Abu

[bowhunter63]

I wanted one of these back in the day popped up on the internet and got it. I like round reels. My new t rig outfit. I know there outdated but so am i. I remember bassmaster had a deal like this a long time ago. Gonna give it a work out this weekend.

[crypt]

I love round reels. use them more than any other reels I got.

[Mobasser]

I still use an ABU 4600c quite a bit. Over 20 yrs old and still going strong.

[slonezp]

Toughest freshwater reel ever made

[geo g]

I use a 4600 for frog fishing with 65lb braid, and pitching a jig.  Love it.  With a bigger hand then most the larger round reel is comfortable all day.  I remember Hank Parker using them all the time.

[WRB]

Can’t identify the reel as the photo is fuzzy. It looks like a post 2000 reel made in China, hope not!

Tom

[Eric 26]

@bowhunter63 looking forward to hearing how you enjoyed the reel and maybe seeing some fish photos from the weekend. Best of luck.

[JustJames]

I would call it one of the toughest, cheapest and easiest to maintenance. I use mine for big catfish (10-15KG) and inshore. Still have two, 6500 and 5600 with thumb bar release.

[Captain Phil]

The original 5500C reel was a game changer and still is one of the best bass reels ever made.  It came out in the early 70s.  Later reels were cheapened it up substantially.  Try to find one with the chrome metal spool release button.  These reels were labeled high speed and were 4.7/1.   Anyone with a screw driver and even a tiny bit of mechanical ability could disassemble one.   They were and are as tough as nails.   The only drawback to these reels is weight.   Back in the nineties, I used a 6500C to land a potential world record Pacific sailfish on 8 pound Ande mono.  It was potential because I released the fish. Try this with your modern bass reel.  ☺️

 

 

[SC53]

Yep, those silver reels from the 70’s were the best Phil.

The 6500C was the premier reel for light tackle saltwater fishing back then.

 I had one that I used for deep jigging.  Had it modified with an upgraded aluminum spool and oversized drag washers as the plastic spools were subject to busting from too much pressure.

Love the picture Phil?

[Captain Phil]

I've posted this picture before.   This fish was caught in Guatemala around 1995.  We were among the first anglers to fish this area.   In three days of fishing, we caught over 60 sailfish. Most of them were over 100 pounds.  On the last day, we grew tired of reeling them up and started messing around with light tackle.  After I landed one on fly, I pulled out the 6500C loaded with 8 pound mono.  It took me two hours to land that fish.  I had to work around hundreds of giant manta rays as I fought the fish.  It's a miracle the line didn't break.  I have the whole fight on video.  It's one of the most boring fishing videos you will ever see. ☺️

[bulldog1935]

 

The Japanese (and Hong Kong) offer some really great aftermarket parts that change their nature and can build a wide-range backlash-proof reel. 

[redmeansdistortion]

15 hours ago, WRB said:

Can’t identify the reel as the photo is fuzzy. It looks like a post 2000 reel made in China, hope not!

Tom

That's what it is, a 5500S.  The Ambassadeurs bearing the S, SX, STX, and BCX nomenclature are made in China.  Those with the C, CS, C3, and C4 nomenclature are still made in Sweden with the exception being the 7000, which is made in Taiwan.

[WRB]

Not a expert on the Abu Ambassador reels any more. Iovino has all my older reels for parts and told me the post 2000 Abu Ambassadors are made in China or from pasts made in China a few years back , the reason he needs pre 2000 reels. Don is a expert on these reels.

Tom

 

[redmeansdistortion]

9 minutes ago, WRB said:

Not a expert on the Abu Ambassador reels any more. Iovino has all my older reels for parts and told me the post 2000 Abu Ambassadors are made in China or from pasts made in China a few years back , the reason he needs pre 2000 reels. Don is a expert on these reels.

Tom

 

Interesting.  I was on the phone with Simon Shimomura for a couple of hours Wednesday evening, great guy and supremely knowledgeable on Ambassadeurs, he was contracted by Abu for a very long time to reproduce classic models and their parts.  The head of Pure Fishing Japan is a personal friend of his and he has had a hand in most JDM Ambassadeurs made from the early 90s until a decade or so back.  We talked about this very thing, and he says that the current Swedish made reels use parts mostly made in Sweden with the exception of the AR bearing and ball bearings, which are made by GRW in Germany.  I was also told Abu will no longer make any reels built on the classic Ambassadeur platform due to lack of sales.  In Japan, Ambassadeur sales only make up about $3 million worth of the profits, while the Revo does over $100 million.  This is why most "special edition" Ambassadeurs are nothing more than a C3 in a different color.  They are no longer using designs from before 1997.

[TnRiver46]

❤️ 

[Bankbeater]

I still use a round Ambassadeur reel for punching and catfishing.