Milo, reels have come along way over the past 10 years...
I am very well aware of that, Vic.
Thing is...I have a soft spot in my heart for vintage ABU reels. I collect them and fish with them.
My to-go Vedder reel is a 1969 Ambassadeur 5000C with a little extra something in its innards that make it as smooth as any reel of today. My to-go fly reel is a 1970 ABU Delta 5, and my to-go Spinning reel is an Abu Cardinal 4. I have learned to service them myself - something that would be difficult for me to do with newer reels because of all the parts inside. The beauty of vintage ABUs lies in their simplicity.
As I said before, people in the market for new reels should try everything out in order to find out what works for them. As for me, I already have more baitcasters than I will ever need in this lifetime, and they all work great for me. I don't need to have the latest and greatest
Cheers,
Milo