Seimitsu joystick help

I’ve done some reading on SRK but I’m still stumped on a few things.

I’m a shmup player looking for a Seimitsu joystick. Got a WWE Brawler, this is my first stick and first time modding. I narrowed my initial choices down to two kinds:

LS-32 - standard sensitivity, has S plate, short stick (good), no 8 way gates
LS-56 - fast sensitivity, no S plate, long stick (bad), has 8 way gate available

I’m trying to lean toward LS-56 but I don’t know if there’s an S plate for it on Akihabara Shop, and what I’m going to do about that long stick. If there are other LS choices that fit my bill, or if there are accessory parts available to fix these problems, please drop a post!

Aren’t 32s better for shmups?

From what I’ve read, 32 is good/standard in shmup cabs but aren’t necessarily the quickest and the most sensitive.

LS-56 has a S plate. What do you mean about long stick? You mount them the same height as other sticks, and the lever itself isn’t really any longer than other sticks.

Oh I thought 32s were 27mm tall and 56s were 35mms tall. I was afraid gripping a ball too high would be too uncomfortable.

it wont be an issue if you mount it properly, in fact, proper LS-5X mounting will most likely make it slightly shorter than LS-32 shaft.

I play shmups as well, and not to be biased, but LS-56 does have its strengths suited for the genre… stiffer spring (snappier overall feel, good for tapping small, short inputs), shorter throw and faster engage… these aspects once you get to use to it, help a lot in shmup play because of the faster control you can have.

to mount LS-56/58 ‘properly’ to the brawl stick (madcatz mounts) you don’t need an S-plate, you can use flat MS or P=40 plate. unless you were indeed wanting a longer shaft scenario.

So just to clarify on this important part, staying with LS-56’s stock flat plate will give me a shorter shaft? In that case I think I’m in for 56. Perfect feel, short shaft, octo gate compatible.

I’m not sure what you meant with quoting mounting ‘properly’, but I hope I can mount the LS-56-01 on the Brawl stick without any weird modifications. I just want to buy the LS-56-01 and smack it in, plus the octogate. I’m assuming I need the 56-01 for its 5 pin connector, I’ve been told.

There’s no way you need an octogate for shooters, that shouldn’t even be a consideration. People talk a lot about the LS-32 for 2d shooters, but I got a baller ass Ibara score on an improperly mounted JLF inside a funky case.

I’d try out the LS-32 first if you can only get one; that will have the most pronounced difference to the JLF/knockoff.

what i meant was, mounting it properly, height wise. There are suggested/advised mounting heights for joysticks, for ls-56, using a flat plate on the brawl stick, will give you the said suggested ‘proper’ shaft height. simply said, if you want an ls-56 in your stick, it will be similarly mounted like the JLF clone that youll be taking out. You basically just screw metal plates together. it is very easy, nothing to alter. and yes you’d need “-01” models for Seimitsu sticks.

i also suggest sticking to a square gate for shmups, the LS-56 octogate in particular, is somewhat smooth, almost circle-like.

I’ll drop the S plate, but I’ll keep the octogate in my cart as it’s only 180 yen. I haven’t received my Brawler yet but I’ll try out the square gate when it arrives. Thanks for the help everyone.

I think they are…

I had a recent experience playing an old SNES shooter (UN Squadron aka “Area 88”) and it definitely better to use an LS-32 joystick for that game.
I tried to use an LS-40 but it was kind of awkward. I could probably get used to it if I went at it for a week but for right now it feels awkward. I couldn’t muscle the LS-40 joystick and it felt kind of weird using it for that game. I’ve never had that issue with the fighters I have or the platformer (“Earthworm Jim HD”) I’ve used my main LS-32 and LS-40 joysticks with, too.

LS-40s are great for fighters of all kinds BUT they tend to require a softer touch to use and can work against if you get tired or tend to “muscle” your joysticks. I use LS-40s when I’m relaxed or IF I haven’t played that day yet… Definitely not the best joystick to use if you’re tired or your concentration is off, IMHO. I still like them, though, and would prefer to use them over a JLF any day of the week.

Again, the LS-32 has certain advantages over the “more sensitive” / weak-muscle-required Seimitsu joysticks…
A) you can definitely treat it a bit harsher but get the same results;
B) it’s so-called lack of sensitivity is actually an advantage for many people… I say it’s most like an “easier-to-use” JLF that actually hits corners / Dragon Punches on the fly without the usual JLF issues AND can be used for tap-tap dash moves… Yes, I can execute those moves on an LS-40, too, but I’m MORE LIKELY to screw up on an LS-40 because of the sensitivity issue;
C) I have yet to be able to successfully “ratchet up” the tension on an LS-40… There’s just no room on the shaft between the pieces that hold the LS-32 spring on the LS-40 joystick… (There’s no such as an LS-40 spring; it uses the same spring as the LS-32.) You’d have to buy an existing compatible replacement spring with higher built-in tension to accomplish this – and I don’t know that such a thing exists now. On the other hand, it’s easy to increase tension on the LS-32 since there IS room for another spring on its shaft. In my case, I cut another LS-32 spring in half and screw it on both ends of the original intact LS-32 springs to increase the tension… What I can say, it works for me!

I just bought my first Seimitsu stick (in a Qanba special edition) and hope I love it.

I don’t like Sanwa JLF, seems mushy to me. Guess I’ll find out.