Trying to make a low-profile stick

Bit of history here: I grew up with one of the old ASCIIware Fight Stick SN controllers, using it for everything from Street Fighter to Chrono Trigger.

So I saw one of the old Namco PS1 sticks up in another thread, and I got to thinking: I love that tapered profile, but the stick’s too close to the buttons, and I actually do need an 8-button layout for certain games. Is there another stick out there with a similarly tapered profile that I could alter to suit my purposes, or am I better off trying to make something from scratch?

My end goal is something that will be comfortable to use on a desk-top as well as in the lap, with a Sega P2 or Noir layout. I’m using a Seimitsu LS-62-01 lever and Crown/Samducksa screw-in 30mm buttons in my current stick, and I’d like to keep them if possible. PCB is a Brook Retro/UFB stack running to RJ-45.

As far as I know, there’s nothing else that’s as slim and has a tapered/slant that’s available at retail.
The Exar Exaprize might suit your needs in a pinch, and does come in an 8-button version, but it’s definitely not slanted like the Namco, and doesn’t natively take Seimitsu sticks without a ton of heavy modding.

You’re probably best figuring out something from scratch.

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If thats the case the Seimitsu LS-56, 58 and 60s are about as small as you can get fort authentic arcade parts, and Seimitsu makes lower profile buttons. You just have to make the stick body as tight as you can, yet still have room for your parts and a PCB.

Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. I did some measurements, and the JLF is a few mm shorter, but I’d have to mod the crap out of one to even hope of getting the sort of feel I get from the LS-62. Honestly, I don’t mind if the back end sticks up a bit, I just want the front to be no more than 1.5" and rounded off. I’ve tried a fair range of options (MadCatz TE1, HRAP v3 Kai, Panzer, TEK Case, even one of the old Pelican woodies), and the main thing I don’t like is the flat box shape, with or without some kind of rounded bump on the front edge.

I’ll probably end up doing something sorta like the NeoGeo stick, where the face buttons and lever are mounted towards the back of the top panel, and just have the other buttons (Select, Start, Home, L3, R3, TP) on the back face.

Saw this post ages ago on the showoff thread, it was one of my main points of inspiration for this idea: Check Out My New Arcade Stick! - Part III (No Image Quoting) Basically a heavily modded Namco PS1 stick, I know, but it shows what you can do in a small space. If I could manage a wide-body version of that design, it would be ideal.