2 hours ago, KP Duty said:

SLP Zillion decked out in all SLP parts (95mm handle, power round knobs, purple zero adjuster set, purple boost spool.  Rod is Steez RC 7'1"MH ST.  Rod came from JLS, reel from Backlash Tackle.  

 

Really like that.   Awesome colour combo! 

4 hours ago, KP Duty said:

SLP Zillion decked out in all SLP parts (95mm handle, power round knobs, purple zero adjuster set, purple boost spool.  Rod is Steez RC 7'1"MH ST.  Rod came from JLS, reel from Backlash Tackle.  

 

Although my friend @MiceNReets beat me to it I will add that as someone who loves a good color matching combo that right there kicks it up a notch 😎 I hope it fishes half as well as it looks.

Thanks fellas.  I'm thinking about grabbing a couple more of the SLP bodies just to throw spare parts on I have laying around.  

7 minutes ago, KP Duty said:

Thanks fellas.  I'm thinking about grabbing a couple more of the SLP bodies just to throw spare parts on I have laying around.  

You sound a lot like my other friend @bulldog1935 with talk like that. I wish I had 1/2 the skills you and the aforementioned friends along with others on here have to be able to partake in the purchasing power of buying certain reels or as you’re planning a frame and adding/swapping of parts to create a reel that is exactly what you’re after without compromising. Best of luck and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next . 

51 minutes ago, Eric 26 said:

You sound a lot like my other friend @bulldog1935 with talk like that. I wish I had 1/2 the skills you and the aforementioned friends along with others on here have to be able to partake in the purchasing power of buying certain reels or as you’re planning a frame and adding/swapping of parts to create a reel that is exactly what you’re after without compromising. Best of luck and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next . 

You're giving me too much credit 🤠.  I will install 'bolt-on' parts, but no complete disassembly.  Bulldog and 'Redmeansdistortion' are the bench guys.  I don't think I want to go down the Abu/Isuzu round reel rabbit hole.

The new to me $34 Gomexus handle.  I've used the $50 machined ones ones in the past but this forged handle is a nice looking cheaper option.  Looks great on the Tatula HD.  Going to 5:1 gear swap it and use it for big deep diving cranks.

Good looking combo KP! If only I could figure out how to post photos here. Everyone says the file size is too large

 

 

[url=https://postimages.org/][img]https://i.postimg.cc/T1hVTRbX/IMG-2141.jpg[/img][/url]

[url=https://postimages.org/][img]https://i.postimg.cc/y8RTJYb1/IMG-2142.jpg[/img][/url]

[url=https://postimages.org/][img]https://i.postimg.cc/XJfh9k1v/IMG-2145.jpg[/img][/url]

On 6/6/2025 at 11:17 PM, KP Duty said:

I don't think I want to go down the Abu/Isuzu round reel rabbit hole.

I don't think there's an end to that hole.  There's just so much out there because those companies have been largely using the same designs and refining them for decades, so the parts bin is deep.  Very deep.  

Ambassadeur was introduced in 1953

and Isuzu began selling reels in 1972, when Ambassadeur patent rights expired. 

Unfortunately,  Isuzu reel prices have way out paced Japan inflation.  I was happy to score my four on yahoo when they were still realistic.  Also know my way around JDM well enough to find Isuzu repair parts.

3 hours ago, kickerfish1 said:

Good looking combo KP! If only I could figure out how to post photos here. Everyone says the file size is too large

 

Thanks!  I have an image shack account and select the 'medium' size in the drop box.  They have a free version fyi  

4 hours ago, Bigbox99 said:

The new to me $34 Gomexus handle.  I've used the $50 machined ones ones in the past but this forged handle is a nice looking cheaper option.  Looks great on the Tatula HD.  Going to 5:1 gear swap it and use it for big deep diving cranks.

The gomexus stuff is nice and priced fairly...I have a couple of their handles.  I don't always splurge.

Aldebaran MG7 with Yumeya shallow spool + Luxxe Oltre 67M

 

8 hours ago, 4g63power said:

Aldebaran MG7 with Yumeya shallow spool + Luxxe Oltre 67M

 

Sweet.  Wonder why we haven't seen a new Oltre.  

Just showed up an hour ago.  The spool should be here next month. 

2 hours ago, KP Duty said:

Sweet.  Wonder why we haven't seen a new Oltre.  

I think gamakatsu japan slowly moved away from bass tackles and focusing on saltwater stuff which is their forte. Oltres are beautifully built with top end components. But I feel they have been kinda overhyped here in the states. 

Got some show and tell.  Friend Daren gave me a 60-y-o Langley Target, which already counts as the original BFS reel.  

Casting the soft nylon it was made for, on 2-power 5' Concorde, 60 to 70' casts w/ 1/8oz were effortless.  More aggressive casting could reach 80', but couldn't thumb out minor mid-cast backlash. Casting this of course needs end tension.
Got me thinking how sweet this could be with a mag brake, and it set me off.  

There's room in the cupped spool flange for 3-mm tall N52 magnets.  

