I bought a LJ with matching LJ reel for my dad who needs the 5 inch arbour to have a chance at landing salmon 2 years ago. The butt section is long (which I prefer as well. People reeling hard on a rod with a short butt section looks funny and it keeps the reel off the lip of the holder as well). The butt is not carbon fibre though it’s a Winn grip material. No aluminum seat and the guides arent full stainless. The Okuma SXT has a carbon butt/cork foregrip, alps aluminum seat (but down locking
) titanium guides with zirconium inserts but they are angled forward (not sure what this does other than catching loops of slack braid easier but have seen it on other rods). I‘m with you on the full stainless guides. My dads old rods only have stainless because that’s the only guides Compleat Angler would put on his builds. The okuma is $220-300 depending on where you buy it. The LJ is around $150 pre Covid. I still haven’t given my dad the rod and reel so I must be having fun with it. It would make a good “guest” rod. Not too upset if it gets banged up and good enough for you to fish yourself if you have to show them how it‘s done.