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I’ve got an octogate on my JLF with ball top and have tried learning square gate a few times. Just can’t get used to the square gate. I used to use the bat top but found the bat top makes the throw even longer (because it is taller and you hold it higher) and found the ball top is easier to perform moves with. I’ve also tried heatshrink around the actuator (3 diff ways: 1 layer on thick part 2 on skinny, 0 layer on thick 2 on skinny, 0 layer on thick 1 on skinny, and they all felt like crap to me. While the throw does get reduced significantly with 2 layers, it feels like crap. You no longer feel each notch of the gate, it kinda just smooths itself out. Also, you need to lube it up because it rubs, not glide, along the gate. Basically if you don’t like how it feels with tape/heatshrink, you’re screwed and just have to get used to it 
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I was thinking about doing the cherry mod but don’t see how that would improve anything since the throw is determined by the gate, not the switches. I don’t really have a problem with the switches’ sensitivity so can’t see any real benefit ot the cherry mod.
The only mod I did do is the spring mod. I popped an ls-32 spring inside my jlf spring and have been pretty pleased. Basically it snaps back to neutral faster so you can dash faster and it isn’t all loosey goosey. Just improves the overall feel of the stick in general.
if you are having trouble executing double qcf on a square gate then do the ultimate mod. on a stock jlf its easy to ride the gate because of how loose feeling the stick is. with the ultimate mod the added spring adds extra stiffness to the jlf so that it returns to neutral much quicker. with the electrical tape or heat shrink around the actuator it decreases the throw resulting in the inputs being triggered much quicker.
Still rockin’ stock on my JLFs.
Ever since I switched my grip to wine glass with my thumb on top of the ball, I feel more agile than before-much easier to dash cancel.
Hmm… I’ve been obsessing so much about getting an octo-gate because I thought that was the default Vewlix cabs… and that so many people want one. I even ordered myself two of them. I keep seeing posts about how people hate square gates, so I thought going octo was the natural move.
I guess I’ll just stick to the square gate then, if that is the official gate. I don’t seem to have any problems executing any moves with a square gate. I’ll probably try the octo when I finish my second stick and see if I like it.
I’ve always preferred the octo gate
I honestly don’t understand why people would go to all the bother constantly taping up an octagonal restricter when they could just adjust to the square gate. Simpler is almost always better.
Simpler for who?
I was very confused with the square gate (I’m mainly using shotos), so I replaced it with an octo gate, did the ultimate mod with heat-shrink tube instead of tape, and I’m very pleased with the result. Charge-players like Honda are quite harder to play but it’s only a training issue.
So, if you wanna make it smaller, you have to mod the actuator by putting heat-shrink tube on it (definitely not duck tape, nevermind the feeling and have a try) or you can do smaller inputs, you don’t have to necessarily hit gate.
Stock = simpler for everyone.
Square gate JLFs aren’t one of the major arcade standards in Japan and greater east Asia because they suck for Street Fighter.
well, i haven’t had much time playing with my stick (mostly only testing to find that some pcb soldering went wrong… nm), but i had some trouble with shotos and a square gate at first as well. however, ever since i practiced not to go the full length till i hit the restrictor (using a ls32 with none of the dark blue restrictors in place) it got way better. don’t have a comparison to an octagon gate yet, got the stick, but haven’t assembled the stuff yet.
If you want a shorter throw, why not just mode to a Seimitsu stick? They seem to have noticably shorter throws than the standard JLF. That and their springs seem a bit stiffer and more responsive. I have a LS 32 and like it. The JLF feels more buttery, but the increased throws and time to get back to neutral (stock) seems pretty noticable. I guess people mod their JLF in an attempt to get the best of both worlds?
Dashing is more responsive. You get a quicker return to neutral position and it just feels sturdier. I wouldn’t say double qcf’s are easier though. They are slightly easier because of the octo-gate but the throw is longer so since I got used to the square my hands don’t like to push far enough so I miss things I would normally hit.
-G
I’ve been playing HDR and SF4 with an octogate and I love it, no problem using Charge moves or anything, and it’s definetly easier to “feel” the corners on SRK’s and Hadokens. I decided to mess around on my ps2 stick using a square gate playing some 3rd strike…and I have to say the square just felt better. I kind of consider the octogon gate a training wheel, so I plan on putting my stock square gate back on my PS3 stick.
i’ve tried all kinds of heat shrink and all are too thick… they will result in your switches sticking…
Go with a Seimitsu, tape is super ghetto and unreliable. A while back I was beasting my friend at Marvel (who I normally can’t get a single round on), only to find that my tape got just enough out of whack to completely ruin it’s return to center. Which is bad 
, esspecially in marvel. He got really frustrated and I felt really embarassed when I found out afterward.
Avoid it at all costs. It’ll literally be perfectly fine then suddenly fucked, and the constant friction causes the glue on the tape to spread out and get on all the parts on the inside making them all grimmey (bad).
Well i ordered an octagon gate because i live in europe, and they only had bats (i also ordered that) and octagon, hope now i stop waving instead of firing triple hit fireballs of akuma… :wtf:
I don’t understand why all you guys who want a short throw, tight spring, & an octo gate don’t get an ls-56? It’s exactly what you are trying to turn the jlf into but without all the problems. The jlf is more suited to a square gate. While the seimitsu octo’s actually work well. Their shape is better the throw I shorter & the spring is stiffer.
I ordered an octo gate with my JLF and never tried the supplied square gate - Big Mistake! After reading this thread I decided to try out the square gate - I love it, the the throw is much shorter, stick feels less loose and I’m playing better.
Looking at the gates, I would have thought the octo would have been the best choice, but not for me - jlf really works well with the square gate.
A lot of us don’t build our own cases, and the empty shell cases provided by norris, kaytrim, madcatz etc only fit JLFs by default, and perhaps the ls-32. So either a) mod the jlf or b) mod the case. Without the proper tools and experience, option a sounds way more convenient/cheaper.