I just got a new rod and I was going through the guides and I pressed one slightly, not even bending the guide at all. I heard a crack noise. Then pressed the same guide two three more times and it made a smaller noise then the noise disappeared as if nothing happened. Is that normal on new rods? Is that a sign of rods just being broken in? Or should I get this checked out? I can’t see any visible cracks or anything but I’m just weirded out by hearing that cracking noise on a brand new rod.

I would say its just the epoxy on the guide...it should stop. "Breaking in" is a good analogy.

But for the most part...this is not really normal. Not unheard of either.

1 hour ago, Chris Catignani said:

I would say its just the epoxy on the guide...it should stop. "Breaking in" is a good analogy.

But for the most part...this is not really normal. Not unheard of either.

I talked to one of my friends and he said that it’s epoxy that creeped up the guide past the thread wrap. The theory is when I bent it, it was excess epoxy on the guide that cracked.

Patient: "Doctor, my guides make a cracking sound when I press them"

Doctor: " Get out of my office!"