Aluminum oxide is a cheap guide, if modern $150 rods are being sold with them, I would steer clear of that maker.
Actually, as a rod builder for over 10 yrs... (by this I mean I have some rods 10 yrs old with those guides) Fuji A/O guides hold up just fine. I use Hardloys on my saltwater rods along with braid with no failures in 10 yrs (my saltwater rods are old) and Hardloy is just another form of Aluminum Oxide, just a little better/harder. Don't get me wrong... the high priced guides are awesome, but they are, in most cases, not really necessary. If you're going to have a problem... it's usually with a cheaper brand! For my personal rods, I use nothing but Fuji guides (not to say that there aren't other good guides out there, just that I prefer Fuji).
As far as the price of rods go... I have at least $150+ just in the blank and components alone (and that's really not all that much compared to some) on all of my Bass rods that I have built for myself. They are work horses. I enjoy making a cast with a custom built rod that I built myself, for a specific situation, paired with a Calcutta (That's all I use). A well balanced rod for the reel, spined properly, with the proper guide placement and so forth. For me, it's a joy to use my equipment, even if the fish aren't biting! 8-)
That being said... you can still catch fish on a Zebco Rhino!
