The AMS is very nice. The spool will give you more headaches than anythign and discourage a begginer IMO cuz most beginners miss alot starting out and the wind up process and time stinks with a spool and you can shoot about 4 or 5 arrows to one with the AMS over the spool. Also there is themuzzy reals and zebco style reels that can shoot about 2or3 to one over the AMS retriever. Matter of prefrence there. WCL