Replacing guides on an old rod

[The Rooster]

I have an old Quantum Dance Class IM6 rod from the 90’s that has a crack in one of the guides. I always loved this rod for just casting Roostertails and fishing for white bass, but it’s been 10 years since I could use it cause of that guide. Now I want to either replace just that guide, or maybe remove all of the guides and replace them with Fuji K style guides so it is tangle free. 
 

Common sense tells me just to replace the one guide and not mess up what I know is a good feeling rod. But I ain’t never been known for too much of that. I love a project where the chances of a better than average result are possible. So before I grab a razor and cut off all the guides, I want to ask am I getting into trouble doing this? My plan was to cut the guides and weigh them so I had an idea what kind of weight I’d either be adding or removing by going back with something different. Of course I know that thread and epoxy weight counts as well and that is impossible to account for. I don’t want to create a tip heavy rod doing this, messing up the balance. 
 

Speaking of that, can I just use standard epoxy off the shelf and brush it on? Or does it need to be fishing rod specific? Same question for the thread wraps, something special or will sewing thread work? 
 

I guess cost doesn’t really matter, within reason. If this would cost me $50 or more, I may as well just buy a new rod. The rod itself wasn’t more than $50 new back then. Problem there is they don’t make them like this one very often anymore, handle design that is. Closest rod currently available with a similar design is the St. Croix Triumph or Premier, which are both $110 and $160. Not that I’d mind just paying for one of those, I have a Premier now and LOVE IT. But for white bass fishing on the river where I may drop it in the rocks and damage it, I’d rather have a lesser cost rod.

[F14A-B]

@A-Jay did a thread on replacing guides .. he can guide you (lol) 

[A-Jay]

12 minutes ago, F14A-B said:

@A-Jay did a thread on replacing guides .. he can guide you (lol) 

 

A-Jay

[spoonplugger1]

If you replace the guides, you will have a Cone of Flight style rod like now, the guide closest to the tip, on its own will weigh as much as two of the low framed guides we use today, and it will stay lighter as you progress down toward the reel. Rods on the rack don't know what reel and mono size you will be using so they go big to compensate. The good custom rod builders haven't used a guide train like you have now, since the mid-80's when the Fuji New Guide Concept came out. Going to the new Fuji guides are no guarantee that performance will improve, a well-designed guide layout works just as well as any other, it's the layout, not the guides that make the difference, I myself have not had any problems with guide wrap so for me that is a non-issue. There is nothing new about guide height either, I have been using guides, easily available in similar high frames since the late 70's. Again, the layout is the important thing, not the guides, you can use what you want in that respect.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

For a newbie it’s hard to beat a set of American Tackle Microwave spinning guides. The setup is spelled out for you, price is reasonable and results excellent. Closest thing to a no brainer. Rod building thread and epoxy are worth the cost. You’ll close to $50 with shipping but the results will be better than a $50 rod off the shelf. 

[Brian11719]

I would say it's probably worth looking into a hand wrapper if you are going to start replacing your own guides. Having done it once without one I am not sure I'd suggest going down that route and for the price I suspect owning one would justify itself after a few replacements...

[MickD]

13 hours ago, Brian11719 said:

probably worth looking into a hand wrapper

https://online.flipbuilder.com/myart/kqin/

 

This is a good one.  HFFcustomrods.com sells it.