You should definitely take a look a major craft rods. They are really popular in Japan and many parts of the world. They have recently been sending more of their products to the US. I have been fishing with their rods for about two years now and have been really happy with them. I have several of the nanoace and ms-x rods. I have one of the nanoace rods as my dedicated Ned rig setup and it's perfect for detecting those light bites. I also know that Don Iovino "the godfather" does use these rods on a regular basis and has been very happy with the way they perform for finesse fishing. 

After chatting with a few reps from a few different companies, I pulled the trigger on a new rod. I was able to get a new kistler helium 3 for $175 shipped! I had not realized that Kistler had updated their warranty to a cover issues with these rods for up to three years post purchase. 

I just wanted to thank everyone for the help,  and if/when I decide to go for a lighter finesse setup in the future, I have some awesome starting points.