Rodmaker Magazine FAQs

How many issues of RodMaker do I get for a one year subscription?

You get 6 issues in your one year subscription. Magazines are published and mailed every other month and normally arrive in your mailbox around the end of each even numbered month.

How many pages does an issue contain and how many advertisements are there?

Seriously, most magazines are comprised of about 50% to 60% advertising. All you need to do to convince yourself of this is to get out your favorite magazine and do a page by page count. On the other hand, RodMaker is limited to between 10% and 15% advertising. That makes our 40 page publication the equivalent of most 100 to 125 page magazines. There is very little “fluff” in RodMaker - we're all about rod building, not editorializing or advertising. And what advertising is there is directly related to custom rod building.

Can I buy RodMaker on my local newsstand?

Sorry, but due to the return and credit polices of most news agencies we can't afford to sell RodMaker on newsstands. RodMaker is a very expensive publication to produce and it's produced for a somewhat limited audience. Currently, the only way to obtain it is via a direct subscription.

Can you send RodMaker overseas?

Sorry, not at this time. If you'll check the subscription page you can find a few places that do sell RodMaker overseas. Australia and Europe both have individuals who sell RodMaker subscriptions. They are independent business persons, however, so you must check with them concerning their subscription rates and policies.

Can you send me a free sample issue to evaluate?

Sorry, as already mentioned, RodMaker is a very expensive publication to produce. If we started mailing out free copies to everyone who requested such we'd soon have to raise the subscription price on everyone else. Even if you subscribed, we still wouldn't make enough profit on your single subscription to cover the free copy we mailed you. If you want to see the magazine before you subscribe, we'd suggest buying a single back issue to look at. You won't be risking much and we can continue to keep the subscription price as low as possible.

With all the internet forums for custom rod building these days, what could RodMaker possibly offer me?

The internet does not create information - it simply disseminates information that was created elsewhere, such as in RodMaker Magazine. It is rare that a new technique or method is born on any of the internet rod building forums. Mostly they're just places for getting quick answers to pressing questions, not for in-depth information from authors and editors who have innovated, researched and tested rod building techniques and methods. In fact, you would be hard pressed to ever know just how qualified is the internet forum person you're getting your information from. He may be an expert, but he could just as easily be a klutz. There is a big difference between a public forum where anyone can say anything and a magazine where a publisher screens information for quality and validity.

We don't like to run down any of the various rod building forums (particularly since the most popular and most active one - rodbuilding.org - is the sister vehicle to RodMaker), but no internet forum will ever be a substitute for the kind of information and help you'll find in the magazine. Our articles are researched and verified for accuracy and dependability. Our authors are experts in their related fields and generally quite well known in the custom rod building craft.

What type of information does RodMaker contain? Is is for beginners or old pros?

RodMaker is for anyone and everyone who enjoys building custom rods and wants to increase their skill levels. Beginners will certainly benefit from it as will the old pros. Our articles cover a wide range of topics including “how-to” information, new methods and techniques, plans for jigs and tools, product reviews, color photos of other builders' work, historical interviews, and much, much more. RodMaker is the leading publication for custom rod builders. There is nothing else like it.