oldschoolbasser

I have Avail micro spools on my 2500C's,and 4500C Ambassadeurs,and they really make a difference when using lighter line,and lures. They aren't cheap,but they work well,and look cool too.

I believe Okuma reels have the same size drive shaft as the Shimano reels. I bought a couple of Okuma carbon fiber handles,and had to make the hole bigger to fit on my Ambassadeurs.

Here are a few of my new "Custom" Ambassadeur reels,and new rods to go with them. The reels are (2) 250C's,(2)4500C's,and a 5500C. The rods are a Zombie 7'4" med heavy,Megabass. G-AX, Megabass Jabberwok,Irod 693 med heavyset, and a Phenix PHX 683. All the reels have been upgraded with ABEC7 ceramic bearings,and Carbontex drag washers. The 2500CI's have gearing upgrades (5.3:1 on the Green reel,and 6.0:1 on the Gold reel). The Green reel also has an Avail light weight spool, and both reels have swept drag star wheels,and handles.The other 3 reels have dual bearing worm gears,and cog wheels,and driveshaft bearings,and the Black 4500C,and Violet 5500C have ABEC 7 ceramic bearings,and Avail lightweight spools. The Violet 4500C has all the bearing upgrades,and lightweight spool,but the spool spins on polished brass bushings.

You can change the handle on the older Revos to a swept handle by changing the drag star wheel. I did this to my Premier and it cost about $50 for the star and complete handle.The new handles should be available at the end of Sept and I plan on upgrading a few more reels with the longer handles.

My handles and side plates com from Mr.Ambassadeur himself Simon Shimomura.He's been a great source of information,and parts,plus who better than an expert on Ambassadeur reels for technical help.He's gone above and beyond to help me with my "Custom" reels,and I'm grateful for all. his help.As such,I try to help any fellow members of this sight with any peoblems,or questions they have about Ambassadeur reels. BTW,all the reels I fish with have been upgraded with every bearing,and drag washer upgrade available,and I have a couple of 11 bearing reels with lightweight JDM spools.

No,but I wish I could! Here's a few that I do use.

Here's some of my Ambassadeur Collection,plus a few of my "Customs"

I currently have over 70 Ambassadeur round reels,most of them are from the"70's",but a few early 80's" models thrown in also. The beauty of these reels is that they can be upgraded with newer parts like bearing supported cog wheels,and dual bearing worm gears. They can also be Customized",and converted to make completely unique reels. I have 2 4500D direct drive reels,and a dozen reels with 10 bearing upgrades, carbon fiber drags,and a few of the reels now have light weight spools from Japan. These reels are so easy to work on,and parts are easily available. BTW,the C5 Mag,and the D6 Series reels have magnetic brakes.

Just remember it only has a 3.8:1 gear ratio,so I don't think you'll be using it for buzz baits LOL! That reel is a tank,and will last forever. You can upgrade to a 4.7:1 ,but pinion gears are hard to find.

Here are a few of my 4500-4500C's

Don't overlook Sutherland,or Henshaw Lake. I hear Henshaw is really good right now.

I saw a lake off he 280,I think it's called Andreas Lake.It's not far from the airport. There are also 2 other lakes below it. You can view it on Google maps.Scroll south from Andreas to see them.

I use 4,6,and 8lb line on my Ambassadeur 1500-2500C's for plastics.

Ambassadeur 5500C

5 Phenix Iovino Doodlin' rods with 1500-2500C's for worm fishing.Phenix 55 M2 with an Ambassadeur 4600 AL for spinner baits,Phenix 60 XH with an Ambassadeur 4600C for jigs,and a Phenix 60 M2 FT with a 4600C for crank baits.All these rods,and rels are from the 70's and 80's,and are still catching tons of fish.

1500C,and 2500C's are my worm,and shakey head reels.These reels are over 30 years old,and still bring the fish in without a problem.A bearing,and drag upgrade are all I have had to do to them to improve their performance.I also use the 4500-4600 series reels for cranking,jigs,and blades.Without a doubt,these reels are made to last,and you can upgrade them with parts from the newer reels without a problem.

I still use my 33 year old Ambassadeurs,and Phenix rods for everyday fishing.The new stuff is nice,but my old tackle feels more comfortable to fish with.They still catch fish,and that's all that matters.

Right side view.

While most of you on this forum make baits,or build rods,I like to build "Classic" Ambassadeur reels.I put a little twist on the "Oldschool" 4500.I used Gold side plates,and a mirror finish handle with flat knobs.It has also been upgraded with a dual bearing worm gear,and a bearing supported idler gear.

I love my "Round Reels"and I use them for everything I throw.For light line,and lures I use my 1500-2500C's,and my 45-4600C's for everything else.

I've tricked-out quite a few of my older Ambassadeurs.I go full out with all the bearing up-grades,and Carbontex drag washers.It really makes a big difference in the reels performance,plus the satisfaction of knowing I did it myself.This reel has a total of10 bearings(1 idler gear,2 worm gear,1drive shaft,2 spool,and 4 handle bearings)This is probably the smoothest reel I've ever put together,and it feels like butter!

I've converted a couple of 5000's,and 5000C's to 4.7:1 gears,and they work great.Parts are getting harder to find,but a guy on Ebay has a few sets for sale.

I use 6lb on my Ambassadeur 1500&2500C's,and on my Premiers without any problems.

I bought a couple of these handles from Okuma,and modified them to fit on an Ambassadeur reel.I used an old handle as a template and widened out the hole with a grinding tool.I also had to adjust the length of the hole to fit the original locking plate and screw hole.I think getting them from Mike's is the easier way to go,but i was willing to try it myself.

I Bought the casting version,and it's a nice rod for being a 2 piece.Good sensitivity,and the balance is good with a light reel.Beautiful finish,looks like a $200 rod.