seems like a pretty nice rod for the price and havent heard any one talk about it much. so does anyone got one or handled it ...

thanks, john

It was a hot topic when it came out a year or two ago.  Since then quite a few split grip rods have come out at the $100 price point so it has gotten lost in the enthusiasm for newer products.

They are nice rods! I have afew but it is noy my best rod !  Check out the Mojo rods they came out with there spinning rods this year.

All Star used to be a great rod company.  Superior product with a customer service program that was probably the best in the industry.  It was simple - lifetime warranty, should you break a rod, they would give you a new one.  If the place where you bought it had another in stock, they would replace out of stock.  If they had to send out for a newe one, you had to pay shipping.

Then Shakespeare bought All Star.  I don't know about their rods anymore because I haven't bought any.  I know I had some wear and tear issues the Shakespeare customer service kept thinking up more hoops for me to jump through.  I got nowhere until the Customer service manager at the KCK Cabelas store got involved.  Then I got my rods replaced.

Now I will go out of my way to avoid dealing with Shakespeare, and I for sure won't buy any of their products.

But I'm not bitter or anything.  JMO

I bought my first All-Star GTX40(?) 7'MH this past year @ BPS for $49.77 (reduced from $79.99). I was looking for a decent but economical flippin' rod. This rod has done it's job. No problems and PLENTY of backbone! I'd say it's a good rod $50-75 range, but there are better alternatives $75-100 raange.

Owned two of them and they never made it on a fishing trip, 1 blank was warped so bad towards the end that I am not even sure it would cast straight the other one was not splined right and would roll when loaded just the slightest amount.  Imo not very good quality control and I hate that for the original all American rod company like All Star, Man in their day they were it now like so many their day has passed