Tony,
This is a "how much" moment, you don't see this statement being said, nor an answer given, when someone declares they have a better setup than everyone else, but it's relevent all the time.

Guide placement serves two purposes I can think of: (1) to evenly distribute the strain of a load along the blank's length (2) to minimize friction created by the line touching the blank and guides during the cast. It seems unlikely one configuration of guides best serves both requirements?

and #3 guides have a lot to do with how good a hook set you get and how well you fight and control a fish..

That post should be framed and hung in every rodbuilder's shop. That's funny stuff. Thank you Jim.

Jim Ising Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There are a number of sources for placing Fuji
> guides. Fuji publishes a few charts in their
> Japanese catalog. We developed GPS. Mudhole
> assembled kits. And then there's static loading.
> It can be confusing. Every one of these sources
> will give you a different layout. I honestly
> believe you are better off settling on one and
> sticking to it. Use your chosen source for all the
> information you need because as soon as you go to
> another source your confusion will start all over
> again. I don't know how the world ended up this
> way. In most realities the people who develop an
> idea and manufacture a product to fill that need
> would be considered the primary source of
> information. I don't go to Suzuki to get my
> Mercury worked on. Rod building is not like that.
> In this hobby Suzuki guys are fixing Mercurys and
> Yamahas and Evinrudes every day of the week and
> they'll even work on your chartplotter if you ask.
> If you're new to the craft you need to understand
> this going in.


Thats the post I'm talking about.