They need constant maintenance if used in the salt, but many of today’s anglers believe that the more bearings, the better the reel. Whether these additional bearings aid smooth casting is debatable. In the C4 and C5 reels there are additional bearings in the level wind. A C3 is a three-bearing reel – one either side of the spool and a roller bearing for anti-reverse. The number after the ‘C’ denotes the number of bearings. In 1983 the ultra-cast models were introduced, and in the late 1990s a roller bearing replaced the anti-reverse dog. Later the gear ratio changed upwards to 5.3:1 and today the C4, C5 and other high-speed Ambassadeurs boast a ratio of 6.3:1.

Their gear ratio was 4.66:1 as opposed to the 6000’s 3.5:1. The ‘5’ in 6500 came when, in 1973, the high-speed 500s were introduced. Today, a 6000 has one bush and one bearing – easily upgraded by replacing the bush with a bearing. A ‘C’ in the title meant that the bushes had been replaced by two ball bearings. In the past, a straight 6000 was a reel where the spool shaft ran on bronze bushes. I’ll now quickly explain the model classifications.

The side plates and internal mechanisms are the same but the 6500 lends itself to modifications, upgrading and conversions much better than any other Ambassadeur in the range. The only difference between the 4500, 55 Ambassadeurs is their spool width. The third reel is the current 6500C3CT Mag Elite, which is an ultra-cast model fitted with both magnet and centrifugal braking systems. The second is the black 6000c, circa 1973, which is a ball bearing model. The first is the original red 6000, circa 1953, which is a basic baitcaster with bushes. To illustrate the point I have chosen three 6000 size Abu classic Ambassadeurs from different eras.

Abu ambassadeur 5000 serial numbers