Want to buy or have custom made a 360 custom made stick for serious tournament competition. I’d like an 8 button layout (like the HRAP). Reliable customer, will pay on time and in cash 
8 buttons would be a little hard on a custom stick, since the boxes are small. What you need to do is go to http://www.norrisarcadesticks.com/ and choose a box. Then have someone like Julian Blake wire it up.
Is that the box Blake has on his stick? I like it!
Is an 8 button layout important to you, Julien? Also, are you looking for a custom case, or anything so long as it holds genuine Sanwa/Seimitsu parts? I ask because I recall that you enjoyed playing on Alex’s HRAP. So getting an HRAP or Tekken (both with the 8 button layout) stick case, buying a pre-wired 360 PCB from the trading outlet, then ordering the stick and buttons off of lizard lick would give you much control over the feel of the stick, and might also be economical when compared to a custom case. With a pre-wired PCB, the assembly would also require minimal effort.
Yes it is, they make very nice cases.
You should wait for the HRAPEX, and then just pop some new buttons in there, the stick is already a Sanwa
I think I’ll do that, Axel, thanks. What kind of buttons/sticks are on the HRAP ex?
BTW until I read your link I was going to follow this amazing guide on how to mode your 360 hori stick:
http://pineconeattack.com/2008/12/07/how-to-mod-the-hori-fighting-stick-ex2-with-authentic-arcade-parts-xbox-360-version/
That way of doing it seems much cheaper and better, only problem is you don’t get the 8 button layout. But looks like a cheap and easy guide to getting nice buttons/stick on your 360 hori.
I think I will do both – fix up the hori ex 2, and also get a HRAP ex :).
Does anyone know what size buttons to get for the HRAPEX? I think I’m going to order for lizardlick today, I know what size buttons are needed for the ex2 (30mm according to the guide), is the HRAPEX also 30mm?
The HRAPEX comes stock with a Sanwa JLF stick(which is good), and Hori buttons (which are of noticeably worse quality than Sanwa buttons). If past HRAPs are any indication, swapping out the buttons should be quick and easy.
and yes 30mm is what you need
I dont want to create another thread as im in the same boat…
Im curious, anyone here can do modding service for me?
DOA4 stick w/custom art Sanwas parts
Tekken 5 stick w/custom art Sanwa parts
Street Fighter Anniversary stick Happs
I live in Olympia area but im willing to travel to Seattle area…Hook me up with a PM on price…
That is not what my box is. My box was made by BigPockets, I dunno if he is making boxes at the moment, but he is simply the best I have ever personally seen in quality and also price. GREAT person to deal with, simply amazing…
(If you guys saw at evo that Chun Li stick he made, OMFG…)
I can do a T-5 but I don’t do art if you want sanwas, and I can also do your anniversary too.
Julian, what kind of gate is your stick? Square or octagonal?
It’s square. You don’t want octagonal, trust me.
I think Blake’s brown stick actually has an octagonal gate. But you probably want to go with a square gate for ST. Stuff like crossover combo into jack-knife into super are much easier with a square gate, since there’s less of a change of you accidentally losing the down charge. But if you’re not gonna play Boxer, Claw, or DJ, you really don’t need a square gate.
Are you sure about that? I don’t recall having any trouble executing on his stick, which makes me believe it was square 
Fighting game inputs were made with square gates in mind, while octagonal were designed for sports games and such where precise directional inputs are not as essential.
Everyone I see who prefers an octagonal gate for fighting games either:
a.) got a square gate stick and couldn’t execute, then blamed it on the gate and got an octagon
b.) bought an octagon gate along with their first stick and never even tried a square gate
You want a square gate, they are better in every way. I have an octagon gate that you’re welcome to try out if you don’t believe me. and hey, if you somehow prefer it, you can just keep it! God knows I won’t be using it.
Nope, it’s square. The only time I have ever even used an octagonal was on Jamie’s orange stick, and I couldn’t get ANYTHING out on it, it’s like the worst of both world’s between square and circular.
I wonder why things are so much easier to execute on some sticks that others… for example, rating what I’ve played on…
- Cole’s cabinet (things were just coming out so easy)
- my cabinet
- blake’s custom stick
others… - my hori ex 2
Why is my ex 2 so hard to execute on? it’s just a simple square gate, I can’t imagine why it would feel so different. Would changing the switches change anything?
Does the EX2 actually have a sanwa or seimitsu stick inside? Because the quality of the stick and switches matter a heck of a lot. The size and weight of the box also helps stabilize when you’re doing motions. The size of the T5 stick’s case is the only reason why I’d put it at 998 on your list. Cuz that stick is hot garbage.
arcade in a box sell a good arcade joystick… they go for about 150…
The EX2 has shit buttons and a shit joystick, they’re the same parts as the T5 stick.
The buttons are the real problem though, the stick isn’t even that bad (but still much worse than a real stick).