Comparing custom built rods to factory rods is obviously like comparing apples to oranges. There are a lot of good factory rod companies that make high end rods. I don't see the need to talk bad about these rods or compare them to custom built rods.

A long time ago I used a rod builder who built a ton of rods using g loomis blanks along with batson. At the time I wanted the best rod possible and decided on the loomis glx blank for a steelhead rod. The price difference between the loomis and batson built up the same was enough that I could almost get two batsons for the same price as one loomis custom. He thought the batsons were just as good as the loomis (so did people on here) so I went with the batson and loved both of those rods. I used batons XST blanks for many years after those first two. I believed that they were every bit as good as the IMX or GLX I had wanted to purchase. They make great blanks and at good price.

Having said that, I now use North Fork Composites blanks and comparing the two there is a noticeable difference in vibrations coming through the blank as well as weight. Just sliding the tip across the ceiling the batson feels kind of dead and tip heavy. I used my old 10'6" XST 8-17 lb rod a lot this fall for Chinook because my NFC rod fall out of the boat at some point driving to the coast. It wasn't until I built up a new NFC 1065 (HM), 10'6", 10-20 lb that I realized how much difference there is between those two almost identical rods. Similar components and build but the NFC felt like a trout rod compared to the XST and fighting the fish was a blast.

I guess my point is these IMX rods are probably pretty nice. They are expensive but so are other similar high end factory rods. If you wanted a custom rod built on a similar blank you could have it done for probably the same price as the factory rod with slightly better components and grip configuration. Saying a custom batson is a lot better or even equal to the new IMX is a little crazy. Have two custom built rods made exactly the same one with a cheaper blank and the other with a NFC, Sage or other high end more expensive blank and you will feel a difference. The cheaper one will not feel lighter or more sensitive no matter how good of components you put on it! Will the more expensive rod catch more fish? Nope, probably not but it will feel pretty awesome out on the water.