It is currently 29 Mar 2024, 09:47


Previous  1, 2, 3, 4 New Topic Add Reply
Author Message
Re: Ambassador 1500C BFS
Post 26 Mar 2023, 19:47 • #76 
Guide
Joined: 03/08/14
Posts: 243
Location: US-MO
I knew you would do something like that to that little reel, it's awesome. I just lucked into a 2500C, it's pretty rough, not sure what to do with it yet.


Top
  
Quote
Re: Ambassador 1500C BFS
Post 28 Mar 2023, 06:34 • #77 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19079
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Thanks Steve, I'm going to make one more change to it.

I was picking up these combos one at a time from the rod stand.
Both my 4600 Black Cherry and the Smith Plugger have aluminum frames - the plated-brass frame 4500C felt like a burden next to them.
With Royal Mail sending out again, the same UK vendor who sold me the red 4600C aluminum-plate frame, also sold me a later aluminum-plate 4500CB frame, which will drop an ounce from the reel - the black will also look nicer.


Congrats on finding the 2500. Many great parts out there to race it and drop up to 3 ounces from the total weight.
Also the most versatile size for UL to ML fishing. The frame is small enough, you can fish it comfortably on a straight-handle rod,
which is a stretch with medium-frame Ambassadeurs. The larger-dia. medium frame reels (4500) are much more comfortable on old-school offset handle.
Image Image

Of course if you have the offset handle, I discovered on my 4500C project, you can make them just as racy as the mini-Ambassadeurs.


Top
  
Quote
Re: Ambassador 1500C BFS
Post 25 May 2023, 14:04 • #78 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19079
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
one more pretty color flash on my braid-mod '78 4500C
Since this photo, using a Kahara handle from the parts bin,


I swapped the chromed-brass frame with later Abu black alloy to bring the weight down (good price from my ebay UK Abu parts guy).
The red alloy Haneda Craft handle reduces the offset weight and torsion in your grip.
Nicely matches the red/black Bright River Concorde 5' glass MM rod

color saturation is different between these two light set-ups, but you get the idea



Top
  
Quote
Re: Ambassador 1500C BFS
Post 19 Sep 2023, 19:39 • #79 
Guide
Joined: 12/31/12
Posts: 326
Location: US-MA





This is my 1500C


Top
  
Quote
Re: Ambassador 1500C BFS
Post 20 Sep 2023, 10:02 • #80 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19079
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Nice package there on a very desirable reel.
My reel shows what you can do with them, swapping-in aftermarket parts, including shedding 3 oz, and gaining the ability to fish 1/16 oz.



Top
  
Quote
Re: Ambassador 1500C BFS
Post 22 Sep 2023, 12:16 • #81 
New Member
Joined: 09/11/23
Posts: 20
Location: Hoosier National forest in Southern IN
Nice! Igot several 2500C, 1500C, and couple 4500C. Ive yet to bite the bullet hot rodding one of these reels beside buying handles from Simon but I find all of this very interesting and very informative. Love those small anarrow ambassadeurs. Here's one of mine on a 1964-1965 (2018 I believe I'd have to go back and look) Garica rod
and offset handle



Top
  
Quote
Re: Ambassador 1500C BFS
Post 22 Sep 2023, 13:06 • #82 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19079
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Thanks for posting - that's a beautiful combo.
The rod can be the tricky part - most classic glass bass rods, especially Garcia, are narrow-range para taper - just right for their 3/8+ oz niche.
The rods that work well in finesse are progressive taper, with very wide lure range.
If you can find old glass spincast rods, they'll work in finesse, also.
Glass tends to cast well under it's rated low end, though (graphite doesn't).

If you want a recommendation, pick one reel, and go all-out, to see what you can do with these.
(this is a '77 4500C, swapped the frame to shed plated brass for the later alloy frame plates - light-in-hand combo)


Top
  
Quote
Re: Ambassador 1500C BFS
Post 22 Sep 2023, 13:39 • #83 
New Member
Joined: 09/11/23
Posts: 20
Location: Hoosier National forest in Southern IN
With a progressive taper does that apply to the fast taper on Garcia rods? I know some of the terminology but not alot. I've accumulated a rack of these deluxe rods and small ambassadeurs. Photos of Garcia rods 2018T, 2015T, and a 2218 that I call my light Saber haha. The two stainless handles on the rods 2015 and 2018 light and heavy action are not fast taper and have a stiffer feel to them for sure than the fast taper rods. Im back to not being able to add new comments so Im editing here. I can tell Ill get no relief on this forum. Beside not knowing squat about fly rods I may have found my people. Yall as addicted as I am.haha


Top
  
Quote
Re: Ambassador 1500C BFS
Post 22 Sep 2023, 13:58 • #84 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19079
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
More beautiful combos.
1/4 to 5/8 Light Action is the one to start - you might be able to cast 1/8 oz off the tip, which is pretty perfect.
I just set up this Japanese S-glass, rated 1/4 to 1 oz - talk about progressive - for inshore niche, specifically, 1/8 oz "bunny" shrimp.
With this light weight, off the tip, it makes amazing reverse-spiral skip casts for placing under mangroves - my goal for this combo.

