i have built a hand full of rods and most of the blanks were lamiglas. Alot of people like mudhole mhx blanks for the money but, I haven't built one. Building a rod is not rocket science but there is a learning curve. Chances are your first rod isn't gonna be pretty i would suggest getting a $10 blank and some cheap guides for the first build. If it doesn't turn out don't be afraid to cut everything of and do it again. There are some other rod building specific forums on the web that might be a good resource for you as well. Good luck, it's a fun hobby.