Seaguide Guides

[EBHarvey]

Just a little background....  I've been frustrated for the last few months trying to get the guide trains I want to "work" with Fuji KWs.  I like to use a double-foot collector then single foots on my lighter stuff, which is fine because a KW25 - KL16 - KT10 or a KW30 - KL20 - KT10 reduction train works great - good progressive spacing and all the rings "bullseye" perfectly.  

 

However, on my heavier stuff I want double-foots through the entire reduction train, and it's damn near impossible to do with KWs.  The only one that I've come up with is a KW30L - KW20 - KW10, but that's the only collector in the series that you can do it with unless you're OK with weird spacing, rings that don't line-up, or weird ring size combinations like 25-20-8.  The full-height KW30, full-height KW40, low frame KW40L, and the KW25 just don't "work" with any other combinations of guides.  If you want something larger or smaller than a 30, or higher frames, you're kind of **** out of luck with KWs.  So, I started looking for alternatives...

 

And found Seaguide.  I had literally never heard of this brand before, but from what I've since read, they're the 2nd largest guide manufacturer in the world, they fabricate every component of their stuff themselves, in house, and their guides and other components are used on at least some series of factory rods from all the major manufacturers - shimano, st. croix, daiwa, loomis, etc.  They also use 316SS for most of their frames, which is a very high quality and corrosion-resistant grade of stainless steel, and they have titanium frames available with SiN and Zirconium rings for a fraction of the cost of Fuji Ti SiC or torzite.

 

Well what the ****?  Why haven't I heard of these guys before?  From what I can gather, they had virtually no US retail distribution channels until very recently, but now all their stuff's available, so I bought a big pile of guides last week and started playing around with reduction trains, with very promising results.

 

There's a single foot swept guide they call an XOG which looks very similar to a Fuji KL/KT.  There's a low frame double foot, XQG, which looks like the smaller-sized KWs or a LKW.  What really got my attention though is their XQHG which is a swept, high-frame guide that looks almost like a double-footed KL-H:

 

 

 

 

 

[EBHarvey]

^ That's the 25, 20, 16, and 12.

 

These are significantly higher-framed than the corresponding Fuji KWs.  The ring itself is also more swept back than the Fuji, despite the legs being more vertical, because the ring part of the frame sits in-line with the legs as opposed to being tilted or offset like Fuji does.  Here's a KW20 on the left, the Seaguide XQHG in the middle, and an Amtak Delta on the right for comparison so you can see the differences in height and what I mean by the ring being offset to the frames on the Fuji and Amtak but inline on the Seaguide:

 

 

 

[WorcBoy]

I'd check out the Batson guides also. LOok very very similar to the SeaGuide

 

[EBHarvey]

Overall, the finish looks great.  I got them in what Seaguide calls a sandblasted finish which as far as I can tell is just that - a matte stainless with no coating - which, theoretically, should be really corrosion resistant.  It also looks cool - slightly darker than Fuji's silver CC finish but significantly lighter than the BC gray.  If you told me I was looking at a pure titanium guide I probably wouldn't question it.  The frames are quite a bit less substantial than the KW frames - the legs are thinner and the guides noticeably lighter in the hand, so I wouldn't be using these for really heavy applications, but for instances when I need a higher frame without a giant ring, or just a bit more durability than a high-frame KL offers, I think these things would really shine.

 

If anyone's interested, the two reduction trains I have worked-out so far are:

 

Double collector, then singles:

XQHG-25

XOG-16

XOG-7

 

All doubles:

XQHG-30

XQHG-16

XQG-10

 

From there I'll probably use Fuji LDBs in the CC finish, but Seaguide does have single foots down to size 4 as well.  I just really like LDBs.

 

 

 

 

[surfrat59]

Picked up a pair of cheap oe overseas surf rods for a specific rebuild project that came with the XQG's. Fished both rods for awhile to get a good feel for the blanks capabilities before stripping. Long story short they cast so nice they're now permanently in the rotation...after a full season no issues with guide ring durability or frame leg corrosion, I'm impressed. Downloaded Sea Guide catalog, an unlimited array of guide styles and sizes are produced. If I can get them I'll certainly not hesitate to use them. EB do you have a source to get them from.

[EBHarvey]

5 mins ago, surfrat59 said:

Picked up a pair of cheap oe overseas surf rods for a specific rebuild project that came with the XQG's. Fished both rods for awhile to get a good feel for the blanks capabilities before stripping. Long story short they cast so nice they're now permanently in the rotation...after a full season no issues with guide ring durability or frame leg corrosion, I'm impressed. Downloaded Sea Guide catalog, an unlimited array of guide styles and sizes are produced. If I can get them I'll certainly not hesitate to use them. EB do you have a source to get them from.

