I wouldn’t recommend the Hori EX2 to a first-time user looking to mod it somewhere down the line because of how difficult it is to mod.
The Madcatz SE is an easy recommendation because it is common ground, uses quick-disconnects for the buttons, uses a 5-pin wire harness for the joystick, and has a universal mounting bracket that lets you mount a Sanwa or Seimitsu joystick.
The next step down is the Mayflash stick which requires a bit of work but it is not as difficult to mod as the Hori EX2 because unlike the EX2 the buttons aren’t soldered to a board and there’s more space inside for a properly mounted Japanese joystick.
Well I looked at the modding guide for both, none of it looked very difficult for either. Maybe just more time consuming. I think I’m going to order the mayflash and mod it, since I need a good ps2 stick, looks like a good test bed.
This is 100% true. Most games are multiplatform and honestly you’re going to be more worried about being able to game with your friends than about what tournaments are going to be using.
The two best but most expensive options are the Mad Catz TE and Hori HRAP EX-SE for your 360.
You can find a T5 PS2 stick sometimes for less than 60 bucks online on forums or ebay. Its a pretty popular stick to mod and I believe the PCB is really good on it.