Building the MOST AVAILABLE Custom Mechanical Keyboard! DROP CTRL

Welcome back to Keybored! Today, we're building the MOST AVAILABLE Custom Mechanical Keyboard! Waiting months or even up to a year for a premium, custom mechanical keyboard getting you down? I have the remedy for you! DROP CTRL HIGH PROFILE. Just because it's always available, doesn't mean it's bad... in fact's with the right mods, it becomes great!
Some state that the DROP CTRL and ALT are not truly custom. That is true... if you buy the pre-built. OR you can take the full custom approach and do it the right way! Pick out your case, and all your favorite components to dive right into the world of custom mechanical keyboards!
The BUILD
- DROP CTRL HIGH PROFILE in Lilac
- DROP PCB and LED Diffuser Kit
- Glorious Panda Tactile Switch
- Stupidfish Custom Foam
- HK Gaming PBT Dye-Sub Keycaps
- Durock Plate Mount Stabilizers
Links to products used in video
DROP CTRL High Profile
drop.com/buy/drop-ctrl-high-p...
(Add on the Diffuser, PCB)
Stupid Fish Foam
stupidfish.design/
Glorious Panda Switches
www.pcgamingrace.com/products...
Keycaps
HK Gaming PBT Dye-Sub Keycaps
amzn.to/3uoVxtx
Durock Plate Mount Stabilizers
divinikey.com/products/durock...
Tweezers
amzn.to/37t82uO
Prong Tool / Holder
amzn.to/387VQA2
Krytox Lube and Film
kebo.store/products/krytox-lu...
Shot on Sony A7 III + Sony FE35mm F1.8 and Fifine Condenser Mic
Sony A7 III
amzn.to/3cGUjma
Sony FE35mm F1.8
amzn.to/3bPHpTu
Fifine Condenser Mic
amzn.to/3eFbbfz
A Quick Disclaimer - The Amazon links I have provided are affiliate links that generate a small commission to support this channel. It helps me buy more stuff to create content if you shop through those links at no cost to you! Thanks for the support! :)

[@Glarses]

Cultkey sounds pretty nice

[@raghav3558]

Hi

[@maxmccormick4274]

You watch too many keyboard videos

[@frebasaurus2331]

dude fr u watch every single keyboard video

[@Keybored]

Hey, an idea for a new Keyboard Company! LOL Thanks for stopping by!

[@flowskiy]

no

[@user-kz9rz8ui1c]

For plate mount stabs, those sound really good.

[@Keybored]

Yup! Will have a tutorial showing how to holee mod and improve the stabs like this one!

[@mateomisain8283]

holee mod is now my go to since I had a board with plate mount stabs and they were awful and no amount of lube would help, but since I holee moded them they sound awesome

[@Unpug]

Keybored : **Typing test** Subtitles : [Applause]

[@blakemesina]

I'd be applauding too

[@Keybored]

Hahaha, I just noticed that! Thank you KZbin for the applause!

[@schwiiiz41]

@@Keybored anyone else just turned on subtitles to see this? xD

[@YellowNotThe]

Everyone is happy till your dad realizes that custom keyboards cost more than $50

[@Keybored]

:) the hobby is an interesting one indeed

[@thibounet801]

@@Keybored I would love to see that, the plate mount stabs on my nk65 milkshake are killing me from how much they tick.

[@aquanos]

This dude can literally make anything sound good

[@Keybored]

Thanks WipeOSU! I have the ultimate challenge coming up... The GK61 and the new GK87... How amazing can a super entry keyboard sound and feel? We will find out soon!

[@jvniprbrry]

The reason you didn't notice any interference is because holy panda switches bottom out high enough to avoid interfering.

[@Keybored]

Yup! You are very correct about that!

[@ntqa8872]

people before long poles:

[@minimalistik]

This light purple theme looks very nice! 😍

[@Keybored]

Hi minimalistik! Thank you for stopping by! I love how the lilac looks with the caps! :)

[@soliciana]

1 year after and your video is still pretty useful. Just got into the hobby of customization, and ordered this board as my first build. Got me the Lime casing with some white/pink keycaps. Can't wait to try out those modding tips you gave for this one. thanks!

[@JudgeDredd02]

I am addicted to your videos. Very well edited, filmed, explained, I will be recommending your build videos and tutorials to my friends. It is very apparent that you take pride in what you do. Thank you!

