# Guides for AFAW Beach ?



## Centralpafish (Jul 5, 2007)

Back asking for help once again folks. I have an AFAW Beach being done for me by Barry Weaver at a local shop. Yeah, believe it or not there's a shop out here in cental PA that specializes in that kind of thing. Anyhow Barry has ordered the blank and we're looking at guides and reel seats but I'm wondering about the guides. The standard seems to be the Fuji alconite guides but I was wondering if I should consider anything else? Plan is to use a conventional reel, magged Abu 6500 CT or Penn 525 mag, have both. Have some nice spinners too if that enters into the equation.

Any and all help greatly appreciated. Philly Jack


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## WALT D. (Dec 18, 2003)

Jack,

The Fuji Silicon carbide are are great guide and of course there are Fuji's with titanium frames. And there are even genuine Ruby guides available for a couple hundred bucks a piece. You can spend whatever you want on guides from 10 bucks to a thousand. For my money on that rod the Fuji Alconites, and Sics are about the best there are(IMO). 

Walt


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## basstardo (Jun 5, 2006)

Agree with Walt. I heard about those Ruby guides as well. If you've got the money, why not, but I couldn't see wasting money on that.


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## Sea Level (Nov 20, 2005)

PJ,

If you desire to use that AFAW "Beach" rod with both spinning and conventional reels, I recommend fuji lowrider concept guides. You can get them in either alconites or silicon carbide.

I have two AFAW "Surf" rods rung that way (as well as four other rods) and find the extra flexibility to come in handy and worth the little extra money. My rods are splined as conventionals and that is the way I usually fish them, but with lowriders they throw spinners filled with braid just fine.


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## Mark G (Nov 15, 2004)

I tend to like sics for their hardness, but alconites will save you a few bucks and will be fine with mono. 

I'm actually building a big beach at the moment, recommend if you have any specific questions you pm Iceman (Ron), he's a distributor and pretty good about getting you info- recommended guide spaceings, sizes, etc.

Good luck


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## Sea Level (Nov 20, 2005)

Steve Austin, here in JAX Florida, is an AFAW dealer and he has custom built a number of AFAW rods using lowriders. He could advise you on the recommended spacing. It is different from other guide sets. Steve's number is 904-737-7669.


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## blacksand (Oct 4, 2002)

*Surfcat*

Hello Sir,

Just Wanted To Know If You Know Of Anyone In Our Area That Might Be Interested In A Custom Built G. Loomis 1448 And Custom Original 1509 2 Piece 1 Piece, Introduced To Me By Joe Moore. Both Rods Were Re-wrapped By Wayne Fowlkes In Virginia Beach. They Both Can Go For 375.00

Brian


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## WALT D. (Dec 18, 2003)

blacksand said:


> Hello Sir,
> 
> Just Wanted To Know If You Know Of Anyone In Our Area That Might Be Interested In A Custom Built G. Loomis 1448 And Custom Original 1509 2 Piece 1 Piece, Introduced To Me By Joe Moore. Both Rods Were Re-wrapped By Wayne Fowlkes In Virginia Beach. They Both Can Go For 375.00
> 
> Brian


You'll do a lot better with this in "The Marketplace"


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## Centralpafish (Jul 5, 2007)

Walt D, basstardo and anyone else, what do you guys think of the fuji new concept aloconite guides? It would add some flexability to the rod. Iceman, feel free to jump in here. 
Thanks everyone for your help so far. Please keep your ideas coming and no Dorothy this ain't Kansas so I don't need ruby red guides. Philly Jack


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## Mark G (Nov 15, 2004)

Philly Jack said:


> Walt D, basstardo and anyone else, what do you guys think of the fuji new concept aloconite guides? It would add some flexability to the rod. Iceman, feel free to jump in here.
> Thanks everyone for your help so far. Please keep your ideas coming and no Dorothy this ain't Kansas so I don't need ruby red guides. Philly Jack



Aw cmon they (ruby red) would sure go good with the right lip stick !

J/k 


Blacksand - Don't know anyone looking for those particular sticks, but if they were built by Wayne I'm sure they are quality builds and as Walt suggested you might try the marketplace. Will let you know if anyone asks about those. I assume you are not interested in shipping ?


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## Mark G (Nov 15, 2004)

*Sorry PJ*

missed your question on the new concept guides.

For the beach rod, assuming your not talking about lowriders then , yeah you would want either 

BMNAG - black frame alconite ring, or

CMNAG- chrome frame alconite ring

don't get hung up on the term concept guide, just decide on spinning or conventional set up an choose accordingly.

