell us what we here in the US like to fish with. And I guess that would also mean there are more surf fisherman in the UK then here and I guess they make more money than us to afford these more expensive rods and reels. I don't think so, I think that here in the US it is easier to make a cheaper product and sell it at a cheaper price. This is the reason most rods and blanks are now coming here from China. I admit they are good (I have a couple of them myself), but as I said before they don't touch the quality of a good UK rod. But then again I guess there will always be things that we all want but only a few will ever get unless a good deal comes along(probably why I drive the cars I do and not a Porsche or Ferrari).

CB


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## curtisb (Jul 21, 2004)

thekingfeeder said:


> Well, I got the SST in today. I would lie if I didn't say it was a little intimidating looking at it and holding it. I am definitely up for the challenge. Green and red.....ought to clash nicely with my yonder. Thanks again Mike, it seems that the delivery truck must have gone straight from you to me, and did not pass go. We were informed I would have it sometime Fri. Not the day after he shipped it. I wasn't home when it got here so I can only assume a 24hr delivery time. Not bad at all.....


Good deal bro, welcome to the elitist group.lol
Your gonna luv that rod.

CB


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