[@Keybored]

Thank you for the encouraging words Lawrence! I really appreciate it :) it may be weird to some people but I do love keyboards and I want others to get to experience it as well :)

[@NebulaMK]

Dec 2023 - I got this keyboard and built it as my first keyboard. I didn’t buy any foam but I had some sticky foam around (like the white vinyl foam you used). Thank you for the video as it showed me where I can put foam and everything neatly fit together easily meaning I just put it together and had no spacing issues. Thanks for helping me find this rabbit hole. Never getting a mass produced board again :D

[@kai0637]

This keyboard sounds pretty nice, I was not expecting that, great job man! Btw. big shoutout for answering every single one comment, it is very nice how you care about your comunity

[@Keybored]

Hi Kai! Thank you for watching! I do appreciate that people are watching and leaving comments or asking questions, so I try my best to respond! Hope it can help more people get into this hobby!

[@harakim4709]

Stayed for the outtakes 😆

[@hayoungie_]

I like it

[@EasonTek]

these skits are A1 material. Keep it going!

[@GregoryRLittle_GRL]

Thanks for this excellent video! Just got this keyboard and never thought of doing anything to it until seeing this. The precut foam looks great.

[@Keybored]

You're definitely welcome! The mods do a whole lot for the Drop CTRL!

[@briangarrick9693]

I love this build so much, I keep on coming back to it

[@Keybored]

Thank you Brian!

[@Danny-9909B]

This sound so good

[@Keybored]

Hi Danny! I feel it turned out sounding very nice, despite that it's an integrated plate design!

[@hassenfarooq8560]

As a noob, I'm glad I came across this video. Also that sound test sounds a lot better than what I imagined!

[@Keybored]

:) The CTRL HP has some potential with a bit of love!

[@jarredd.y2601]

The execution of this video is well done. I like it

[@Keybored]

Thank you very much Jared! I appreciate the comments!

[@jeonjason7547]

Honestly best keyboard typing I have ever heard. Really. You really deserve more subscribers!!!! Great content!! That acting not sure tho 😂😂

[@Keybored]

Thank you so much Jeon! Someone told me that the intro was "delightfully awkward" lol... need to improve my acting skills haha

[@michaeljames1334]

damn that sounds good. that is way better than I was expecting for a drop board.

[@Keybored]

Thank you michael! The drop boards do require a bit of work to get them right, but I believe with a bit of effort, they do have some potential!

[@DK_hobby]

Gratz on 10k~

[@Keybored]

Thanks Danny!

[@jmun9987]

The metal pieces are for the non high profile version since they use magnetic feet's to increase the angle. You can set the feet's either create a positive upward angle or a negative angle.

[@Keybored]

Hi Jmun 1! That makes a lot of sense! Thanks for chiming in!

[@Xevailo]

"Being in the keyboarding hobby, we do get asked by friends and family for awesome builds." So far, I have only been met with incomprehension and hesitant encouragement in the form of "I have no idea what you're talkin about or why it matters, but yay, go you, I guess?". -You're saying that's gonna change some day?

[@Keybored]

Lol that doesn't change that much. Started to change for me when I started a youtube channel and friends and family started to watch. One by one, started to ask me to build them something :)

[@ASMRNordic]

Wow. That turned out pretty great:)

[@Keybored]

:) I'm glad you think so! The stock DROP CTRL is pretty pingy and hollow with a lot of reverb... but the foam definitely helps this one out quite a bit!

[@xtet8087]

Really appreciated that you used holee dude!

[@Keybored]

It turned out great! Between Holee and Epsi, I think we can look at how to improve the stabs in the future!

[@charleskennethhallig8234]

This sounded so good! Excited for the holee mod tutorial video

[@Keybored]

Hi Charles! Thank you so much! Please see the latest video on the stabilizer mods! kzbin.info/www/bejne/eKmnfZivjb-Km6s

[@charleskennethhallig8234]

@@Keybored Hey, thank you! I've got my notification on and have watched it already. I'll follow your in-depth guide to it for my current rattly spacebar lol. Thanks!

[@hayoungie_]

whoever got this keyboard is one lucky human . I want it and the ESC KEYYYYY 😍😍😍😍

[@Keybored]

Haha that cap did turn out great!

[@YurttheSilentChief1]

I like the Glarses style intro!

[@Keybored]

Thanks YurttheSilentChief1! I'm glad it was entertaining!

[@sviz]

Sounds really good man! Goes to show that with modding skills, you can take any entry level board and make it sound nice nice

[@Keybored]

That is so true! I'm waiting for the GK boards to arrive, but that will be the ultimate test to see how much modding can take a true entry board! Stay tuned!

[@sviz]

@@Keybored Always man! Gotta show people sometimes its good to just work with what you have ;)

[@Saetun.]

I know this is an old video but I just found it. Great stuff man. After watching, I dove back in to my CTRL & pulled the stabs, did the band aid mod & took the op to clean & re-lube the stabilizers & just hit the buy button on the stupid fish foam. I have modded GMK stabs but went ahead & pulled the trigger on the Durocks you listed, because nothing is ever good enough.... dont know if it was the band aid mod or the re-lube but it did kill the ever slightest rattle I had on the left side of the space bar so I'm already happy. Looking forward to the foam & Durocks to see just how far I can push it. Thx again.