I get to fish it week-after-next...


Parabolic vs. Progressive

Most bass rods are para taper - fast para taper - with fast tip, and flex in the mid and the butt. This is also true of traditional UL rods, though they have a very slow para taper.
Para taper rods have a narrow lure weight range. Casting increasing weight, para loads more of the total rod length.


Progressive taper loads in a band moving progressively down the rod length with increased casting weight.
You can tell them by a wide, often extreme lure weight range. This is what makes a good finesse rod.
This is also why "threadline" fishers traditionally pick fly rod blanks for their rods.


Top
  
Quote
Re: Ambassador 1500C BFS
Post 22 Sep 2023, 14:05 • #85 
New Member
Joined: 09/11/23
Posts: 20
Location: Hoosier National forest in Southern IN
SteveB71 wrote:
With a progressive taper does that apply to the fast taper on Garcia rods? I know some of the terminology but not alot. I've accumulated a rack of these deluxe rods and small ambassadeurs. Photos of Garcia rods 2018T, 2015T, and a 2218 that I call my light Saber haha. The two stainless handles on the rods 2015 and 2018 light and heavy action are not fast taper and have a stiffer feel to them for sure than the fast taper rods. Im back to not being able to add new comments so Im editing here. I can tell Ill get no relief on this forum. Beside not knowing squat about fly rods I may have found my people. Yall as addicted as I am.haha. I know one thing for sure is that old glass rods have soul if that makes any sense. It sure makes sense to me.


Top
  
Quote
Re: Ambassador 1500C BFS
Post 22 Sep 2023, 17:53 • #86 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19079
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
I sort of expected a thank you - too many people - mostly rod makers - have a feely definition for the two extreme rod tapers - an empirical answer is often appreciated.
This is a BFS thread. BFS has been around four times longer than it's had a name.

A lot of the new glass made today gets to find its Nyu-kon, which is just a different language for soul.

Also pays to tread lightly if the topic is something you've never tried.
If you want to test whether inertia makes a difference for you, the first step is just try swapping-in a lightweight, shallow spool.


Since home came up, if you want us to have context about your home water, you should add Location to your profile.


Top
  
Quote
Re: Ambassador 1500C BFS
Post 22 Sep 2023, 20:15 • #87 
New Member
Joined: 09/11/23
Posts: 20
Location: Hoosier National forest in Southern IN
Thank You! I appreciate you sharing your knowledge and insight!


Top
  
Quote
Re: Ambassador 1500C BFS
Post 27 Sep 2023, 09:00 • #88 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19079
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
I have another photo set to show, not a 1500C, but a reel that's become my favorite Ambassadeur result, another '77 4500C.
Start and end photos. I bought the starter reel on Yahoo.jp for a better price and condition than I could get on ebay.

Here's the rod I'm matching it with, Smith 66SPX 2-power blade - the Smith single handle makes the OL 6'3"
The graphite blade is virtually weightless, won't skip-cast light weights, but a great distance caster.


I started with a later 4500C frame to swap the plated brass frame plates for lighter alloy.
Avail AMB4530-R-EF spool - I had the alloy spur gear to replace the nylon with (ersatz) feed-clicker teeth; Avail mag brake.
Valleyhill dual-BB worm gear, Kagawa dual-BB idler gear; Mike's light alloy rider and zirconia pawl.


For the first time I tried full-silicon-nitride spool bearings from Ali Express, 623, 3x10x4 mm fits this reel, and the reason this has become my favorite Ambassadeur result.
In this configuration, outer race pinned in frame, they're quiet, run dry, extreme load range, and simply the fastest spool bearings I've ever tried.

At the same time, I bought a pair of full-silicon-nitride MR104 - 1040 - 4x10x4 mm for Ambassadeur Ultracast.
They're noisy in that application, because the inner race is pinned on the fixed spindle, and the outer race spins with the spool.
But on my shore micro-jigging combo (8'9"), I don't care about the noise, because they spin four times longer than Roro 1040 in that 3- to 7-g application.

For the drive, I couldn't find a new brass main gear, and had to use the original steel main gear, and picked between the best two I had.
I did find a new pinion gear and A/R dog.
My favorite Haneda Craft drag washers.


Set off with Bright River round drag knob and Haneda Craft alloy handle -
- the HC clear deep red knobs are a near-perfect color match on the Smith graphite blanks.


