I think it's the number of bearings.

 

I mean what the "C" stands for.......Oh, and I found out that the 3 doesnt mean the number of bearings, according to the Abu Garcia web site. Im really stumped!

 

Here's what their web site says: Notice this reel has 2 ball bearings and the designation is a C3.

Abu Garcia® Ambassadeur® C3 Series

The best selling baitcast ever! You'll love the smooth casting action of two stainless steel ball bearings in the Ambassadeur® C3. Fish with confidence knowing you have a stainless steel roller bearing to deliver the solid hooksetting power of Instant anti-reverse. Available in right and left hand retrieves. The Ambassadeur® C3 comes standard with a six pin centrifugal brake, chemical nickel coated levelwind system, and the new Carbon Matrix Drag™ System.

 

Here's what their web site says: Notice this reel has 2 ball bearings and the designation is a C3.

Abu Garcia® Ambassadeur® C3 Series

The best selling baitcast ever! You'll love the smooth casting action of two stainless steel ball bearings in the Ambassadeur® C3. Fish with confidence knowing you have a stainless steel roller bearing to deliver the solid hooksetting power of Instant anti-reverse. Available in right and left hand retrieves. The Ambassadeur® C3 comes standard with a six pin centrifugal brake, chemical nickel coated levelwind system, and the new Carbon Matrix Drag™ System.

Well, yeah...it does have 2 ball bearings, but also the anti-reverse ROLLER bearing...so THREE bearings total. So, C3 - the 3 IS the number of total bearings. C4 adds one more bearing, on the worm gear for the level wind. They also made a C5-MagX (mag brake) that had 5 bearings...by adding a bearing on BOTH ends of the level wind worm gear.
Too bad they aren't consistent in their naming conventions...they make other reels with yet more bearings, but don't retain a C6 or yet more in the names...they name those things like Revo, Snakehead, Record, etc. Don't ya just love marketing?

 

My stab...c for casting

 

:yeahthat: Casting would be my guess. But I am no brainiac.




Mike

 

Cully, you're probably right and thats a great guess! Thank you!

 

C was their old nomenclature for having ball bearings on the spool. older reels, before the roller clutches came standard on the drive shaft, had a plastic bushing. the original C3s had a bearing instead of a bushing, along with the old style anti-reverse dog, which brought the bearing total to 3.

 

I don't know what it means, but could be just the model number. Like a one ton truck is a 3500 or 350 depending on make. At one point maybe it meant something?

 

ABU is somewhat inconsistent as to their reel identification. Every time ABU produced something with new features, they gave it a new "identity" in alphabetical order.

"A" was used when the extra line capacity spool was introduced in 1955 (i.e. Record Ambassadeur 5000).

"B" was used when the B model (known as clicker model was introduced in 1964.

"C" was used for ball bearing models such as the 5500C and 6500C marketed beginning in 1973.

"D" was used for the direct drive model such as the 5000D that was introduced in 1974.

In the 1980's many sub model names such as CA, CB and DA were produced. ABU tried to standardize model names but the results were inconsistent.

They seem to be doing a better job now with the current C3/C4 series, at least the letters/numbers indicate the differences between the reels.

There you go. :wink::wink::wink:

 

Glad I said I wasn't a brainiac. I just always figured that the C was the code for casting. Learn somthing new all the time. :applause:

Mike

 

i never figured out what the "CA" was, but the 5500DA was a direct drive like the 5000D and 5500D, but with the rounded style side plates. the 4500CB was an odd duck, it used an interesting setup that disengaged the levelwind when casting like your run of the mill shimano or daiwa.

