kayakfish,

You want to be absolutely sure that this rod is NOT impregnated before you varnish it. They began impregnating in 1942 and you can see an awful lot of Orvis cane rods before you ever bump into one that was not impregnated. There impregnated bamboo rods have a consistent chocolate brown color, and I'd tell you what their non-impregnated rods look like... but I've never seen one. They ONLY offer impregnated rods now and I believe it's been that way for quite a while, although I am no historian. Anyway, I just wanted you to be sure since these rods weren't meant to have varnish on them and it might look a bit "off". That super low profile guide wrap finish you spoke of was traditionally done by dipping the rod with the guides already on, however you can come very close to this look by carefully building up the finish on the wraps afterwards. Good luck with your project!

Bill O.