My 02 cents worth, I am the allstar rep, so take it with a grain of salt. I am just going to state a few facts and my personal experiences. I use to be a Loomis guy until I started working for allstar, and before Loomis sold to shimano.
The allstar rods are a great value, you get so much more than youpay for. They are made of 43 million modulous graphite, made in the USA, and have a life time warranty. But they cost about a fraction of a GL-3 and have a higher modulous graphite than they do.
For instance the 1141 is 129.00 retail, a 1025 is 109.95 retail and the 1263 is 129.95
so don't be afraid to try something new, and you might be pleasantly suprised.
Peace Superfly