Apparently the steez AGS is set to get a price increase on June 1st. From $550 to $750. What’s absolutely ridiculous is that the tariffs are paused, so this price increase is pure greed from Daiwa. I’m honestly really upset about this. Just figured I’d give you all a warning so you can grab them before the price increase. No way in Hell I would pay over $700 for a steez AGS.
Cool your jets... until it happens, it hasn't happened.
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Thats GLoomis Conquest territory
Last edited by ThomasD; 05-23-2025 at 09:28 PM.
Good point. Thank you for pointing that out. I hadn’t thought of that. I must admit I was a bit flustered when I found out it was still planned and my first thought was to rant about it on here. I would still say if you plan on purchasing a steez AGS, do it before June 1st just in case.Originally Posted by Bronzefly
That is a huge increase if it happens. Fan of my AGS rods.
I enjoy mine as well. No chance I will be purchasing more though if this is the case. Hopefully it is not.
No worries. I can sell you mine for $699
Haha...
Spent some time with my bottom contact and an. Ray and eternity I built…
if prices go up… it would definitely be worth it to invest into some rod building equipment.
xray blanks are 60 bucks on sale c602 95. You can easily build a comparable rod for less than 200. He’ll your I it oak coat of blank, components, and equipment would still be less than some of these rods.
i get it, not practical for everyone, but they are every bit as good, if not better.
Comment deserving of a footnote. Although the X-ray and C602 banks from North Fork are worthy of being on a “$500” rod, it is NOT a $500 rod if you build it under $200 (in parts & blank). A lot of inexperienced builders say this, but throwing in cheap, generic parts to finish the rod just doesn’t make it the same quality. Even if the blank performs similarly, cheaper guides are heavier and can/will change properties of the rod. Nicer handles/reel seats feel better. Cheaper components (handle, reel seat, etc.) also tend to be heavier. The Steele AGS has carbon fiber guides, those run $210 a set with a tip… you don’t have a comparable rod throwing in a $35 set of alconites, much less $20 set of generics from the off brands (anything not Fuji). Pretty much most $500+ rods will have Torzites (comparable in price to the carbon fiber AGS’s), nicer reels seats, and high quality cork or carbon fiber handles (no foam crap). Some of the high dollar JDM’s also have threadwork that rivals some of the best thread guys, without going into excess. Add in fair opportunity cost of labor, and you will never be cheaper - though building for yourself, you can call the labor “free”.
North Fork blanks are cheap, WHEN on sale, but they are currently running 4 months to get. Anything else top end will run you $200’ish, for the blank alone. Don’t even think you’re building a “$500” rod using a low end blank (I know there are builders that charge that because of their “threadwork” art skills). That is a different topic of discussion, but in the end, you are also paying for skill and labor.
^ what JJohnSind said.
now I’m of the ilk that you can save a significant amount of money by building your own, and I’ve done it. But there’s a few things to consider: finish quality and you don’t have a lifetime warranty.
I built an NFC Xray SJ736 with SiC guides for $185. A comparable rod would be over $500. that said, my wraps and epoxy certainly isnt worthy of a $500 build. I definitely need to work on refinement of the finished product.
one thing I’ve noticed too is on a lot of my builds, they just don’t seem as sensitive as they should be based on how others talk. Could just be I’m expecting too much or I’m screwing something up. Definitely more sensitive than any rods in the price point I’m building them for though.
so essentially, you could build a comparable rod to a Steez, but you’re probably in the realm of $400or more.. still a $150 savings. But again, you are forgoing a lifetime warranty.
1995 Ranger 481v
1995 Johnson Fast Strike 175hp
What got me to rod building was when I discovered my first rod outside of GLoomis, that I liked. It was the Phenix Ultra MBX, $250 at the time, and the first rod I found lighter than the GLoomis GLX and jsut as sensitive. There were things about the rod that I didn't like, and things that I really did. I noticed that they also sold their blanks and calculated the cost of parts to build it my way (I didn't like their skeleton reel seat and their handle profile just didn't fit my preferences). The price to build, not including thread, epoxy, incidentals, but using the same SIC guides came out to a $20 savings. Technically a loss, if you include labor and incidentals, BUT I got a rod I liked EXACTLY how I wanted it in the first place. That's what I've come to be satisfied with.
Yes, I can save money, as I go more high end. Actually its the really high end stuff I can compete better with. Below a certain price point ($200'ish), I tell people they are better off buying a store shelf rod because I can't build it cheaper. Finish work (and some creativity) is what really separates a good rod builder from a basement hobbyist, but i still don't call a rod a $500 rod if I'm not using components that typically come with those rods. Yes, absolutely, you can get a comparable rod built cheaper and the performance difference not be noticeably different when using the lesser components. Personally, I have not seen any measurable difference in casting distance on identical rods built with Alconites, SIC, and Torizites. Torzites are measurably lighter, harder (but that doesn't matter in bass fishing) and offer better corrosion resistance. Hard to justify the cost, but I see them on pretty much every rod above $500. Now, on those rods that offer "lifetime unlimited warranty", expect $100-$150 of that price to technically be the "insurance" portion of the rod cost.
As far as the Steeze, people might overlook that those, uniquely, come with carbon guides. Those are EXPENSIVE, and proprietary. That one component alone makes that rod hard to compare with or get alternatives for (even though it may not have any performance gains).
Last edited by JJohnSind; 05-27-2025 at 11:34 AM.
Good point about custom rods. I know of a couple builders with good reputations so it’s definitely worth thinking about.
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