MAS stick modding

Tech Talk
1

I have been looking on the forums here and I can’t seem to find much information about MAS system sticks or how to mod and switch out the Happ parts within each stick. Maybe I’m asking the wrong questions or just suck at searching. I have modded a Mad Catz and an HRAP 2 with Sanwa parts in the past year, but I wanted to work and improve my skills on an American style stick. I just have three quick questions:

1. Are the buttons connected to the PCB by wires with quick disconnects or are the soldered on? I have no experience with a soldered PCB, nor do I have the equipment currently to do that kind of work.
2. Competition stick vs P360…what is used in most American cabinets? I know the COINZ arcade at UCLA campus has an SF4 machine I played on that uses Happ competition buttons, but I have no idea what kind of stick (I’m trying to beat Ultradavid, who I see there almost every time I’ve gone).
3. Convex vs Concave buttons? I like the feel and nostalgic factor of the “ultimate” concave buttons, but I’ve never used them with a Capcom fighting game (only on SNK machines and Ms. PacMan cabinets at my local bowling alley).

Thank you.

2

  1. It’s been awhile since I’ve had a MAS but in the past and probably still now the wires have always been soldered. But with HAPP parts the microswitches are separate from the buttons, so you don’t need to desolder to change the buttons if say you want a different color. If you want to change the switch you will have to desolder.

  2. Most use Competition. New 360’s I hear are pretty terrible anyway.

  3. Competition (Convex) buttons are much better. I find that Concave hurts my fingers after awhile, especially if you mash.

3

Most cabinets I play/ed used the P360 sticks. Usually at the various Golfland locations.

The buttons are soldered on. I used to prefer the concave ones for the nostalgic feeling, but I prefer the convex ones ever since I blistered my thumb playing MVC2 lol.