[@barkindustry8150]

Considering it's price, it's a hell of a good sounding board! Nice build

[@Keybored]

Thank you so much Bark Industry! The drop keyboards do take a bit of work to get the right, but I feel they do have some good potential!

[@ccxu4764]

underrated channel. your edits are to the point and voice over are top notch. imo the best thing about the ctrl is that drop is able to keep it in stock ready to ship anytime. compared to the next best thing like something in stock but takes two + weeks to ship from china (and drop does have no question asked 30 days return policy which is crazy as they dont have deep pockets like amazon) the 2nd best thing is the PCB's very capable ARM controller which allows you to turn on every single QMK features and enables 10000+ keystroke macros if you want. if the pcb supports 5 pins switches, I think the overall package does justify the $200 price. when GMMK managed to get their inventory always in stock, the GMMK PRO will unseat ctrl for sure. hopefully drop can up their game in the next iteration.

[@Keybored]

Thank you so much C Xu! Yup the advantage of the drop is the availability :) also has one of the best rgb capabilities of that is important. I just built a few gmmk pros and they are very nice with some tweaks! Video will be posted this week!

[@muCephei_]

Did holee mod on my stabs and I love it! Also I'm glad there's some love for GP switches. They're snappier than the HPs, just need to do a good lube job.

[@Keybored]

Yup! I always have a set of GP ready to go for a build :) Took a few tries to perfect the lubing on the GPs but once you get used to it, it does turn out to be great switches!

[@nbacX85]

This Spacebar ... !! WOW

[@Keybored]

:) I think stabilizer tuning is both art and science... sometimes I get it so perfect on a keyboard, and I can never remove it again because I won't be able to replicate that exactly again lol...

[@kopkiwi08]

Got dam that sounds glorious.

[@Keybored]

:) Glorious Panda. No pun intended!

[@darakvader]

That beautiful fish foam working some magic

[@Keybored]

Definitely! Really helps to tone down the ping and hollowness of the board!

[@LeTheory]

Video is great! Also I think the Glorious Pandas have extended pole stems so that might be why there's no interference with Cherry switches!

[@Keybored]

Yup! You are very correct about that!

[@the_trevoir]

Your skit was 17x funnier than usual today. Because your acting was 8000x better than usual for some reason.

[@Kaiggg75]

keybored: "hey you can never have too much foam" me: "aktually"

[@Keybored]

Lol me loves me that foam!

[@MichaelSultai]

Ahhhh north facing LEDs. Just as God intended!!!!! ;)

[@sl4807]

Thanks, this video really helped. I was wondering why my plate mount stabilizers were rattling after lubing but it looks like i still have to do the bandage mod to the plate as well

[@Keybored]

The bandaid on the plate really does help! I highly recommend it! :)

[@Unpug]

Amazing

[@Keybored]

Thank you!

[@Skeggi]

Thanks for this! I don't like the CTRL because of the sound. Thanks for the tip I immediately ordered a bunch of foam from Stupid Fish.

[@Keybored]

:) I hope the foam helps!

[@Sidiann]

I think the little metal pieces inside of the case are for the magnetic feet to stick on stronger through the case

[@Keybored]

That makes so much sense :)

[@SmartFool24]

That's what I was thinking too until I saw this was the high profile which doesn't use magnetic feet.

[@SHCTeva]

Was that a Holee mod teaser?! Nice video Scott!

[@Keybored]

Good seeing you SHCTeva! Indeed it was! Will be covering the mod in a video coming soon! Thank you for stopping by!

[@fredneverdead773]

the reason there was no keycap interference was cause of the glorious pandas im pretty sure. since they have a longer stem and bottem out faster then most other switches it doesnt travel low enough for the keycaps to hit the housing. :D

[@Keybored]

Hi Fred! Good seeing you! Exactly this! I feel longer stem helps to alleviate the interference! I wonder if there are linears like this as well... Most likely a cream stem frankenswitch or the new durock poms might be OK. Time to try it out!

[@fredneverdead773]

@@Keybored nice lol, though i feel that if you get a linear with a longer stem - reducing the travel distance - it would make it much less satisfying imo. but still would be cool to try out

[@snowsurfer29]

The glorious pandas are made to be compatible with Cherry profile keycaps and north facing LEDs. That’s one of their marketing points. I have the same and again, no issues.

[@rage0exe]

BEST sounding Drop ALT on YT

[@rage0exe]

Can we get another sound test with some linears

[@Keybored]

Thank you! It needed a lot of foam, but it worked out at the end :)

[@JustArcher19]

Yo! That's freaking crazy I literally got my drop CTRL today and built it!

