GSB1201L vs Century Stealth S1 Test Cast

[numbskull]

All this hype got me drooling.
I borrowed a Century Stealth blank from Diggin Jiggin.
It was bought a MSBA and is called a Stealth S1
Taped on guides at the exact layout of a GSB1201L I have been using.
Titanium Lowriders into small runners.......about as good a layout as I can build.
Used the same reel for test casting, a Stella 5000sw 40# Samauri braid.
Threw 1.5oz pencil and needle, 2.75 oz pencil, 3.5 oz darter and big donny.
Wind at my back.

Both are light. The GSB blank (per Lami catalog?) is 6 1/2 oz, the Century weighed 7.45 oz. Built the Lami weighs 11.5 oz. The Century weighed 9.75 oz (but with no grip or epoxy). I think they would weigh the same finished. The Century rod has a very thick butt section, so more of its weight is lower down. It feels a slight touch tip lighter than the lami. Not sure I could tell with my eyes closed.

Under high load (about 12lbs of drag) the Century has a stiffer lower half and softer upper 1/2. I don't have a picture to show this, but it is about how an Arra would bend relative to a GSB.

As for casting.....well surprise, surprise, the GSB threw just as far or a bit further with all weights. I DID NOT EXPECT THIS. I tried to throw these rods equally hard. The Century was at a slight disadvantage because the guides were taped on and the reel seat on tape bushings (which makes things a little mushy) and the rod is new to me so timing was awkward at first but comfortable after 20 casts or so. Very definitely I could not establish a significant distance advantage to either blank throwing as hard as I can cast.

I did think the Century felt "crisper". As Mike P posted, at lighter weights the rod did cast with less effort than the GSB. I also was impressed at how smooth the rod unloaded at 3.5 oz, where the Lami seemed to be maxing out, but throwing somewhat further.

I then took them home and static tested them using weights. This was a surprise as well, so I took pictures. Turns out that the Century is a much lighter action rod than the GSB1201L. At least at partial load it is bending more than the GSB1201L. I didn't have a GSB 1 M to compare, but I did throw a SSU120mh in there for further comparison (see the pictures).

Bottom line. The Century Stealth 1 is a faster, thinner, 2 piece equivalent of a GSB1201L, maybe with some additional versatility at the upper and lower ranges (I didn't test under 1.5 oz, but the deflection test suggests it would handle stuff lighter than a 1201L).

Both rods perform very much the same in the weight ranges I fish. I'm not going to buy the Century because it is not an upgrade over the GSB1201L. Likewise, I don't think the Stealth 1 is going to be a replacement for a GSB 1201M. Hopefully Century will issue a 2-5 10 foot version to do that. Perhaps the CTS PJ 2007or 8 is.

P.S At the end I tested a GSB1321L with a 2.75 oz pencil. It out cast both rods by about 15 yards.