Hope that makes sense- it can seem confusing when you first start trying to choose components.


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## Rockfish1 (Apr 8, 2005)

Jack from your original post I take it your wanting this rod to swing both ways, conventional or spinner... am I assuming correctly?... if so make sure you have Barry spine it for a conventional...


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## Centralpafish (Jul 5, 2007)

*Swing both ways?*

Dale, I'm shocked! Swing both ways, not me brother. 
Just kidding, the rod will be used with the Abu 6500 CT Chrome Rocket I have that you convinced me to get upgraded at Bill's or HJ's or one of the Penn 525's were getting together from James Tackle. I'll be using a conventional reel so this whole thread may be meaningless but I just want to make sure I've considered all of my options but I ain't lookin for any "Brokeback Mountain" anything. I think I'm gonna follow Walt D, basstardo, your and Barry's suggestion. Kinda waiting for Iceman to wade in on the subject. Barry ([email protected]) knows us and knows what I'm lookin' for, that's why he recommended what he did. Just wondering about peoples expeience with the low rider's. I'm lookin' for input but my door is closing and I think I'm gonna go with Walt D et al. I know Walt and he wouldn't steer me wrong, Barry's a heck of a guy, basstardo-I haven't met yet but I like him already based on his posts. Dale, you my friend, have broken bread with me; you introduced me to Barry in Pa, despite the fact that you live in SE NC; am helping me buy another Stradic 6000 
(2nd) and Penn 525 mag (3rd). I'm sure you'll help me pick out my next custom rod too. Having talked with you and agreeing with your logic I KNOW that I need a rod that's in between the 
Estuary and Beach. Maybe 2, one a little smaller, one in the "slot". Who knows, just want to catch more than 1 fish every day I fish this year. Philly Jack


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## Clyde (Oct 18, 2003)

The BMNAG's are by far the best bang for the buck, can't go wrong IMO. But if you are dropping several hundred for a custom anyway, then the extra 50 for SIC's only makes sense. The old style NSG's or the newer MNSG's are both fine. I'd steer away from the low riders for conv, they sit too low to the blank.


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## TreednNC (Jul 1, 2005)

I have a 1267 on hold right now because I started with low riders, then gave em to Ryan, who's supposed to swap me for regulat alconites. Didnt seem to matter how many guides I used and what spacing, it slapped the blank...way too many guides on the rod to keep the line off using low riders


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## Iceman (Jan 12, 2004)

John, did you get the email I sent yesterday, I'm not ignoring you. Just about every rod I build I use the BMNAG Alconite guides, I have not been able to find a more durable, cost effective and well performing guide for the money. My opinion differs from most on the SIC guides in that I don't spend the money on my personal rods and I usually stick with the BMNAG's. One thing to remember with guides is to take care of what you have. From a durability standpoint I wash my rods very thoroughly after every trip and sometimes at the beach if it begins to collect salt spray, no guides on any of my rods have ever rusted. As for there being in difference in distance from one set of guides to another you're going to be hard pressed to convence me that there is that much of a difference to warrant an extremly expensive set of guides. I have tested and tested on this subject and found that even between a set of hardloy guides and SIC guides there is minimal difference, same rod, reel, conditions etc... Where you gain an advantage is in the ring itself, the Alconites and SIC rings are polished to a greater degree than the other guides. This inturn allows for greater heat dispertion as well as the hardness of the ring itself. Harder ring will equal more durability in the long run, especially since braided lines are as popular as they are at the moment. I have been building rods for 10 years now and I'm always on the lookout for the next best thing as far as guides go but something always brings me back to the Alconite guides, Fuji got it very right with this guide. Also, I second with Clyde concerning the Lowriders on a conventional rod, they set way to close to the blank. Hope this helps and sorry for the long post.

Ron


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## Sandcrab (Mar 20, 2002)

Clyde said:


> ...The old style NSG's or the newer MNSG's are both fine. I'd steer away from the low riders for conv, they sit too low to the blank.


I use the NSGs and MNSGs on both my conventional heavers and my light duty spinners for the surf. Pay the money for good guides and they will last forever! Mine have taken a beatting on the jetty rocks, surf, and salt and have not cracked, broken, or fallen apart... 

Sandcrab


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## HellRhaY (Jul 6, 2007)

fuji lowrider
titanium frames, sic inserts or cermet inserts.


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## surfchunker (Apr 10, 2006)

*how about*

TLNSG guides ... kinda like the idea of the Titanium ....


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## Sea2aeS (Jan 7, 2005)

preference is everything and I get my rods done with bmnag alconites. like clyde said, best bang for your buck.


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