I bought a St. Croix Avid (EDIT: It's a Rage model) casting rod, RC610MXF. I have never seen a guide this close to the tip. The guide closest to the tip is less than one inch away. Is this normal, is it okay? Why do they do that?

Is it a build error?

EDIT:  This is a new rod.

I am sure the more knowledgeable will chime in but more guides equals stress spread out more along the entire blank.  This is part of the reason micro guides are becoming popular because you can get more guides with the less weight.

i am sure there are other benefits as well, i just don't know them

I'm not saying this is what you bought, but 
that sure looks like a repaired tip!

I've had had broken rods where when I had
a new tip put on it was an inch or so away
from the second guide.

This wasn't a used rod, was it?

It's comp,etely normal

Looks like a repaired tip to me.  It's not any concern though.  Does the rod still measure 6'10"?

That's a mistake of some kind. Won't hurt or help anything. More is better only up to a point.  You need a few guides relatively close on a fast action but the Rod won't bend in that first inch hence its doing nothing. If the second one is under 4" from the tip I'd remove the first. 

Not a repair.  St Croix has been doing this for the last couple years. Not sure why as I've never had the need to put any guide less than 3" from the tip.

6 minutes ago, S Hovanec said:

Not a repair.  St Croix has been doing this for the last couple years. Not sure why as I've never had the need to put any guide less than 3" from the tip.

Yep, I've got a St. Croix rod with a guide about an inch and a half from the tip.  Closer than I've ever seen on a factory rod.

pretty sure that's a rage rod, not an avid, that model you listed is a rage model for sure.

1 minute ago, Jrob78 said:

Yep, I've got a St. Croix rod with a guide about an inch and a half from the tip.  Closer than I've ever seen on a factory rod.

This is the first I noticed it. I'd love to hear the logic behind it, if there is any. St Croix is usually pretty measured in their marketing compared to some others. 

1 minute ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

This is the first I noticed it. I'd love to hear the logic behind it, if there is any. St Croix is usually pretty measured in their marketing compared to some others. 

The rod I have is a 7'11" HMF Rage rod.  I thought it was very odd when I first saw it but it was new from St. Croix.

I had a few legend tournaments that had the same thing. Its completely normal.

43 minutes ago, buzzed bait said:

pretty sure that's a rage rod, not an avid, that model you listed is a rage model for sure.

You are right, it's Rage. OP is fixed with edit.

I've had a few Rage rods and they all have a guide extremely close to the tip like that. 

First time I noticed it was on a batch of Legend Tournaments at a Field & Stream store.

My Legend Tournament and Rage rods both have this. It's funny because I bought the Legend used and I freaked out when I noticed that and thought it was a repair. It's just something st Croix does.

I think it's to help reduce "Wind Knots" at the tip when fishing braided line.

With those last two guides close together like that there is less of a chance of the braid slipping out over the tip of the rod.

On some rods, with certain line when fishing the right (wrong) situation, that can be quite a nuisance.

A-Jay

The Avid Neo is the same way,I just bought a 7'1"MHXF.

Same as the Rage just made at Park Falls.

Reckon it helps the rod load on the cast? Just a little extra weight?

Josh

6 hours ago, A-Jay said:

I think it's to help reduce "Wind Knots" at the tip when fishing braided line.

With those last two guides close together like that there is less of a chance of the braid slipping out over the tip of the rod.

On some rods, with certain line when fishing the right (wrong) situation, that can be quite a nuisance.

A-Jay

I can follow that logic. I don't know that i agree with the trade off of tip weight though. 

21 minutes ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

I can follow that logic. I don't know that i agree with the trade off of tip weight though. 

I'll live with miniscule weight gain to reduce the tip wrap.

A-Jay

Normal. I just bought 8 avid neos/rages.  All the same. 

18 hours ago, skno said:

It's comp,etely normal

LOL, did you do this on purpose?

LOL Sorry no...... not on purpose. I didnt realize it until you pointed it out. I just wanted to quickly post and let the OP his new rod was designed that way and is a great tool. I caught 10 bass on my Avid Neo this weekend 

It's definitely normal for the St. Croix's. I have no proof of my logic, but when I saw it for the first time, I assumed it was to help the rod load better and relieve some of the stress put on the lightest part of the rod especially as the rod approaches a high stick type situation. Again, nothing to back that up but that was my initial thought when I got mine a few years ago.