So these unpolished turds go for a pretty penny online. I wonder why?
One of the best round reels ever made... Even if it is heavy, bulky and unrefined.
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So these unpolished turds go for a pretty penny online. I wonder why?
I agree with you there. The truth is, spool aside, Ambassadeurs don't really need anything in the way of upgraded parts to get them performing at their best. I've been messing with them for many years and similar performance can be had with some good old fashioned elbow grease. There is a lot of friction due to the synchronized level wind that can be mitigated with metal polishing compound, a Dremel, and good lubricants. Don Iovino has been tuning the small Ambassadeurs for over 40 years, and he had them effectively casting a true 3.5g bait way back then, all with the factory parts and spool. That was pretty impressive for the time.SSS wrote: ↑Sun Aug 08, 2021 5:31 pmI don't disagree with what you're saying. My problem with it is that the modifications are expensive, and the end result is not gonna beat a modded alphas or whichever low profile reel you want to tune. Its also very heavy, bulky and just not comfy to palm. When using BFS, i personally expect it to be as comfy as it gets when it comes to baitcasters.
I wouldn't put a car in the same category.LowRange wrote: ↑Sun Aug 08, 2021 5:38 pmSame reason people modify an old car at the cost or greater of a new one. You could buy a modern Mustang GT or mod the heck out of a 1969 fast back.SSS wrote: ↑Sun Aug 08, 2021 5:31 pmI don't disagree with what you're saying. My problem with it is that the modifications are expensive, and the end result is not gonna beat a modded alphas or whichever low profile reel you want to tune. Its also very heavy, bulky and just not comfy to palm. When using BFS, i personally expect it to be as comfy as it gets when it comes to baitcasters.tincanary wrote: ↑Sun Aug 08, 2021 11:43 amIt's a great tool for learning the trade of reel repair and modification due to its simplicity. Every single baitcast reel on shelves today can trace its roots to the Ambassadeur. The Ambassadeur was the first mainstream reel with a pinion yoke and the first to use a centrifugal brake as we know it now. ABU held many patents until the late 60s. This is why many baitcast reels of the era were either knuckle busters or used an eccentric lever to disengage the spool. Once those patents expired, it enabled competitors to improve on the design put forth by ABU, and now we have a plethora of options to choose from today. There really have been no revolutionary baitcast reels since the Ambassadeur was released in 1952. Everything else has been evolutionary, continuous improvement of an old design which is still used to this day.
There is a cult following some og abu's. Since they're hard to find, of course they're expensive.
I waste too much time and money on both and often buy them just to do a certain build then get board and sell later.SSS wrote: ↑Mon Aug 09, 2021 4:06 pmI wouldn't put a car in the same category.LowRange wrote: ↑Sun Aug 08, 2021 5:38 pmSame reason people modify an old car at the cost or greater of a new one. You could buy a modern Mustang GT or mod the heck out of a 1969 fast back.SSS wrote: ↑Sun Aug 08, 2021 5:31 pmI don't disagree with what you're saying. My problem with it is that the modifications are expensive, and the end result is not gonna beat a modded alphas or whichever low profile reel you want to tune. Its also very heavy, bulky and just not comfy to palm. When using BFS, i personally expect it to be as comfy as it gets when it comes to baitcasters.tincanary wrote: ↑Sun Aug 08, 2021 11:43 amIt's a great tool for learning the trade of reel repair and modification due to its simplicity. Every single baitcast reel on shelves today can trace its roots to the Ambassadeur. The Ambassadeur was the first mainstream reel with a pinion yoke and the first to use a centrifugal brake as we know it now. ABU held many patents until the late 60s. This is why many baitcast reels of the era were either knuckle busters or used an eccentric lever to disengage the spool. Once those patents expired, it enabled competitors to improve on the design put forth by ABU, and now we have a plethora of options to choose from today. There really have been no revolutionary baitcast reels since the Ambassadeur was released in 1952. Everything else has been evolutionary, continuous improvement of an old design which is still used to this day.
Apart from those reasons, the main thing that motivated me to modify and re-use my old Abu was a nostalgic one. There is just something special about getting the same feel and hearing the same mechanical sound from a reel that you had used as a 9 year old.
With the light aluminium line guides a narrower spool is a much smaller disadvantage, even 4500 casts well with aluminium line guide and ceramic pawl.jvelth74 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 09, 2021 5:07 amIf I'm going to tune up old little Abu, I will choose Ambassadeur 2500 (over 1500 or 3500).
3500 is said it don't cast as good as 2500 - I'm not sure of why it's so.
