I’m a total noob, and I really don’t like the Japanese style convex buttons, nor do I like the ball top or square gate. It will take me a long time to get used to it, and I was thinking maybe I should just get some Happ parts or something. Is this an easy task, or will I have to make a stick from scratch?
Some people have really short tempers around here, read the FAQ’s this is all answered and it will keep you from asking questions that are common knowledge and been asked a thousand times.
Well, Seimitsu buttons are stiffer than the Sanwa OSBF(and Madcatz’s clones), but are still convex(but barely, they are almost flat). As for the joystick, you can always get a Bat Top and a stiffer spring to make it feel more American. A lot of people put the LS-32 spring inside of the JLF spring for added stiffness, but if you want it really stiff I think it is an LS-40 or LS-52 spring you want(you’ll have to check on that, I am hoping someone else can hop in and correct me). You honestly can’t put happ parts in that case as there isn’t enough space.
You’ll probably want to purchase an actual JLF as well assuming you want to buy the Spring and Buttons, but it is your call.
As for the gate, you have two options, one is the Octagonal GT-Y gate, and the other is Toodles’ GT-C circular gate, which will feel much more American to you(if you ever noticed, Happ Joysticks move in a circle, not an octagon) so I would recommend the circular gate, but personally I would stick with the square and adapt to it.
Yet again, this is all about you, so do what you want to do. I don’t do well on American parts, but I first started playing(I played games in American arcades, but at the end of the day I played a whole lot more on Sanwa parts because I put them in my cab). I am sure that if I learned on Seimitsu I would use them instead as I would be more familiar with them. It really is what you are comfortable with. If my friend came to me and told me he wanted a panel with happ parts I would help him build one.
“American” parts will not fit in an SE.
It will be cheaper for you to buy a stick from Arcade in a box. You won’t save any money making one yourself unless you make a low quality one, and you will only save about $10 then if you had aiab make one in the first place.
Arcade in a box isn’t cheap. I don’t know what you are looking at, but a full set of Happ parts(1 comp joystick, and 11 comp pushbuttons) is $31 from lizardlick. Add in a MC Cthulhu or a Pad for $35 or less(fightpads are $20 new at my local gamestop, or he could even take his SE PCB and put on new disconnects and reuse it) and you are looking at $70 at most for parts(a pack of 20 quick disconnects are around $2 at my local auto parts store, and they can be had even cheaper online). With around $25 one could build a decent minimalistic pine case with an MDF panel and plexi. The cheapest option from arcade in a box is $160, so I don’t know where you are getting the “You will only save $10” at. My estimates come in at $95 with the more expensive MC Cthulhu.
Building a stick is a very viable option for most people, and it is cheaper than you think. I won’t deny that Arcade in a box is of good quality, but they certainly aren’t the best bang for the buck. You also shouldn’t assume one’s woodworking ability, a whole lot can be done with MDF and 10ft of pine.
So are we assuming that tools are free?
MDF and Pine and plexi $25 in materials. BTW, Pine is a very low, low quality wood. It is soft and will easily dent. Knots in pine, can effect stability. Pine sold at Home Depot is typically of low quality and is sometimes still wet and might warp.
How do you cut pine and MDF straight and to the correct size? With a $100 table saw.
How to cut pine and MDF poorly? $30 handsaw or with a $100 jigsaw. Your quality goes down right there. Hand cut cases tend to not be square and the end result is a wobble. I know, I’ve made 3 cases like this before I bought a table saw.
How do you drill holes? $60 min. drill, and a collection of $10-$50 worth of drill bits.
How do you properly join wood? You need $20 worth of bar clamps and $8 of wood glue. Dowels need a lot of skill and practice. Maybe wood screws and drills can be used to be cheaper, but aesthetics go down.
How do I smooth out the edges of the wood economically. $10 Wood file or $30 for a crappy wood plane.
How do you get the the MDF or pine to be black? First you need a $8 can of primer, about $5 of sand paper and then with a $8 can of spraypaint.
Then rubber feet to keep the case from sliding, wood inserts for the bottom plexi so that the bottom is removable about $10.
What tools do you need to wire a case?
$10 Wire Cutter Stripper crimper.
Going with an MC Cthulhu for multiconsole, Xbox 360? You need a good $20 Soldering iron for that multiconsole goodness, and $5 solder, and maybe $10 for a desoldering bulb.
I am assuming that one is not equiped with $300 worth of woodworking tools, and the fact that he states he is a total noob. My suggestions is the just pony up the money to have somebody do it for you, if you don’t want to take up woodworking as a hobby.
Unless you are a natural, typically your first arcade stick will not look as good as AIAB, and you will have all these tools that you will have used for one thing and have to now store. There is also the added mess of making a workspace. People who live with you will be annoyed with all the crap you have lying around. Factor in what your time is worth, say your labor is worth $10-20 an hour and the amount of weeks you may spend, that $160 doesn’t sound like a bad deal.
Experience of having built about 20-30 cases, is cheaper in both time and money to just let AIAB do it for you.
Sadly AIAB doesn’t do no system option anymore.
Get used to Seimitsu parts, tbh.
An bat-top LS-55-01 with octo-gate & PS-14-G buttons is lovely.
Could the Sanwa JLW fit in an SE? then maybe put a bat top and a circle gate in it. That would be the cheapest option if it could fit.
Yep it fits. You need to hack the harness with .187 quick disconnects and daisy chain the ground. Lizardlick sells a superior replacement harness if you want to convert it back.
I’ve seen a full Happ SE.
Mind you, the bottom of the case was removed and replaced by half of an X-Box 360 case (I’ll have to get a picture for you guys, it looks hilarious), as MadCatz’s entire line was designed with Japaneese parts in mind.