 

American Rodbuilders Warehouse out in CA.  It looks like they carry almost the full line - guides, seats, etc. - and have fantastic fulfillment speed..... I placed an order on Saturday and it was on my front steps when I came home from work on Tuesday.

[Mangomania]

Good info.  The XOHG do compare to the Fuji KLH but are a bit lighter both in Titanium and SS.

 

Agree about easy ordering from ARW.

[Bait Tailer]

I’m a fan of everything besides the single foot runners. The XOG-W is more like a KT.  The XOG-N is too narrow and light for me. 
 

I played around with heavy 8’ rods this weekend and really liked double foot 30h, 16h, 12, 8s.

 

 

 

[ZAFisher]

On 18/01/2023 at 5:21 PM, EBHarvey said:

However, on my heavier stuff I want double-foots through the entire reduction train, and it's damn near impossible to do with KWs.  The only one that I've come up with is a KW30L - KW20 - KW10, but that's the only collector in the series that you can do it with unless you're OK with weird spacing, rings that don't line-up, or weird ring size combinations like 25-20-8.  The full-height KW30, full-height KW40, low frame KW40L, and the KW25 just don't "work" with any other combinations of guides.  If you want something larger or smaller than a 30, or higher frames, you're kind of **** out of luck with KWs.

Whilst I am happy you have found a way that works for you using the XQG and XQHG's (I have used them and will do so in the future) here are a few Fuji KW set ups that are neither funny nor give weird spacings; they were designed as groups to work together. I have used them all and they all work

 

KW30H KW25 KW20 KW12

KW40L KW25 KW20 KW12

KW40H KW30H KW25 KW20

KW40H KW30L KW20 KW12

 

 

Dont forget, that whilst expensive, Fuji's RV guides are part of the K Series family:

 

RV20H KW12M KW8

RV25H RV16H KW10M

RV30 KW20 KW12

RV40 KW25 KW20 KW12

 

I am a non-fan of ANY high framed guide in a #40....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 19 by ZAFisher

[EBHarvey]

Thanks ZA.  I knew the KW40H KW30L KW20 KW12 worked, it's just not as fast a reduction as I'd like.  Going from a 40 to a 25, then a 20 always looks goofy to me.  I figured they were designed to go together - it just seems like a very "cone-of-flight" type layout.

 

I want more like 25-12-6 or 30-16-8 or 40-20-10.

 

Not Fuji's fault, obviously.  They just dont work for me.

[ZAFisher]

2 mins ago, EBHarvey said:

 

Not Fuji's fault, obviously.  They just dont work for me.

dead right!

 

[ZAFisher]

13 mins ago, EBHarvey said:

40 to a 25, then a 20 always looks goofy to me

this works on GT popping rods and big heavers for large fixed spool reels....

 

 

Edited January 19 by ZAFisher

[Sandcrab]

I used them on my last ultralight spinning rod build. It was a Phenix 5'6" rated for 1-4 lb.line and 1-32 - 1/6 oz.lures. Finished rod came in under 2.5 oz. Great guides! Will definitely use them again.

[hobobob]

On 1/19/2023 at 1:08 PM, ZAFisher said:

 

Dont forget, that whilst expensive, Fuji's RV guides are part of the K Series family:

 

RV20H KW12M KW8

RV25H RV16H KW10M

RV30 KW20 KW12

RV40 KW25 KW20 KW12

 

I am a non-fan of ANY high framed guide in a #40....

 

 

For the love of god, fuji should stop milking these two transition guides. There is nothing revolution about these two guides, they already have the whole line up of kw. it's nothing more than a fuji tax. 

[ZAFisher]

1 hour ago, hobobob said:

For the love of god, fuji should stop milking these two transition guides. There is nothing revolution about these two guides, they already have the whole line up of kw. it's nothing more than a fuji tax. 

They are not milking anything. You are mistaken.

Come on show me a #12 that does what a 12M does after a #20 high frame? Double foot please for a long cast rod, not a 10' plugging stick

Low Rider set up LC20 LC16 LC12 LC10.

Replaced by RV20H KW12M KW10

KW30 KW25 KW20 KW12  can be replaced by RV25 RV16 KW10M

Shorter sharper faster.

Methinks you may not have through this through and are just cross with Fuji?

 

 

 

Edited January 31 by ZAFisher