All Star or G-Loomis

[MotherNature]

If you are inclined post the reasons behind your choice.

[Mike Noble]

I can't vote...never used either one.

[Jared LeBlue]

I think they are both great blanks, over priced but none the less great blanks. It would depend on who has the best warranty and customer service. If I spend that kind of dough I want a company that backs the product with no hassels.

[BIG PAPA]

I would have said G-Loomis at one time, but  Daniel Greene has broken two glx models setting the hook lately .I  have been in the boat both times and both times he has lost a solid fish in a tournament. Now don't quote me on this but I have heard that since Shimano bought out Loomis they substituted the GLX with their old v-series rod which was their top rod for some time. I have a couple of the older Loomis rods and have not had any problem with them though. I know that All Star has an over the counter replacement where as loomis requires you to return your rod to them. 

papa

[Rebbasser]

All I use are AllStars. Busted several of them, took them back to where I bought them and got brand new ones free with no questions asked.  You can't beat the lifetime warranty.  However, since AllStar was bought out by Shakespeare I fear the lifetime warranty is soon to be a thing of the past.

[danisfish]

Like Papa said, I have broken two g loomis rods this year on hook sets. I sent an email to the company asking them if quality control had changed since they were bought out in 1997, the company has not sent me an email back. I have sent the last one off to be replaced and the other one they replaced with out any questions. I love the rods, but when you are as bad as I am fishing, you can not afford to lose a big fish in any tourny. the last fish cost papa and I some money and points in the cross lake deal. That more than any thing else upsets me.

I have also fished with allstar rods. I still have two that are top water rods. I like the two I still have but I would not buy another one if anything happened to them. I ordered two rods from the gentleman who posted on our site a few months back from furnance bay rod company. Don't tell papa but I ordered him one if he wants it. I look forward to tring his rods and hope I can report some positive feedback to everyone. I saw where Mike tried another company who makes custom rods and he had very positvie things to say about it. Maybe custom rods are the answer if you are willing to pay top dollar for a rod. I would like to go and fish with mike and try his rod and compare it to the rod I have on order and also compare it to my glx rods and see just who is the best.

[Marty]

I have 3 All Star Titaniums, and 4 other All Stars, total 7 All Stars.  They have been my favorites for some time, especially the Titaniums.  All Star has been great to me from a customer service standpoint.  Kim, who is the main customer service rep, has taken care of me without fail on the several occasions I have dealt with the company.  It is not widely known, but All Star has an upgrade program, where if you have one of their say, Classic series rods, & it breaks, you can send it in with around $50 & you can choose a higher grade rod, for instance a Titanium.  You aren't limited to an exact duplicate of the one you broke.  Of course, like I said, it does cost a few extra bucks, but it's still cheaper than paying full price for the Titanium, especially if the rod you broke is old & beat up anyhow.  The Titaniums as light weight rods, extremely sensitive and tough.  I use the AST786C for pitching plastics, with Curado 100's.  Much easier on my sore elbow!  The one thing to remember about All Star rods, though is that their main line of rods begins with the Classic series & goes up from there.  The cheaper line that you see in stores, for instance the Pro-2 series, is, well how can I put it...there el-cheapo line & I don't think they will take it in trade for a Titanium.  You would have to check on this, since the comapny's policy may have changed since the last time I did a swap with them but that's the way is used to be.  The Pro-2 series is an overseas made rod, while there main product line is made in the USA.  I don't think they have the lifetime warranty, maybe a couple of years.  That being said, I use a Pro-2 rod for most of my Pop-R fishing.  It has great action for what I use it for & I've been pleased with it.  As mentioned earlier, All Star's over the counter replacement policy is great an convenient.  You can walk in to Academy with a busted rod & walk out with a brand new one, no questions asked.  I've done it myself, as well as done the mal-in thing.  I hope All Star's cusomter service doesn't change with the buy-out.  Time will tell. 

Marty

[Mike Noble]

I would have to say that I would buy an All Star.  I have a old All Star, not Titanium, and I use it on occasion.  I never had any problems with it and it has a good feel.  The posts from owners is giving good information for possible future purchases.  It looks like things are up in the air with both companies, due to buy-outs.

