I had a bunch of NFC stuff finally come in after 3+ months and now the blanks are basically just stock sitting in my shop since I had to switch gears and order some different blanks from other manufacturers to meet some build timelines. I've got a MB704HM and a MB704Delta in among that stuff. I'm going to build them with identical components except for the guides. Going to put Torzites on the HM and Alconites on the Delta. Then I'm going to have 8 or 10 different guys use them for a couple of trips each and then get their impressions. I'll be able to put them in the hands of novice nonboaters, local guides, some good local tournament sticks and hopefully even a local high level pro.
I'm just going to build them plain and leave off the label for now so it'll pretty much just be a blind taste test.
The cost difference is obviously significant, the retail on the HM parts comes out to $351 and the Delta is $145.
I honestly don't think they're going to be able to tell the difference.
I guess I must be bored.