I think we're drifting away from OP's question, which is a re-branded Ambassadeur S.  

They're not go-to for quality, but you spend any time inside a Svangsta reel (even a 50-y-o one) or a full-bench Isuzu, you're bound to be impressed with the quality, simplicity and durability.  It's no accident these reels will continue in form for a long time, and aftermarket upgrades will continue to be made in Japan, UK, EU and, more recently, China.  

more show-and-tell, my friend Rob's 2501C built scratch from parts, including AMO barstock frame - every part for this reel is available aftermarket.  

Last fall, I added Ryoga for a salt niche, when I noticed my Isuzu BC620SSS wasn't happy with a couple of salt trips.  

 

Some of my customers are still fishing with the Ambassadeurs and Cardinals they bought with paper route money they earned in the 60s and 70s.  Nothing ever needed to be replaced, save for the occasional bearing and drag washer. 

1 hour ago, bulldog1935 said:

 

more show-and-tell, my friend Rob's 2501C built scratch from parts, including AMO barstock frame.  

Last fall, I added Ryoga for a salt niche, when I noticed my Isuzu BC620SSS wasn't happy with a couple of salt trips.  

 

 

Years on the bench in a central Florida rod and reel repair shop and I can safely say we never see reels- and rods- like these! Well, I mean in this condition.

 

Reels like this represent like less than 1% of 1% of 1%. Very few people have the know how or means to operate at this level.

 

I can tell you from experience that what comes in through the front door of a rod and reel repair shop is the opposite of this. We see reels used for decades without any maintenance or servicing just used and used and ran into the ground until they grind to a stop.

 

It may be fun working on reels that don't have one tiny piece of dirt on them or any wear of any kind. Keeping and maintaining reels at that level is exceptional to say the least. I mean even the cork grips on the rods don't show dirtiness. Really a high level of care for sure.

 

Now let me do some show and tell. These images are from when I did work at a rod and reel repair shop and these reels are what came in through the front door by customers wanting each reel fixed. Which I did.

 

This first reel looks like it has half the beach in it. Years of saltwater use until it was ground to a halt. Then brought to our shop where I had the "fun" of making it work again.

 

 

Here is a relatively new reel showing more beach sand and saltwater rust and corrosion in the AR bearing. Fer shame.

 

 

And another. Same thing.

 

 

This next one is a chronarch if ya can tell... This is what the Florida environmental conditions do to reels. I wonder what the techs in Montana see? I bet their reels are cleaner and less corrosion.

 

 

Look how the pot metal gears bubble up like alka seltzer when saltwater gets on them and the salts start a chemical process deteriorating the pot metal gears... Oh and plenty more beach sand in this reel.

 

 

Look at the saltwater corrosion on this reel's oscillation block along with more beach sand.

 

 

All finished. Back to working. Maybe not looking like new, but back to working as good as new. They will get more years out of these old reels yet...

 

 

I can tell you it takes more labor cleaning up reels like these than it is worth sometimes. I enjoyed the challenge for awhile.

 

Must be nice working on squeaky clean brand new looking reels. Not like that around here.

@FloridaFishinFool My retired BB-1NG fished inshore (and surf) from 1985 to 2015 

 

 

 

Following my lead, my guide buddy Tim bought his.  These reels became so popular on the TX coast, Roy's Bait & Tackle in Corpus bought up the parts inventory when Lew's was sold and discontinued support.  

But my buddy Tim never even rinsed-off his reel - just stacked it in the corner of the garage with his Penns - and the foot corroded-off within one year.  

 

The problem isn't the environment or the reel, but the negligence.  Salt water never quite dries, but concentrates to brine that will remain a concentrated liquid for over a year.  Simple rinsing solves everything.  Also, removing any part that shows any sign of corrosion instantly.  Salt corrosion products of metals are 100-times more corrosive than salt, and will spread throughout the reel.  

Timely Topic - for a dead Steez in TT Shop Talk today, I called up my TT Salt tutorial:  

http://www.tackletour.net/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=90503&p=728651 

 

My BB-25 caught its last redfish in Nov 2018.  

 

That is the same reel bass pro John Bitter has used for his entire career.

 

He used to bring them into our shop to work on and one day I asked him how many did he have. I think he said something between 200 to 300 of them.

 

Definitely a reliable old work horse of a reel.

55 minutes ago, FloridaFishinFool said:

Must be nice working on squeaky clean brand new looking reels. Not like that around here

I'm in Michigan so I don't get salt reels too often.  When I do, they're usually customers of mine that travel to the East Coast or Gulf Coast.  I've never had anything that salty come across my bench, but these are people that might fish the salt a few days per year, so no prolonged use.  Usually the really bad ones I get have grease that has turned to wax, but nothing major beyond that. 

 

Hopefully your shop is charging by the hour for those types of jobs.  Some places charge a flat rate which can mean lost income after so long.  I learned my lesson of charging by the job about 6 years ago when I was tasked to service some Daiwa Seaborg electric reels.  Thankfully they never saw salt, but let me tell you, those things have a planetary gear system, drive belts, and more shims than anything else I've ever seen.  Daiwa recommends they get sent to them for service.  With my customer, he bought them from Japan on eBay and Daiwa refused to service them.  He got a smoking deal on service from me though 😂

Back when I first got into "serious bass fishing" my uncle would always take me out to lakes and small tournaments.  He was a huge Abu Garcia Ambassadeur C3 guy.  Naturally, I followed suite.  They were great reels and I used them for looong time.  I could sling a spinnerbait and weightless senko a mile with a 4600 C3.  

 

I've always had a thing for round reels since and have recently bought a couple Calcutta Conquests (shallow edition & a 101 size)  I'm completely blown away how small these little round reels are.  They're amazing, are a work of art and very comfortable to fish with.