Those pinnacles are good rods no doubt! They are the best rod you can get for cheap and they handle real well. I've got some 8s and 10s.

If you're not just "trying out" tightlining and know for sure that you want to do it Id go ahead and buy the southerns. I was in the same boat as you are when I went searching for my first set of rods and I bought several cheaper sets before my southerns. I'd go with southerns for two reasons.

1- I really prefer a 14 ft tightlining. It doesn't matter as much this time of year but those 14s really get the bait away from the boat. I started with 10s, moved to 12s, and now own 14s. I'm completely satisfied!

2- I fished with Pinnacle Limits, Pinnacle Vertex, HT Panfish Specials, BnM Pro Staff Trollers and Wally Marshall Tightline Specials and the Southerns are my favorite. The Wallys were great but they were overpriced for my budget. The Southerns are durable, have great backbone, great feel, and a sensitive rod tip!

And I wouldn't go with the new 14s you described unless your planning on pushing crankbait a with a bunch of weight. That's what they are designed for. The regular 14s is what I have and they hold up to an ounce of weight without issue...they might hold more but I've never tried. I generally stick with 1/2 oz.

Just my 2 cents