Looking for spoke guidance
I appreciate the advice given so far. Sounds like there isn't much point to using straight gauge spokes anywhere in my build. Both of my road bikes are steel framed, so not much point trying to save weight with spokes. Durability and maintainabilty (i.e. the Shimano tricolor hubs are rugged and can be fully broken down, cleaned, adjusted, bearings, cones, and seals can be cheaply and easily replaced, etc.) are my chief goals. I have always had good results with Wheelsmith spokes, but perhaps they aren't as good as they used to be and I should stick with DT or Sapim.