saltydancindave...

Just for grins, I weighed the following rods from my 'arsenal'. All are completed rods, ready for a reel and line and water.

Graphite
2 pc 9ft 9wt Fisher 4 1/4 oz; 2 pc. 9ft 9wt St.Croix 4 1/4oz; 2 pc. 9ft 7wt. Fenwick HMG 4.0 oz

Bamboo
Heddon Victory 3pc. 9ft 5 1/2 oz; Heddon Stream and Lake 3pc. 9ft. 5 3/4oz.; Granger Victory 3pc. 9ft. 5 1/4 oz; Shakespeare Texas Bug Rod 3pc. 9ft. 6 3/4 oz; Heddon "X" (Just has "Heddon " stamped on butt cap) 3 pc. 9ft. 5 1/4oz; Heddon #10 3 pc. 9ft. 6 1/4 oz.

These weights clearly are not in accord with your contention that bamboo rods are much heavier than graphite or glass, and that "...rods from 8'-9' are about 6 oz just for the bamboo strips...". To reiterate, these bamboo rods all have metal ferrules, guides, hook keepers, signature wraps; metal winding checks; handles, and reel seats installed. All are 9ft., and all but two, which are 'heavy trout/bass rods' weigh somewhat less than 6oz., and weigh within 1 oz. of comparable graphite rods.

My old, Shakespeare "Art Howald Process" 7 ft 9 in. first generation hollow fiber glass rod tips the scales at 5 1/4 oz.

I fail to see that much variation in the weights of these rods, and the old bamboos do not need "...old big heavy to counterbalance...". I use the very same reels for both my bamboo and my graphite rods, as do most fishers of both.