Info on Ambassadeur Bass Boss 2

[Slazmo]

Picked up a near new but dusty and gunk covered Ambassadeur Bass Boss 2 - destined for the shelf primarily.

Claimed on the sides Made in Sweden, high speed, 3 bearings (spool and IAR bearings) - no indication / relation to actual size but is a 5600 size. Feels the same as my Ambassadeur 5600-C4 in feel and quality, if not smoother.

Whats so strange is I've found zero information on Google or IG (no hash tags?)...

Pics for reference.

1

IMG_20210720_215113.jpg (41.42 KiB) Viewed 2135 times

2

IMG_20210720_215129.jpg (76.15 KiB) Viewed 2135 times

Serial number

IMG_20210720_215146.jpg (86.93 KiB) Viewed 2135 times

Anyone know of any information on it - even the serial number looks koo koo catchoo.

TIA.

[DirtyD64]

This is what I was talking about on a thread I started. Would love to see Abu release a 2021 updated version of one of these reels. Give dual pinion support, light spool, good braking, would be awesome.

By the way, your reel is still awesome, I have never seen or heard of this model...

[Slazmo]

They'd have to do some work to make them worth the upgrade and worth people buying them.

Tooling would have to be drastically updated, a free floating spool same design as Daiwa, the dual pinion bearing would be an issue but workable, and the gearbox would need stretching to accommodate and dropped lower for the sake of ergonomics - if they ever did I'd love to see the levelwind disengaged off the spool and onto its own gear off the drive pinion like every modern reel available. How the frame would cope would be interesting too, but workable.

With Abu they've just let the Ambassadeur just stagnate (with mild skin deep updates) - but what would you expect for a brand that's been sold and sold again to money maker companies.

[tincanary]

This was probably a store exclusive. Abu made store specific Ambassadeurs for Cabela's (C5 Mag X), Bass Pro (Hank Parker Edition), Walmart (C4 Mag), and Kmart (KC3) once upon a time. Some smaller mom and pop stores have also sold them fairly recently. Abu will build any Ambassadeur to your certain specifications as long as enough are ordered. I believe the minimum is 50 units. Some of the lesser produced can go for big money among collectors. Here's my 4500 CS Pro Rocket, easily my furthest casting reel when throwing above 1/2oz. I typically use it pier fishing the Great Lakes for salmon and steelhead. Only 100 made in this color.

[Slazmo]

Interesting stuff... I knew they did mini time runs but not store specific, we've got a tiny (basic* major brand controlled) market so most of the gear we see is mainstream. Just strange I can't find anyone else who owns one or anything on the Internet, even a cached Web page?

That a nice reel, in form and colour, I especially liked the ridge styling of the side plates of old, gave it more of a tasteful look. I've got a 1500C in that 'sunset orange' they call it, so many colours they came out with. I've got a green 6500-C3 that was market specific to us as a 'Daintree' in regards to the Daintree Rainforest I'm guessing - can only find a few hints about it on the net also.

[Johnny A]

This was probably a store exclusive. Abu made store specific Ambassadeurs for Cabela's (C5 Mag X), Bass Pro (Hank Parker Edition), Walmart (C4 Mag), and Kmart (KC3) once upon a time. Some smaller mom and pop stores have also sold them fairly recently. Abu will build any Ambassadeur to your certain specifications as long as enough are ordered. I believe the minimum is 50 units. Some of the lesser produced can go for big money among collectors. Here's my 4500 CS Pro Rocket, easily my furthest casting reel when throwing above 1/2oz. I typically use it pier fishing the Great Lakes for salmon and steelhead. Only 100 made in this color.

4500C was an excellent reel.

[Slazmo]

One of my mates here in Aus posted my question to a Abu forum and supposedly the reel has something to do with Ray Scott "Bass Boss" - I'm trying to get more info still but it seems somewhat wishy washy but could have some credibility.

[tincanary]

4500C was an excellent reel.

This one is different from the 4500C that was produced into the late 70s. It uses the Ultracast spool like the '91+ Ambassadeurs, that rides on an axle versus using a pressed in spool shaft. I wanted to get an Avail spool for it but they no longer make one in the 4000 size in the Ultracast design, but I believe Momo Studio does so I may look there. The Pro Rockets also use the small bakelite brake blocks instead of the bigger plastic units found in similar models, plus Abu includes a tube of Rocket Fuel Red oil in the box for the spool bearings. Some of the 5500 and 6500 Pro Rockets came with a mag brake instead of centrifugal like the rest which was actuated with a slider switch on the palm side.

[Johnny A]

4500C was an excellent reel.

This one is different from the 4500C that was produced into the late 70s. It uses the Ultracast spool like the '91+ Ambassadeurs, that rides on an axle versus using a pressed in spool shaft. I wanted to get an Avail spool for it but they no longer make one in the 4000 size in the Ultracast design, but I believe Momo Studio does so I may look there. The Pro Rockets also use the small bakelite brake blocks instead of the bigger plastic units found in similar models, plus Abu includes a tube of Rocket Fuel Red oil in the box for the spool bearings. Some of the 5500 and 6500 Pro Rockets came with a mag brake instead of centrifugal like the rest which was actuated with a slider switch on the palm side.

My first “good” reel was a 5500C I got for Christmas 1974. I probably would have picked up a 4500C, had they been available. If my memory serves me, it probably doesn’t, the 4500C was introduced between 1978 and 1981. I picked up a couple of those and used them stock for many years until the Team Daiwa TD1Hi hit the market. I always kept 1 4500C for crankbaits though until the late 1990s.
I remember Don Iovino was doing some things with the 1500s, 2500s, 4500s and 5500s. If the suits at Abu had some sense, they could reintroduce the 4500/5500 line with some updated engineering.

[tincanary]

My first “good” reel was a 5500C I got for Christmas 1974. I probably would have picked up a 4500C, had they been available. If my memory serves me, it probably doesn’t, the 4500C was introduced between 1978 and 1981. I picked up a couple of those and used them stock for many years until the Team Daiwa TD1Hi hit the market. I always kept 1 4500C for crankbaits though until the late 1990s.
I remember Don Iovino was doing some things with the 1500s, 2500s, 4500s and 5500s. If the suits at Abu had some sense, they could reintroduce the 4500/5500 line with some updated engineering.

Don is still doing Ambassadeurs, even the 1500C and 2500C. His pricing is more than fair considering what those reels sell for on eBay. I've been meaning to pick up a green 2500CI from him, I believe he charges $300 for it.