View Full Version : Cut gsb 1201m


Clogston29
10-01-2007, 11:54 AM
Anyone have one cut down to 9'-6" from the butt? How much does it stiffen the rod overall? Do you like it? I know it voids the warranty and I can live with that.

My two favorite rods are the 1201m and 1081m and I'd love something in between for those nights that I'm torn as to which one to bring out. Eels and plugs in the 2-3.5oz range are what it'll be used for, with some sluggos occasionally.

Thanks!

jim sylvester
10-01-2007, 11:58 AM
josh

i had mine cut 3 inches off the butt....love it ..I don;t really think it stiffened it all that much..just wanted the shorter length

if you want to throw it before you do anything let me know

snake slinger
10-01-2007, 03:39 PM
i have 1 cut to 9/6 love it. like jim said it doesnt feel to me much stiffer.

Clogston29
10-01-2007, 03:47 PM
thanks for the feed back guys, that'll be my winter purchase

didn't think it would change much, but just wanted to make sure

RIROCKHOUND
10-01-2007, 05:50 PM
Echo it.
Mine wasn't wrapped 'for' me, so I cut 3" to make it a more comfortable length.
no problems. still the best stick around

SeaWolf
10-02-2007, 08:43 AM
if you really want a in between rod, why not choose an in between blank? cutting the 1201m will only make the rod slightly to much stiffer depending on how you do it and by how much. if you want an in between rod/blank, choose the gsb1201L and cut that one from the tip.

zimmy
10-02-2007, 11:38 AM
Cutting from the butt doesn't make it stiffer, it makes it slightly more moderate action as the bend becomes a greater percentage of the overall length. I have one conventional cut 3 inches from the tip and about 4 from the butt and it is great. Beautiful for larger eels.

Clogston29
10-02-2007, 03:28 PM
seawolf - a friend has the L cut from the tip - I don't like it. I love the M but there are times that I feel like the 9 is too short and the 10 is too long. Its being overly picky I know but I like rods.

as far a choosing an inbetween blank, do you have any that you recommend. I have a bunch or rods and none that I like anywhere close to as much as the 1201m and 1081m gsb's

SeaWolf
10-03-2007, 08:31 AM
clogston - you could check out the arra xra1203. that's nice medium eel and lighter plug rod. it is comparable to the gsb1201L, but maybe slightly faster - maybe moderate vs the slower 1201L. i was never much of a fan of the old 1204/new 1203 due to the lack of a true backbone, but then again iron mike has taken fish in the 50s with that rod. so, dont let it fool you as it still has enough to land real fish. i have another customer that uses the old 1204 when he wants to throw rebels, 2 oz darters, and other lighter lures, but still have that 10' length.

another option may be the ssu1201L. i hope to have some of those blanks in the next month. i cant comment on them too much as i have yet to play with that one.

i've been tossing with the idea of taking a gsb1201L and cutting it myself for a slightly longer than 9' rod w/ added backbone as most of the cut would be off the tip. the purpose would be to make a 1201m in a 9' version. i still think the rod you may want is a 1201L cut from the tip and the rest from the butt to the length you want. if you dont mind voiding warranties by cutting blanks, you have lots of options really. lamiglas still has yet to make that perfect heavy 9' rod for the surf.

Back Beach
11-16-2007, 01:05 PM
Josh,

A guy I know that used to build rods on the cape would take the 11' model (1321M) and cut the butt off of it. He claimed the 11' blank was a bit stiffer than the 10' . In other words if you are going to cut the butt, maybe opt for the 11' blank instead of the 10'. I can't prove or disprove whether there is any difference, but all my early cape rods were 11' blanks cut down to 10' or 9.5'. Having a 9.5' rod is nice. I cut an allstar 1208 down 6" from the butt and tied it up and it is a great stick.

Sea Dangles
11-16-2007, 03:27 PM
I have the 1321m with 6" cut off the butt.I like the length a didn't feel like the rod had been stiffened. I also have an OLD XRA1203 with 6"cut off the tip. Nice stick for eels with plenty of backbone.

Back Beach
11-16-2007, 03:37 PM
On the subject of rodbuilding, CMS has an annual clearance sale beginning around the end of this month. Best time of year to get supplies there.I usually purchase all of my rod building stuff for the winter during their year end sale.

luds
11-16-2007, 05:37 PM
On the subject of rodbuilding, CMS has an annual clearance sale beginning around the end of this month. Best time of year to get supplies there.I usually purchase all of my rod building stuff for the winter during their year end sale.

Good deals on finished rods too.

Clogston29
11-16-2007, 08:29 PM
Josh,

A guy I know that used to build rods on the cape would take the 11' model (1321M) and cut the butt off of it. He claimed the 11' blank was a bit stiffer than the 10' . In other words if you are going to cut the butt, maybe opt for the 11' blank instead of the 10'. I can't prove or disprove whether there is any difference, but all my early cape rods were 11' blanks cut down to 10' or 9.5'. Having a 9.5' rod is nice. I cut an allstar 1208 down 6" from the butt and tied it up and it is a great stick.

thanks. i'm probably gonna get it built at CMS, so I'll talk to them about the options. I simply love the 1201m, so I'm cautious about going away from it. my only issue with it is that sometimes its alittle too much length for handling fish in tight. I also just feel like I need a backup, and that I might as well get one made alittle different.

chief10
11-17-2007, 09:51 AM
clogston-I have 1201L cut down 7 or 8" from the butt by CMS. the rod blank is less than 120" tip to butt (stock) I wanted 9'-0 but I after getting the blank in my hands it felt better at 9'-4". I've had a stock lami blank at 9'0 and the action was too fast & no give in the blank to throw eels. I know cms usually recommends 6 guides and the tip. something to think about when speaking to them. If you want to cast it let me know. When I was kicking it around allot people here helped me to figure things out and I'm very happy with it.-mike