GUIDE: Sanwa button mod - how to mix and match your sanwa button colors 56k warning

Hi SRK,

Just sharing a very short and simple guide on how to mod your Sanwa buttons. Yes I know most of you already know how to do this, but just for anyone who is new to Sanwa buttons or new to joysticks itself (thanks SF4 !!! :lovin:) here is a short and very simple guide on how to mod, mix, and match your sanwa buttons:

1) Look at your current and boring Sanwa button:

http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo328/arn45/IMG_1025.jpg

**
2) You see the bottom black part has 2 clips holding the button and the outer rim. You want to pinch both sides with your thumb and push it in:**

http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo328/arn45/IMG_1019.jpg

**
This is how far you want it to be “pushed in”**

http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo328/arn45/IMG_1020.jpg

3) there are now the top hinges that keep the button on the outer rim, you will need to use either a small flat head, or anything you feel comfortable to poke with:wgrin:, push in both sides until the button pops up:

http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo328/arn45/IMG_1018.jpg

**
See, it pops out :sweat:**

http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo328/arn45/IMG_1021.jpg

Just think of the possibilities :looney:

http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo328/arn45/IMG_1022.jpg

4)You’re basically done, find another button color and repeat steps 1-3. All you do now is pop the other colored button into the other colored rim:

http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo328/arn45/IMG_1023.jpg

My HRAP2SA with some flavor:

http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo328/arn45/IMG_1026.jpg

Note: you are also able to use stock hori buttons from Hrap’s. For example, those hrap3 amazon edition white rims are pretty nice for rim colors. Using Hori button rims with Sanwa buttons will not affect the sanwa “feel” during performance.

nice pics

This is a pretty rad “how to.” I’m gonna make so many ugly buttons now…

very informative and visual !

p.s. vivid photographs

:wgrin: Thanks and props to my wifeys Canon SD 870 for crisp close up shots, puts my blackberry bold cam look like toddler toys.

Anyways, I would recommend getting Black Sanwa buttons + Red Sanwa buttons = Black Rim + Red button = Seimitsu look alike with full sanwa performance!!!

You don’t need to take the switch out, just pop the plunger off. I use the cap from a Bic pen to avoid scratching the plastic.

But that will the pink plunger look like inside the blue ring??? THE SUSPENSE IS KILLING ME.

stop having boring buttons! stop having a boring life!

Multicolored buttons make me want to punch a hooker…

Sup dawg, I herd you like Sanwa buttons so we put Sanwa buttons in yo Sanwa buttons so you can play with yo Sanwa buttons while playing with yo Sanwa buttons.

Is there a reason why you chose to explain remove the switch with the plunger only? I just take the plunger out – saves me a step. I imagine it was because you used Hori casings so you needed to take out the Sanwa switches, but maybe you should note the quick and dirty method? :smiley:

Standardized formats are great.
You can get things like this:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3088/3420929190_602d77e4bb.jpg

My cousin likes Sanwa, however she wanted the Seimitsu Pearl buttons.
So she did the switch switcheroo.

Before those people are getting in here that the switches will feel the same eventually,
maybe for them, not for me.
I like the tactile feedback of Seimitsu.
Not only the switch, also the button.
I like Seimitsu regular snap-ins because they are flat,
that sure feels different to me than the convex dome of Sanwa.

Hahahahaah… it’s funny coz it’s true!

:wink:

could you use the outer rims on hori buttons too? will the sanwa button feel the same?

ya! good point, I realize now that all the sanwa switches are all black, I must be dreaming lol :rofl:,

This is also useful if you like the current outer rim on you buttons which is already on your current stick, so you can just pluck out the buttons. That way you don’t need to un-qd or un-solder your button switch.

:rofl::rofl::rofl: was waiting for someone to notice, I changed my mind on how I wanted the color mix!

will update the guide for the “quick and dirty” method, but yah, if you have hori rims you definitely want to take the whole sanwa button out including the switches.

Yes, if you use my full guide (not the "quick and dirty
method), there should be no difference as the resistance or sanwa feel will come from the whole button to switches = rims have no effect.

So using Screw in buttons with snap in plungers would work? Cause i’d love some white trim gray plunger buttons.

I am afraid that you are wrong. I tried this in the past because I was curious myself if Sanwa plungers and switches could be put into Hori rims. They work just fine, but they do not feel like an all-Sanwa button. I made up several combinations of buttons using various Sanwa and Hori parts, and the hybrid Sanwa/Hori buttons were just about the same in feel to the stock Hori buttons. They did not depress and spring up as smoothly as the all-Sanwa buttons.

People, don’t mix these parts if you want to retain the smooth Sanwa button feel. Dont believe me? Do a blind comparison test yourself. I could pick out the hybrids from the all-Sanwas every time. The Hori and Sanwa plungers and rims are just infinitesimally very slightly different in size, so much so that it is impossible to see by the naked eye, but when mixed together the parts don’t fit together as smoothly as the all-Sanwa buttons.

I’ll go a step further and say that if you can’t tell the difference between an all-Sanwa and a hybrid Hori/Sanwa button, good for you - you’re not as observant as me and it likely won’t bother you. If that’s the case, honestly, you really shouldn’t be wasting money on Sanwa buttons at all, as the Hori buttons probably feel just as acceptable as Sanwas to you.

Since the microswitch and plunger are most important in buttons, mixing manufacturers should not result in precision and/or performance degradation, correct?

I plan to use my Tekken 5 Anniversary Hori stick’s hori button rims (red) with sanwa obsf plungers/switches (black).

awesome guide

anyone know if there are any performance issues i should htink about before swapping out my MadCatz SE stick rims with some Sanwa buttons?