I recently built a MB-733, MB-736, & MB7109 and I'm a little disappointed/concerned about the weight of the blanks. It's always said weight is the enemy of sensitivity, but yet the X-Ray blanks get good reviews for sensitivity.

 

Granted, these were my first builds and I went a little crazy with the aesthetics which added some weight on a couple of the builds, the MB-736 and the MB-7109 since it's already a beast of a blank, I didn't think a little extra would hurt. The MB-733 I kept it simpler and only added a custom decal and hook keeper. My first build, the MB-736, I got carried away with making it look a specific way and added to carbon fiber rod skins, custom decal, rod spec decal, hook keeper and at least a 10" decorative thread wrap fade. But, even the MB-733 isn't heavy, but for a ML I would of thought it would be lighter.

 

So, I'm seeking some of you builders who have built on some of these blanks or any other X-Ray blanks and wondering what you all thought about the weight of your rods and if it being heavier will diminish some of the sensitivity the blanks are known for.

 

I've built another rod using a Phenix blank and it ended up weighing 3.9 oz. and it was a composite blank, and I have a Conquest 843c that weighs 3.8 oz and a Dobyns Xtasy that weighs 4.6 and feels lighter, so I'm a little worried about these X-Ray blanks being too heavy,

 

FYI, they are all built using Torzite or SiC Fuji K Guides and Carbon Handles and Reel Seats, so I tried to get the lightest components for the builds. The end results is nice looking rods, but on the Heavy side. My MB-736 weighs over 5 oz and my MB-7109, which was cut down to 7'6 weighs over 6 oz.

 

MB-7109

MB-736

This isn't an exact answer, but I have a kistler zbone which is built on the x-ray blank. I have the 7'1 light medium heavy model. I weighed it, and it came in at 3.9 oz. Unfortunately I don;t know which x-ray blank that zbone uses.

The weight near the butt, like from decals and weaves, means little regarding sensitivity.  What counts is the weight at and near the tip.  So very small, light,  guides, light wraps, translates to high sensitivity.  Given that the blank itself is a high modulus, well-designed blank.

47 minutes ago, MickD said:

The weight near the butt, like from decals and weaves, means little regarding sensitivity.  What counts is the weight at and near the tip.  So very small, light,  guides, light wraps, translates to high sensitivity.  Given that the blank itself is a high modulus, well-designed blank.

Thanks, I feel better now!

In the future weigh each component individually then before and after epoxy finish. The results are interesting. 

Light weight rods often go along with sensitivity. However, it's not the main cause and there are tons of rod builds and probably even blanks that are heavier than something else but more sensitive.

 

Sensitivity is not simply stiffness to weight ratio. There is more involved (clue - how the rod is built can be more important than the blank).