Searching.

that ten grand bong ur talking about better have a lifretime warranty or i better be ab;e to drop it off mt.everest without it breaking.

 

I haven't heard a single bad review of one. That being said, a grand is a lot of cash to drop on your first tube, so I guess what I'm getting at here is....WHAT IS YOUR PRICE RANGE? (realistically)

 

Its hard to give a definite answer really...there is no ultimate, just a preference thing. If you want tons of diffusion then I would look at the sovereignty payote pillar, or DWB's pillar tubes, they both offer tons of diffusion...Also the 2011bc netline to tophat, and the squidline I mentioned seem to offer the most diffusion in a single tube.
My tube is a showercap...some custom blowers could make a gridded version and that would offer fantastic diffusion as well. The different perks will all give different types of hits though, and its pretty much preference as to which one you like best...they all hit differently(drag, chug, how fast it fills/clears, how airy the hit is, how thick it can milk....).
If you want less diffusion then its a whole different game.

If you want color then I would go for it, contact a blower and tell them exactly what you want...even if you don't want much color (or any) you could talk to a blower about making a tube the way you want it if you see a perk you like. You could definitely find someone who would do a beaker tube with a fixed perk of your choice, which would probably end up with far better diffusion than a downstem.

edit1:Honestly, if you have that kind of cash I wouldn't spend over $500 for something you may end up not liking. Spend some time reading up on tube reviews, look at custom blower's work, see what catches you eye and read about all the perk systems, try to figure out what the best setup for you would be.
Its hard to really know without trying things though, which sucks. I would probably try to find a stemline or netline and start with that. They are almost universally loved and well regarded (particularly the stemline because the netline is new, and there aren't a lot of people who have them). I wouldn't get color work for your first tube, I would wait till you find something you really love then drop the big bills on it.

Edit2: also, I'm up in boston now, left florida long behind.

 

From a completely functional standpoint, you won't find anything better than a pillar until some new design comes out. They come in a couple different styles (peyote, 4-arm) and shapes (hollowfoot, natty splash, bent neck, straight). I'd start looking into those if I were you. Then, over time, you can buy slides and other accessories to add to your collection.

 

DWB sells almost all direct I believe, as for SG...I would call up T leaf and ask if they stock them, or if they can get them. They didn't when I last left (like a year ago) but they may be able to. I don't know of any that do for sure.