 

So I started drilling holes.  Finished the four holes to half the depth of the 2-mm-thick side plate, using a 5-mm boring bit and 5-mm end mill 

 

to give it a shoulder and footing for epoxy putty to set M2 black steel washers.  

4x3mm N52 magnets snap into place.  

The result made it full BFS, fishing PE#1, stacked on 20 yds 20-lb soft nylon.
It should fish 1g on UL, and casts 3g to 90' on the close-fishing 2-power.
Totally backlash-proof w/ zero end tension.

If you're wondering why this works, required end tension on the stock racy spool is a constant force from beginning through end of cast.  Mag brake force is proportional to spool speed, so the spool without end tension starts up with zero brake force, reaches max force quickly, and brake force decreases through remainder of the cast.  You only need enough brake force to get the spool across the hump at mid-cast without backlash.  

 

6 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

Got some show and tell.  Friend Daren gave me a 60-y-o Langley Target, which already counts as the original BFS reel.  

Casting the soft nylon it was made for, on 2-power 5' Concorde, 60 to 70' casts w/ 1/8oz were effortless.  More aggressive casting could reach 80', but couldn't thumb out minor mid-cast backlash. Casting this of course needs end tension.
Got me thinking how sweet this could be with a mag brake, and it set me off.  

There's room in the cupped spool flange for a 3-mm tall N52 magnets.  

 

So I started drilling holes.  Finished the four holes to half the depth of the 2-mm-thick side plate, using a 5-mm boring bit and 5-mm end mill 

 

to give it a shoulder and footing for epoxy putty to set M2 black steel washers.  

4x3mm N52 magnets snap into place.  

The result made it full BFS, fishing PE#1, stacked on 20 yds 20-lb soft nylon.
It should fish 1g on UL, and casts 3g to 90' on the close-fishing 2-power.
Totally backlash-proof w/ zero end tension.

If that's the reel I think it is then it's changed hands a few times and was originally bought by @WRB iirc.  Funny to see make its way back to BR in good hands.

Picked up the CT ltd early this year, used it with ct sv700 deep spool on a couple of trips then put it away. Had some free time yesterday morning, decided to hit the pond/swamp so i could try it out with stock spool. It's an SV spool so the start-up speed isn't as good as bfs spools but a very capable caster, good distance and control.

 

 

11 hours ago, 4g63power said:

Picked up the CT ltd early this year, used it with ct sv700 deep spool on a couple of trips then put it away. Had some free time yesterday morning, decided to hit the pond/swamp so i could try it out with stock spool. It's an SV spool so the start-up speed isn't as good as bfs spools but a very capable caster, good distance and control.

 

 

I've been eyeing a ct limited for months. I feel like the next ct might lose the spool tension, so I'm inclined to pick one up...just dont know what I'll do with it.  Never stopped me before 🤷‍♂️😁

44 minutes ago, KP Duty said:

I've been eyeing a ct limited for months. I feel like the next ct might lose the spool tension, so I'm inclined to pick one up...just dont know what I'll do with it.  Never stopped me before 🤷‍♂️😁

Do it. I sold my older CT to replace it with the Ltd. I can appreciate the minor upgrades and the bling bling look.

17 hours ago, 4g63power said:

Picked up the CT ltd early this year, used it with ct sv700 deep spool on a couple of trips then put it away. Had some free time yesterday morning, decided to hit the pond/swamp so i could try it out with stock spool. It's an SV spool so the start-up speed isn't as good as bfs spools but a very capable caster, good distance and control.

 

TD-Z Type R+ inductor spring really makes the SV700S rip.  It's a firmer spring, so the brake comes on at a higher rpm and retracts faster.  I run that spool in my Millionaire CT SV and now it can really bomb.  With the factory spring, I could get away with running the brake between 2-4, now I have to run it about 1/3-1/2 way depending on wind, but man does it rip.

4 hours ago, redmeansdistortion said:

TD-Z Type R+ inductor spring really makes the SV700S rip.  It's a firmer spring, so the brake comes on at a higher rpm and retracts faster.  I run that spool in my Millionaire CT SV and now it can really bomb.  With the factory spring, I could get away with running the brake between 2-4, now I have to run it about 1/3-1/2 way depending on wind, but man does it rip.

I have had several SV spools with type-r spring mod done, i think I'll keep CT spools stock since they work fine for what i intend on using it for. 

This thing is super tiny, 2500C for scale.  I dialed it in with a Rapala CD1, virtually zero fluff.  It's first mission will be in the mountain streams of Colorado next week on a Graywolf 4'10" 2-6lb.  Small enough to stash in my carry-on luggage.

22 hours ago, redmeansdistortion said:

Congratulations on the outstanding score.  Possibly, also condolences for entering the Dark Side of bench-made precision.  Our best work on Ambassadeur only comes close to Isuzu.  

Great time to travel to Colorado, and leave July humidity at home.  

Take plenty of photos...

12 minutes ago, bulldog1935 said:

Great time to travel to Colorado, and leave July humidity at home.  

You ain't lying.  We've had dew points in the middle 70s for the last couple of weeks with daytime temps in the low to mid 90s.  My blood is too thick for that.