This is my idea of "custom"...........
A lockdown project for me, a winter spate rod, using what bits I had available. It was a Sportex Morion 12' 2.5lb carp rod. The carp guys will,no doubt, be horrified!
I wanted a Fuji Concept type guide setup, the idea being to reduce the line coils rapidly to small guides spreading the load efficiently along the blank.
First job was to cut a few inches off the butt, to suit my casting style and how I play fish. The extra guides also help when pressuring fish amongst the snags under the rod tip.
In that photo the butt guide is only taped on, it would need a casting session to decide exactly where that size of guide would avoid line bunching with the spool size of the reel I was fitting.
To the butt I added a fore-grip and butt-grip of a diameter that suited my hands. The original skinny shrink tube is too thin to grip comfortably, a fore-grip helps the reel hand add extra pressure and control when finishing the fight under the rod and bring the fish to the net.
This is all so retro and against current fashion, maybe showing just how old I am!
BUT, maybe it's time to go "Back to the Future"
Nowadays the production companies are looking for much cheapness and good profits. Their marketing guys have made a good job of brainwashing anglers into accepting cheap production finishes as "fashionable"
Me? I want efficient guide placement and a decent, proper 'andle (it's for holding, isn't it?)