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Posts: 349
| Does anyone have a rod built on an MHX Muskie Series Blank? Or have any of the rod builders here built on one?
I'm thinking about building myself a rod and the MHX blanks have great prices and the specs look close to Legend Tourney blanks. I'll be using lightweight guides either way (if anyone has specific guide recommendations I'm all ears).
What I'm specifically looking for is lightweight and an extra fast action, similar to Legend Tourney blanks (LT's are labelled fast, but I consider them XF compared to most other rods). I don't like slower action rods. I'm looking at either the 7'6" H F or 8' H F with a few inches trimmed off the butt end. This will be an all purpose rod mostly used for twitch baits and gliders, that's why I want the shorter length. I currently use a slingblade for these baits and like it but I something shorter. The other rod I have now is a Big Dawg. I've used the Premier 8' H F and I like that rod but would like a lighter blank if possible.
Anyone with experience please give me a heads up on what I can expect from the MHX musky blanks as I don't have a way to see them in person. Thanks!
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Posts: 567
| They are nice blanks. Very happy with mine, although they aren't musky blanks, bass is what I have so far but my next musky rod build will be one. |
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Posts: 908
Location: South-Central PA | I've built on several of the MHX musky series blanks. They are very high quality and nice blanks for the price. The shorter rods like the 7' and 7'6" are fast action, the longer blanks are not. Keep in mind that trimming a blank from the butt does two things. First, it makes the blank a slower action. Second, it takes away from the power. Obviously this is very dependent on the blank itself and how much you trim.
I think you're approaching this from the wrong angle based on what you stated your desire is for the rod. If you're wanting the fastest action rod you can get, then you need to decide what length you want. Then get a shorter blank and extend it. This will make the blank faster in action and give it a bit more power. For example, if you want a rod that is between 7' and 7'6", then buy the 7' blank and extend it. If you want a rod that is between 7'6" and 8', then buy the 7'6" blank and extend it. This will give you the action you desire in the blank.
jeremy |
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Posts: 349
| Just the guy I was hoping would respond. Thanks for the heads up on trimming vs extending the blank... not sure what I was thinking there.
So looking at the H F blanks, how is the 7'6" 1 oz heavier than the 8'? And the 8'6" is even lighter than the 8' even though it is longer and has larger butt and tip diameters. Are these weights accurate? |
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Posts: 21
| I've been building rods for over 20 yrs. and belong to the Rod Builders Guild and have to disagree on cutting off the butt section. Almost all the action in a rod is in the top 1/3 of the blank so cutting off the butt should not change the action at all unless you have a slow action rod where the action extends all the way to the butt. I order a lot of stuff from Mud Hole and have always been pleased with their products. Not sure who makes their blanks but pretty sure they come from one of the manufacturers in the US. |
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Location: Smith Creek | They are Chinese made. |
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Location: South-Central PA | tswoboda - 12/23/2014 12:23 PM
Just the guy I was hoping would respond. Thanks for the heads up on trimming vs extending the blank... not sure what I was thinking there.
So looking at the H F blanks, how is the 7'6" 1 oz heavier than the 8'? And the 8'6" is even lighter than the 8' even though it is longer and has larger butt and tip diameters. Are these weights accurate?
The 7'6" HF is rated 3-8 and weighs 6.5oz. The 8' HF is rated 2-6 and weighs 5.5, they aren't rated the same. To compare apples to apples you need to compare the 7'6" H to the 8' XH- which is rated 3-8 and weighs 6.75. Yes, the weights are accurate.
jeremy |
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Posts: 908
Location: South-Central PA | Musky Pete - 12/23/2014 2:33 PM
I've been building rods for over 20 yrs. and belong to the Rod Builders Guild and have to disagree on cutting off the butt section. Almost all the action in a rod is in the top 1/3 of the blank so cutting off the butt should not change the action at all unless you have a slow action rod where the action extends all the way to the butt. I order a lot of stuff from Mud Hole and have always been pleased with their products. Not sure who makes their blanks but pretty sure they come from one of the manufacturers in the US.
I haven't been building rods for 20 years but I know my stuff and I gotta call you out on this one. Trimming a blank from the butt DOES in fact change the action. This is a well-known fact among rod builders, ask your buddies in the guild. Go to Kirkman's site (rodbuilding.org) and ask.
A rod has a natural curve to it. The closer the curve comes to the butt of the rod, the slower the action. When you trim from the butt, you are moving the curve closer to the butt which makes the action slower (the action will no longer be 'almost all in the top 1/3'). When you extend a blank, you move the curve further from the butt, making the action faster. It's a pretty simple concept.
Also, MHX blanks are not US made.
jeremy |
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