 

swiped the following from the abu site:

Glossary of Reel Terminologies

A = Small arbor spool, larger line capacity than the standard spool (for example 5000A)

AB = Anti-backlash, (for example 5600AB)

B = Small arbor spool, larger line capacity and a line out alarm (for example 5000B)

C = Reel has 2 ball bearings in the spool or around the spool axle depending on spool design

CI = Reel produced for Independent dealers

C3 = Reel has two ball bearings in the spool plus a one-way roller bearing for the anti-reverse (the 7000C3/7500C3 reels have two ball bearings at the ends of the spool axle plus a third ball bearing around the crank shaft)

C4 = Reel has two ball bearings in the spool, one ball bearing in the level wind plus a one-way roller bearing for the anti-reverse

C5 = The reel has two ball bearings in the spool, two ball bearings in the level wind plus a one-way roller bearing for the anti-reverse

CB = Self-centering – disengaging level wind (for example 4600CB) 1980’s

CS = C stands for ball bearings, the S is short for "Sports", as in "6500C Sports Rocket

CT = Non level wind model

D = Direct drive - Drag works only when your hand is off the handle grips. (For example 5000D)

DA = Direct drive with palming side plate

DL = Deluxe = Gold plated model

GR = Graphite construction

HCL = The H stands for High-speed, the CL for ball bearings and level wind, as in "Big Game 6500HCL"

HS = High speed reel

HSI = High Speed with Infini spool design

HSN = High speed narrow frame reel

IAR = Instant Anti Reverse (for example 2500CIAR)

IVCB = Infinitely Variable Centrifugal Brake

J-speed = the "J" stands for Japan, the J-speeds (8000/9000/10000) are high-speed saltwater reels made for the Japanese market.

L = Level wind (for example 6500CL, 9000CL; originally used for the 9000CL and 10000CL to indicate that those models had a level wind.

LC = Line counter reel

LD = Lever drag reel

LDN = Lever drag reel with narrow frame

SP = Sprint 6.3:1 gear ratio

ST = Striper model

W = Winch 3.8:1 gear ratio

Abu Garcia reels come in the following sizes:
1x00, 2x00, 3x00, 4x00, 5x00, 6x00, 7x00, 8x00, 9000, 10000. The 7x00 and up models are larger reels, with the 7x00 holding 300 yds of
Berkley Big Game 25# line and the 10000 holding well over 300 yds of Big Game 40# line.

The X in the size when replaced with a 5 represents a push button free spool release model and a 6 is a thumbar free spool release model.
Note that other size designations have been used. For example the 521/522/523, 821/822/823 or 1021/1022 made during the eighties, or the
Ultra Mag I, II, III, IV, V, VI. "1" or "I" means a 4000-size reel, a "2" or "II" means a 5000-size reel, a "3" or "III" means a 6000-size reel and so on up.

 

c is for bearing...c3=3...c4=4 and so on.. last chart pretty much summed that up

 

This makes me think back to my first Ambassador. If you wanted one then, it was called an Ambassador and came in red with a leather carrying case. You would not find any relation to "ABU" anywhere on it. But, it did say "Made in Sweden". I don't know if it was as good as the present day Ambassadors but it lasted me about 35 yrs and got ate by a house fire. None of these new Ambassador's have not been around that long!

But even the new one's are my first choice in reels. You have to give them credit, being around that long and not screwing them up!

 

This makes me think back to my first Ambassador. If you wanted one then, it was called an Ambassador and came in red with a leather carrying case. You would not find any relation to "ABU" anywhere on it. But, it did say "Made in Sweden". I don't know if it was as good as the present day Ambassadors but it lasted me about 35 yrs and got ate by a house fire. None of these new Ambassador's have not been around that long!

But even the new one's are my first choice in reels. You have to give them credit, being around that long and not screwing them up!

Another interesting tidbit is that you can still get parts for the old Ambassadors. For example, you can order parts for say an old 6500C from the mid-70's and build a brand new reel one part at a time. Probably would cost about $275 but it can be done. You don't have that option with Shimano since they discontinue producing replacement parts after a period of time.

 

I've heard alot of talk about " hot roding " these reels . its is more then just replacing the brake washers ?

 

Depends what you want.

Some common mods:

Handle: carbon fiber 4bb handle or powerhandle
Drag washers: smooothie, extreme smoothie, or carbontex
Frame: CT or CS
Side plates: any color
Braking system: 6 pin, 2 pin, static mag, ultra mag, bedingfield mag
Pawl upgrade: ceramic
Bearing: ABEC3 SS, ABEC5 SS, ABEC7 SS, ABEC7 Ceramic
Lube: OEM, Rocket fuel Red, Yellow, Tournament
Gears: 4:1, 5.3:1, 6.3:1
Levelwind: bearing levelwind, dual ball bearing