[Mike Cork]

Thanks for the info, but we have almost three hundred members on the board, I need more info I'm a info junking hook me up with a fix

Replies although are apreciated they are not required just click a vote if you are in a hurry. Thanks

[casso]

I have an Allstar Titanium and I think its a great rod. Its light, tough , and for the most part its been pretty durable. The only problem I've had w/ it is the ceramic guide popped out of an eyelet. Its a 6'6" heavy action but doesn't seem to have as much backbone as some other similar action rods that I have, not necessarliy a bad thing. You really can feel alot w/ this rod. Over the counter replacement by Academy and Allstar is awesome, but I personnaly don't know anywhere locally the carry the Titanium series. Can't comment on the G Loomis, never fished w/ them. I keep hearing really good things about St. Croix rods and will probably check them out for my next high end purchase.

Casso

[Mike Cork]

Casso, Delta V will build you a Titanium and if you only go with the over the counter features it may even cost you less!

But if you start adding on all the things that make a good rod perfect that is when the price goes up but I assure you that you can spend just as much on a over the counter rod, so why not get it perfect?

I'm bad I know - cheap plugs are just that cheap but if it makes a sale.........

[casso]

I haven't tried the custom route yet. I sure would like the little details in a rod that I want. Shorter handle, fatter handle behind the real, no fore grip, etc. The only thing that concerns me when I've thought about buying a custom is I spend a few hundred on a rod that has what kind of warrenty? I understand that the builder warrenties his work and the blank is warrentied by the manufacturer. But what if the Blank was altered buring building. For example, say its trimmed a bit, who's going to cover it now. Say the manufacturer does cover the blank and the send out a new blank. I now have to pay for a rebuild and wait. I do not know all the details and I may be totally incorrect, but it just seems like alot of effort and a situation where people could pass the buck leaving the rod owner holding a broken rod.

[Mike Cork]

Casso, those are all valid questions and defenately ones that you will want the answer to and proof of the results before you buy. First I would like to say that a "few" hundred is a little high unless you are wanting a very top of the line rod with all the little extras that you really don't need. You might be suprised at the prices avaliable especially once you compare them to a store bought rod.

Warrenty? Everything you discribed is correct. Just some info, all blanks come way to long and require length modification. A good manufacture will not charge you again for rebuild, that is one of the risks that go into being a builder. Besides the parts cost is minumal as most parts can be reused if the buyer requests or changed if that is requested (cost might incure with change depending on upgrade). And Yes you will have to weight for shipping and delivery, there is no way around that. But as a buyer that is something that comes along with a custom rod.

There is nothing wrong with over the counter rods, and they are much easier to replace. If that is an important factor to you then stick with the over the counter product. But if having all those things you talked about is important then try a custom built rod, you won't be sorry. Of course as with everything you buy make sure you get the features you that are important to you, thats why there are so many products on the market, all with slightly different features. Warrenty is a big one in my book and most rod manufactures warrenty there products fully, but warrenty and time of replacement seems important to you, so custom built may not be the way to go.

[Marty]

Bass Pro Shops carries All Star Titaniums, but I don't know anybody who's tried to do a swap-out with them. 
Academy used to carry them, but I don't think they do anymore. 

Marty

[PJ Lures]

I am very pleased with the G-Loomis IMX at this point.
Have three that I have used for two years.
Very light and very sensative.You can almost feel the fish looking at your lure

[docwaldo]

i am getting rod scobee to build me a coiuple of rods, although i have not gotten either of them yet.  one will be an all-star titanium for flippin and the other will be a loomis crankin' stick for fishing spinner baiats and crank baits and also fishing for my white basss with my cc spoon.  i don't have either of them yet, but hopefully soon i wll get them. and then i can give my input of how they fish.  i guess if i am gonna spend this much money on a rod they are 'GUARANTEED'  to catch fish, huh??

drop it deep  and yank it hard.  .  .

doc   

[Mike Cork]

Doc, you lipped an 8+ pounder that I caught on one of them

Hey I was talking with Rod Scobee, last weekend and he was stripping your rod back down because he didn't like the way it looked. I guess you came across as a pretty picky customer and he wants to make sure it is perfect. You might call him. We were supposed to go fishing today and I had to back out for personal reasons, so I bet he finishes it today. Give him a call, I don't know for sure which one he was working on.

[docwaldo]

mike thanks for the information.  my numbers have changed (phone numbers) and i \was afraid that rod had tried to call me at my old number.  anywya--can you im me with his number.  it was programed into my old phone that i don't have anymore.  thanks a million,

drop it deep and yank it hard.  .  .

doc   

[Mike Cork]

I am talking to him right now and he said that he is putting the color perserver and epoxy on your pitchin stick. I will I'm you.