Setting up for mag brake adjustment, loaded with 8-lb YoZuri Hybrid, I was casting a 3-g jighead consistently to 90' -
- even when it was wind backlashing, working out the mag adjustment.
If you do the math, this compares to new LP reels.
1-3/8 turns CW on individual magnets to register mag on the 3-mm spool flange.


This will get PE#1 - right now I have it loaded with the ends of 3 spools, just to have some tinkering line.
Couldn't cast this morning because the yard was wet (about time), but I expect it will cast the threadline braid even farther.


Top
  
Quote
Re: Ambassador 1500C BFS
Post 27 Sep 2023, 10:15 • #89 
New Member
Joined: 09/11/23
Posts: 20
Location: Hoosier National forest in Southern IN
Hi, Bulldog1935, does that not fit the spool you mentioned in the earlier thread about the 4500C with serial 770800?

Also very interesting rod handles throughout this thread as well


Top
  
Quote
Re: Ambassador 1500C BFS
Post 27 Sep 2023, 10:40 • #90 
Master Guide
Joined: 09/23/18
Posts: 614
Location: Eastern Wa
Thanks for the detailed breakdown/raceout on that 4500c Ron! Outstanding presentation and details. Go get those redfish/trout and have a blast next week! Nice ABU collection Steve!

Last night I had the opportunity to fish with another retired buddy, a channel cat master, so I was able to give my 4600c/vintage diawa a workout at some local waters with three different fish....










Top
  
Quote
Re: Ambassador 1500C BFS
Post 27 Sep 2023, 11:16 • #91 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19079
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Mike, that has to be the best all-time bent rod photo

@SteveB71 - I don't understand your question. The '76-78 4500C that take 1030 spool bearings are my subject.
This configuration is the lowest-inertia spool bearing result you can get with Ambassadeur.
Your 77-Mod-0 fits right in the middle of '76 to '78

Avail offers two spool depths for this series Ambassadeur, 3-mm deep, and 5-mm deep. The just-later '78-on CB takes a different spool (same 1030 bearings),
and if you chase the spools on Hedgehog, their photos diagram the spool difference.
The 3-mm should probably be considered braid-specific, and the 5-mm will take 80 yds 12-lb mono - and catch really big catfish.


Last edited by bulldog1935 on 28 Sep 2023, 04:59, edited 1 time in total.

Top
  
Quote
Re: Ambassador 1500C BFS
Post 27 Sep 2023, 11:34 • #92 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 05/22/16
Posts: 1760
Location: SJC
@fishhuntmike -- Wow ! Never caught a catfish, on any rod. I know they are around here though in the reservoirs.


Top
  
Quote
Re: Ambassador 1500C BFS
Post 27 Sep 2023, 11:48 • #93 
New Member
Joined: 09/11/23
Posts: 20
Location: Hoosier National forest in Southern IN
@SteveB71 - I don't understand your question (and probably didn't need dragging my linked post from the previous page). The '76-78 4500C that take 1030 spool bearings are my subject.

I apologize for that. It doesn't help me trying to fumble my way around on this smartphone trying to copy and paste. You answered my question tho. I appreciate the links.


Top
  
Quote
Re: Ambassador 1500C BFS
Post 27 Sep 2023, 12:12 • #94 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19079
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
cool - I'm sitting at a desktop, and format everything for what I see here.

And thanks, I've become a junkie for Japanese offset-handle glass (and graphite) rods made for mid-frame round reels.
I've filled every LP-reel niche I plan to, and everything I add from here on will be round reels.
This Isuzu/ Bright River S-glass combo finished for Headhunters lure shop is the one I'm excited about fishing for the first time next week.


Nina casting to redfish back right where I plan to use this, skip-casting 1/8 oz bunny shrimp.

I'm bringing the 4500C/SPX combo for show-and-tell, so friends can cast 3 g in the afternoons and see what I do to these reels.


Top
  
Quote
Re: Ambassador 1500C BFS
Post 27 Sep 2023, 21:04 • #95 
Administrator
Joined: 01/10/06
Posts: 7811
Location: Holly Springs, NC
Steve B, Sorry, but the forum software is tough to operate on a mobile device. About 1/2 the forum views are via mobile devices, so we tried to make it a bit easier to navigate with a smart phone. Cut, copy, paste, and advanced formatting is a PITA without a desktop or laptop.


Tom

SteveB71 wrote:
It doesn't help me trying to fumble my way around on this smartphone trying to copy and paste...


Top
  
Quote
Re: Ambassador 1500C BFS
Post 28 Sep 2023, 15:59 • #96 
New Member
Joined: 09/11/23
Posts: 20
Location: Hoosier National forest in Southern IN
I'll get the hang of it here soon.
:)


Top
  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  

Previous  1, 2, 3, 4 New Topic Add Reply



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 12 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Jump to:  
Google
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group