Sorry im a little late to this party and im sure youve already made your purchase. But i spoke with someone from Lews directly with the same questions. Its was confirmed to me by him that the only difference between the 2 combos is the color and the grips. THATS IT. So at the end of the day you can get either. ME being the savvy shopper i am. Ill get another Mach 1 combo for 30 less and buy the hassle free guarantee from dicks with that money. If you are unfamiliar with it. It is literally a no questions asked warranty. pole breaks they send you a a gift cert for exactly what you paid for it to get a new one. Reel busts, send it back and they send you a replacement or a gift cert for what you paid for it. To me thats a bigger value than grips, and the color black