i too have a custom 1144 ready to go for the brewer hunt for big fish. i know the cabelas XML was in the early days was built in the loomis plant. i love my 10" xml.

i also balance my rods too. i cut the butt off the cork, put a reel in the reel seat and start stuffing 5/8 or 3/4 oz bank sinkers inside the butt blank. i keep stuffing untill and checking the balance untill the intire rod balances into my hand... i then pull the sinkers out, mix up some epoxy and dip and stuff the sinkers back inside the rod... glue a new butt cap on and stand the rod upright for several hours. it's amasizing how a 10'+ rod fishes when you balance the top length out of the rod. sometimes it takes 1.5ozs to balance a rod, but it sure works awesome.