I have built 3 BFS rods with more conventional guide layout.  The first two I used I guide pattern from Mud Hole.  The last one used a Fuji Guide layout.  
 

I looked at a  6’8” Phoenix  BFS rod yesterday and noted it had 14 guides placed close together.  Now I am thinking I should use more guides than I have before.  
 

how many guide are you using to make BFS rods or how many guide are on your BFS setups? 

I've been using 10 or 11 and acid wrapping the guide train.

 

14 seems like a lot to me- but with micros and without spiraling the guide train, it may take more than normal to keep line off the blank.

 

-Jared

I am not sure you can keep the line off the rod with BFS / ultra light casting rods with a conventional guide train unless you use a lot of guide.  14+ guises for 6’8” is a lot or am I using to few.  May spiral warping the guide is a better way ?

12 minutes ago, BassinBrett said:

I am not sure you can keep the line off the rod with BFS / ultra light casting rods with a conventional guide train unless you use a lot of guide.  14+ guises for 6’8” is a lot or am I using to few.  May spiral warping the guide is a better way ?

To me, whatever keeps the line off the rod to the greatest extent reasonable is the best number of guides. You definitely don't want to feel the rod fighting to flip over under load.

 

I'm usually pretty indifferent on acid/spiral wrapping, but I do think this is a good application for it!

 

-Jared

I think Brett is right, but I wouldn't go to an extreme number of guides even if building on top.  The loads involved have to be so low that I doubt if it's a problem.  Spiral is certainly an easy and reliable option, and fewer guides will slow the recovery speed of the blank less than more guides would.  If deciding to do a spiral, research the "simple spiral", easy and just as effective as the complicated setups.

The number of guides needed is dependent on the layout used and what guides you use, I myself could care less if the line barely touches the blank at full load, some are just the opposite. On a Rogue 7 ft. light line blank I used 3.5 mm guides all on top and I used 10 guides, but I used a static distribution test to set the guides, instead of what many do.