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@gbj_tester
Yes, there are very few custom built frames which are an improvement on an OTP. Main exception is touring bikes, where there is a dearth of good OTPs and a wide range of specific requirements, and also a legitimate desire for the durability/fixability which comes with steel more than with aluminium or carbon. If you're always riding within range of a lift home, though, the notion of getting your bike fixed on the road is ludicrous.
That's why I'm usually pretty scathing about NAHBS bikes. As a racer, if it's not the fastest bike the money could buy, I'm not interested. I know some people think custom steel bikes with paint jobs more expensive than a whole OTP frame are works of art, but they aren't, and the people who buy them are delusional :-)