Joe,

I'm no expert, but I do not think that it looks cheap. The only thing that I don't care for, and it's a personal preference, is the ferrule wraps. My personal preference, is to wrap the ferrules using a thread that matches the color of the blank. When the finished rod is assembled, the ferrules are almost invisible. I like the clean, simple look that I get from only seeing the guide wraps.

That said, I have only built 2 rods, not counting a few that I have wrapped for our club's loaner program. So, take my opinion with a grain of salt.

Respectfully,

Dave Fulton