If you buy a custom built rod…[not to your specs]…or a manufacturer built rod…which do you think you should pay more for?
How much?
For example …ebay has custom rods …some maybe as much as $200 [rare] less than retail…what you expect to pay???
Many guys will buy a blank, have the fun of building it up, then try to sell it so they can buy another blank. Hard to establish quality.
Unless you know the builder’s reputation I prefer to buy from a manufacturer that I know. I have no problems buying last year’s models or even demo units.
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Yes you could do OK, but also a lot of people use eBay as their instant ticket to untold millions and the quality and reliability is just not there… you have to know the builder or reputation. Then I guess you get what you pay for.
Some will do it for love, like a mate of mine. Fantastic work, way cheaper than a store, just so he can get materials to do another.
Basically I think you would want to deal with somebody that will give you some sort of comeback. If you had something particular in mind I believe there may be one or two quality craftsmen on this site…
Even though a factory rod has a higher price tag and a higher resale value; IMHO a custom rod is worth MORE.
Even though a have PLENTY of factory rods I started buying custom rods a few years ago and when I compare the fit & finish to a factory built rod there is no comparison. I have had my share of loose grips, loose reel seats, fudged wraps, misaligned guides, etc from factory rods. I have yet to experience the same from a custom builder. I also know that many manufacturers offer the same warranty on their blanks as they do their rods.
Of course many folks just want that guarantee that the guarantee is always be available and for that reason feel more comfortable buying from a manufacturer which adds inherent value to a mass produced rod.
For me it’s all about the rod and not about the label.
I’ve seen some of the dealers you’re talking about on ebay. If we’re looking at the same dealers, it appears that they’re experienced and do nice work. More than likely, your rod would be more than fine – very nice, even.
My concern would be with the warranty. All the builders selling on ebay say they’ll fully guarantee their work, but who knows where these guys are going to be in 6 months or a year or 5 years or how motivated they’ll be to fix your rod for free.
The rod manufacturers will only guarantee the blank on custom work. And, from what I’ve heard, even that seems to be low priority when you send it back.
Just the logistics of sending a broken rod to a builder who sends it back to the manufacturer who sends it back to the builder who rewraps it when he has time then sends it back to you could take months.
You can save money by building a rod yourself. For about the same price as a factory rod, you can probably find a local builder with a good reputation who’ll build you an extra-nice rod. In my mind, those are probably the only 2 reasons to buy custom. I’d be skeptical about buying a custom rod from a guy I’d never met over the internet.
I build custom rods for my own use and for friends, but do not sell them. The advantage of a custom rod is that you can have it set up just the way you want it. A good builder can build you a rod to your specifications and maybe a little cheaper than factory, but I see no reason to buy an already built “custom” rod (this is actually a contradiction in terms).
As others have said, you will pay less for a “custom” rod, but it will we worth less on resale. You also have potential warrantee issues. If you buy a “custom” rod, make sure you get a valid warrantee card on the blank.