Millionmax GS-9000

The Millionmax GS-9000 is a beautiful reel in black and anthracite grey, with red and white accents. It was originally released alongside the higher-specced SS-9000, but the GS-9000 was the first to reach Europe. Despite its distinctive looks, the GS-9000 never became the collectors’ favourite over its SS sibling, unlike the smaller Whisker GS-3000 and GS-5000. The SS-9000’s iconic looks undoubtedly played a role in this. Nevertheless, the GS-9000 is still appreciated by many today. Like the SS-9000, this powerful reel offers enormous line capacity and excellent casting performance.

History

In the mid 1980s, the golden Millionmax GS-9000 and black-and-gold SS-9000 were Daiwa’s heavy-duty front drag spinning reels for heavy lines. In 1988, they were succeeded by the new Millionmax GS-9000, bearing the same name, and Tournament Millionmax SS-9000. By combining lightweight materials such as Whisker Carbon, worm gear oscillation and skirtless long cast spools, these new models offered significantly improved performance while making the reels considerably lighter.

The GS-9000 was the entry-level variant and was considerably cheaper, at around 40% less than the SS-9000. It had lower specs: fewer bearings, no click-adjustable drag knob, a cheaper hard plastic handle knob, and a bail kicker without a roller. The hex drive also differs from the square drive gear used in the inital SS-9000. In the Japanese 1992 catalogue, it carried the tagline: “For boat and rock fishing. Super powerful spinning. It further mentions: “Built on the Tournament SS, the long cast performance (45 mm stroke) opens up new possibilities at your regular fishing spots.”

Information on its introduction in Europe is quite unclear. As far as is known, it was only introduced to the UK in 1990, where it was positioned as a sea reel / shore casting reel. If you have any additional information, please let it know.

The GS-9000 was discontinued after 1992 in Japan. Unlike the SS-9000, there was no direct successor, although the Super Millionmax GS series was released in 1993 and can be seen as the successor to the range, replacing the GS-3000, GS-5000 and GS-9000. In the UK, it was discontinued after 1994.

Releases

The GS-9000 was released for both the Japanese and export markets. In Japan, it was introduced alongside the SS-9000 in 1988. The box included a line reducer, cloth bag and maintenance kit. It was discontinued in Japan after 1992, as it was succeeded by the Super Millionmax GS series.

Information on its release in European markets is quite limited. It was introduced to the UK in 1990, where it last appeared in the 1994 catalogue. In that final year, it was placed in the shore casting reel range, unlike the SS-9000, which was placed in the specialist reel range alongside the SS-3000. The GS-9000 was discontinued in the UK after 1994, two years after its discontinuation in Japan. Information regarding releases in other European markets is unclear. It was for sure never released in France. Any additional information regarding other markets would be greatly appreciated.

Model comparison

Compared to other 6000–9000 models, the GS-9000 stands out with its black and anthracite finish, black spool, and subtle red and white accents. The bail kicker has no roller, and is black with red lettering. The folding handle has a large hard plastic torpedo knob, a design commonly seen on older heavy-duty Daiwa reels.

Technically, it sits at the lower end of the 6000–9000 series. It lacks several of the features found on the other models in the range. Most notably, the worm shaft runs on bushes rather than bearings. For a heavy-duty big fish reel, this is a notable drawback, especially under heavy loads. It also has just one ball bearing on the drive gear, and it lacks a click-adjustable drag knob. Compared to the TS6000T, it also lacks additional ball bearings in the handle and a Twistbuster line roller. The hex drive gear has a durable black almite finish.

Collectability

The GS-9000 is still a fairly popular reel, valued mostly for its looks. Built for strength, its low gear ratio also means a slow retrieve speed. This is its main drawback, especially compared to modern big pit reels. It is less sought-after than the SS-9000, and generally more desirable to collectors than the TS6000T. Within the 6000-9000 series, the GS-9000 is the rarest model due to its shorter production run. This means that they are harder to find, although they still circulate within Europe as they were originally sold there. These reels are generally less expensive than the SS-9000, but are still quite costly when found in good condition. Compared to the TS6000T, they are probably in the same price range, perhaps slighty higher.

Specifications

All models in this group are very similar in terms of technical design. Click the button ‘6000-9000 series’ for general technical information, or further info on certain subjects below.