Spool weight 2500 c vs. 1500 c is slim. But 1500 is narrower, and line guide changes direction faster...
Hi Abbor, I'll have to agree with you on the advantages of changing to the light weight aluminum line guide. It made a lot of difference for me. But I had not tried the ceramic pawl. Can you tell the difference in casting smoothness and distance after changing out the pawl to a ceramic one?abbor wrote: ↑Sun Aug 22, 2021 12:57 amWith the light aluminium line guides a narrower spool is a much smaller disadvantage, even 4500 casts well with aluminium line guide and ceramic pawl.jvelth74 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 09, 2021 5:07 amIf I'm going to tune up old little Abu, I will choose Ambassadeur 2500 (over 1500 or 3500).
3500 is said it don't cast as good as 2500 - I'm not sure of why it's so.
Spool weight 2500 c vs. 1500 c is slim. But 1500 is narrower, and line guide changes direction faster...
I have several tuned 1500C and 2500C and prefer 1500C for the lightest lures.
Just curious, what is the lightest lure that you're casting with the 1500C? It's probably tough to find a lure smaller than the Rapala CD1.abbor wrote: ↑Sun Aug 22, 2021 12:57 amWith the light aluminium line guides a narrower spool is a much smaller disadvantage, even 4500 casts well with aluminium line guide and ceramic pawl.jvelth74 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 09, 2021 5:07 amIf I'm going to tune up old little Abu, I will choose Ambassadeur 2500 (over 1500 or 3500).
3500 is said it don't cast as good as 2500 - I'm not sure of why it's so.
Spool weight 2500 c vs. 1500 c is slim. But 1500 is narrower, and line guide changes direction faster...
I have several tuned 1500C and 2500C and prefer 1500C for the lightest lures.
Those CD1s do weigh 2.7g, substantially more than the 1/16 (1.8g) they are sold as on the US market. When shopping Rapalas, I tend to look at them first on the EU site since the listed weights are far more accurate than what is represented in the US.Shadowcaster1969 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 22, 2021 2:01 amJust curious, what is the lightest lure that you're casting with the 1500C? It's probably tough to find a lure smaller than the Rapala CD1.abbor wrote: ↑Sun Aug 22, 2021 12:57 amWith the light aluminium line guides a narrower spool is a much smaller disadvantage, even 4500 casts well with aluminium line guide and ceramic pawl.jvelth74 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 09, 2021 5:07 amIf I'm going to tune up old little Abu, I will choose Ambassadeur 2500 (over 1500 or 3500).
3500 is said it don't cast as good as 2500 - I'm not sure of why it's so.
Spool weight 2500 c vs. 1500 c is slim. But 1500 is narrower, and line guide changes direction faster...
I have several tuned 1500C and 2500C and prefer 1500C for the lightest lures.
I have a 1600C IAR that I am also considering tuning up...
Yo Zuri Pins Minnow. They weigh 2g, or 1.7g with the stock trebles removed and Cultiva #8 barbless installed in their place.Shadowcaster1969 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 22, 2021 7:04 amThanks for pointing that out! I'm quite new in this BFS game and has a steep learning curve on micro minnow lures... As a start I may need to get a weighing scale that will indicate down to 0.1g instead of to the nearest 1g.
Are there any reputable minnows out there that are smaller and lighter than the CD1?
The same can be said of the ABU Cardinal 3, sold as the Zebco Cardinal 3 here in the states. Many people love them, and there are even a few out there that won't use anything else. I just finished up 4 of them for a customer of mine, been using them 40 some odd years and countless fish caught on them. Like the Ambassadeur, the Cardinal 3 can be massaged into an exceptionally smooth reel and also upgraded. The rotor bearing can be replaced with a needle bearing to provide instant anti-reverse, manual bail return modification, SiC line roller, shallow spool, many handle options, drag upgrades, etc. The reel weighs a whole 7oz, very similar to and even lighter than some current 1000 sized spinners. It even brings in a respectable 28" per turn. I'm planning on passing mine along to my son one day.
Thanks tincanary, I had missed out the Pins Minnow totally, will try to get my hands on one of those...tincanary wrote: ↑Sat Feb 12, 2022 4:27 amYo Zuri Pins Minnow. They weigh 2g, or 1.7g with the stock trebles removed and Cultiva #8 barbless installed in their place.Shadowcaster1969 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 22, 2021 7:04 amThanks for pointing that out! I'm quite new in this BFS game and has a steep learning curve on micro minnow lures... As a start I may need to get a weighing scale that will indicate down to 0.1g instead of to the nearest 1g.
Are there any reputable minnows out there that are smaller and lighter than the CD1?