Love the look of the matte finish rods, ie the *** black.....Any advantages to going with a "glossy" finish over the matte finish?

None, it´s exactly the same, the only thing a glossy finish rod has over a matte is that it´s much more probable that scratches can be more visible.

The matte rod blank hasn't been sanded smooth and varnished. The glossy finish adds a little weight and rod weight can be critical to some anglers.

My custom rods are matte because I prefer the non glare factor of a matte black rod.

For example Loomis NRX series offers both matte (blue series) and gloss (green series) guide wraps. Same rod blank, matte isn't sanded, gloss is and varnished.

Tom

The matte rod blank hasn't been sanded smooth and varnished. The glossy finish adds a little weight and rod weight can be critical to some anglers.

My custom rods are matte because I prefer the non glare factor of a matte black rod.

For example Loomis NRX series offers both matte (blue series) and gloss (green series) guide wraps. Same rod blank, matte isn't sanded, gloss is and varnished.

Tom

There are only a few companies making rods with unsanded blanks.  Most matte blanks are sanded (including the blue NRX) just not finished.  

Form follows function...always

Painting a blank adds weight and can potentially hurt sensitivity slightly. I prefer a raw sanded blank, myself.