This has been one of the great mysteries surrounding this model ever since its introduction in 1962. The conversion to 3-screw took place in January 1968.Ĭan you ever recall seeing a 5000 De Luxe stamped with serial number #11 through #231? Chances are, you have not. Their construction is quite different than their counterparts and were never changed to a 3-screw model. The ABU 3000 and Ambassadeur 4000 have 4 screws on the left side but are not considered by collectors as a 4-screw model. There is one exception to this statement. As one looks at the endplate opposite the handle, the reel will either have 3 or 4 screws. One will often hear the terms 3-screw and 4-screw in reference to the Ambassadeur reels. Let me make one quick point for the new collectors reading this. Email me with questions and I'll be glad to help you. One may be surprised at just how good Grandpa's old reel will look when it has been properly cleaned. I have also included some cleaning tips that I've learned over the years which I believe are helpful to know. It is my hope that this information can be used as a tool to avoid some of the pitfalls associated with collecting. We have become good friends through time and he will always be close to my heart.ĬLICK TO ENLARGE MOST PICTURES ON THIS WEB PAGE!īelow can be found information, but not limited to, dating reels, reel cases, model number and letter designations, warning signs of altered reels, version numbers and their meaning. During all my years of collecting, Simon has been the biggest influence in my collecting life and I wish to thank him for that very much. That's the day I knew if I wanted to collect them, I had to learn about them. It was a mutt! It had the wrong style handle, wrong type pillar screws for that year’s model, and so on. He was very kind to me as he explained what was wrong with a 5000 I found in the field. In 1995, about the time I realized I wanted to collect these reels seriously, I met Simon Shimomura at the Houston, Texas NFLCC show. I used a Mitchell 300 until I was about thirteen or fourteen, when my father decided it was time for me to take the next step- an Ambassadeur 5000! From then on, it would be an Ambassadeur that went on all my fishing trips. One of my father’s favorite reels was the Ambassadeur 6000. In the 1960s and 70s, Galveston, Texas was where my family spent its free time. As a young boy, my father frequently took me fishing. My introduction to collecting tackle started with lures and quickly spread to reels. My name is Fred and I've collected Ambassadeur reels since late 1994. Original/Reproductions: Plates, Decals, Handles, etc. Table of Contents (Click on links) 5000 De Luxe #223: Where Have You Been?

Garcia ambassadeur 5000