Update: Crockett went on to a new home and stoked owner. SUPER light frame all stripped down.
I ended up picking up a used Spooky (Dune) frameset and swapping my parts over. So far it's everything I wanted (fitting 45mm rear tires would have been neat but oh well, 40mm is fine), damp ride quality, good road feel but not harsh, gets up and goes.
If more people experienced aluminum like this, more people would ride aluminum.
Comparing the two bikes, the Crockett is still an unbelievable deal for the $$ and easily holds its own against a "custom" aluminum bike.
