Besides the better balance, comfort, and the rod looking nice you also get some other benefits with our custom straight rod for the AT. You get your choice of the best quality, heavy duty, and comfortable metal arm cuffs. You also get the snap on stand which you can move around on the rod. You can take the stand off when you go into the water. The stand will also keep your detector from falling over just about every time you set it down to dig like the stock one. I scuffed up my control box really bad the first couple of times I had my AT out. It was even tipping over in my vehicle because the control box is so top heavy. The stand will help protect the value of your detector. I have sold a few detectors recently that were never used. They were just assembled and air tested in peoples houses or yards during the winter. I was mostly only offered half of the retail price for each one of those never used detectors. I can imagine how much my AT is worth if I decided to sell it now that the control box is all scuffed up. I do believe that a stand is really important. I'll also bet that the straight rod will have less resistance and will be smoother to swing in the water than the stock S rod.