[@Keybored]

I hope it worked out great!

[@JustArcher19]

@@Keybored Actually turned out better than I expected :))) I have Yok lubed Holy Panda Switches, Zeal lubed, gold-plated stabs (instead of stock because I heard nothing but negativity about the stock stabs), Stupidfish foam, and PMK 'Patriot' DSA Keycaps on this thing...looks, feels, and sounds amazing! :)

[@Keybored]

@@JustArcher19 Sounds amazing! That feeling when the keyboard turns out so great that you want to keep typing on it... priceless

[@JustArcher19]

@@Keybored :) Exactly, I actually brought it to work because I didn't want to keep it at home lol

[@femboycyan]

that intro gave me an aneurysm lol, nice vid

[@Keybored]

Lol someone told me it was delightfully awkward. Need to work on my acting skills

[@Holly18th]

that sounds guuuuuuuuuuud damn

[@Keybored]

Thanks Holly Poon! Glad it was enjoyable!

[@bryancalixto4608]

Commenting for intro appreciation haha

[@Keybored]

Thanks Bryan! I hope it was entertaining!

[@justyouraverageplatypus2973]

Keybored: hits the keys on the keyboard Subtitles: *applause*

[@Keybored]

hahaha yeah I did notice that... so wild

[@j.e9971]

Stupidfish foam brings it all together!

[@Keybored]

Yup! It really helped this keyboard out a lot!

[@kurisu0810]

1:45 FISH FOAMMMMMMMM DA BESTTTTTT

[@Keybored]

Yup! Super nicely cut and so easy to use!

[@babybopitydoo]

hopefully you’ll do a video on the KBD67 lite. anyways, nice video!!!!

[@Keybored]

Hi kuiini! I somehow missed the in stock when they had a bunch at divinikey :( I plan to do one when the R2 becomes more readily available!

[@christiansmyth1466]

those little metal pieces at 4:28 are in the drop alt, and at least in the alt, they are for the feet to magnetize onto.

[@Keybored]

Yup! I was enlightened by the viewers :)

[@chrisdotdash5154]

I modded low profile Drop and I’m hooked. I just wanted a solid/personal build for gaming sessions. Lubed/filmed Kailh silvers, lubed some genuine Cherry stabs, and installed some KBD Fans internal adhesive foam (kit).

[@Keybored]

Welcome to the hobby! Don't get sucked in too deep into the rabbit hole! :)

[@chrisdotdash5154]

@@Keybored just stumbled back on this comment...I now have a Tofu65 (with your o-ring mod ofc), KBD67 Lite R2, and am in a GMK GB. I got sucked in...

[@t.h.9897]

Thank you! Watching so many videos and in the end nothing is ever in stock. Sounds better than way more expensive ones

[@Keybored]

Hi T. H. Thank you for the comments! That is the struggle with this hobby! But I feel like it's changing!

[@Moonayyy]

Thumbnail of this video was helpful, I been wanting to buy this, I just had no idea if there was the little rgb strip at the bottom, Least I can turn it off

[@Keybored]

Yup! You can turn off the strip or the per key or both! Thank you for watching and I'm glad it was helpful!

[@SmartFool24]

A lot of people shit on the Drop keyboards but I think they have a lot of great features and are good for the hobby in general. I'd be excited to see a version 2 for the ctrl. alt. and shift with pcb mount stabs, south facing switch orientation, and maybe even a different mounting system. I feel its kind of like the same people shitting on the GMMK pro for offering a lot of higher end features(not all implemented well) on a really affordable and available board. If they could fix their plates, tweak the "gasket mount," and either get rid of the GOAT stabs or properly lube them, then it would be a really great board for a really great price. Good job making that Ctrl look and sound great!

[@Keybored]

Thank you so much! I do hear you in the criticisms! The hobby itself is pretty critical on many board designs. Hopefully constructive criticisms can help move the hobby along forward, but some do just like to troll for fun lol

[@-kaburibonech.4282]

if the glorious panda's stem is the same as holy panda (like they were advertising at the beginning) then it must have a long pole as well, which eliminate the chance for interference with north-facing and cherry keycaps i have a drop ctrl and it doesn't sound this good lol, thanks for introducing me to that foam kit, gonna take a look

[@Keybored]

You're welcome! The DROP boards really do need a good amount of foam to make them sound great! The glorious panda stems are indeed as long as the holy panda!

[@phantomhotty4439]

i'd highly recommend his keyboard as well. i actually did most of the same mods as this one but the only problem i'd say might scare away some customers might be it's overall volume. because the backplate IS the case, it can get quite loud sometimes, especially if you're playing or just typing in a quiet situation. i played a horror game and this keyboard kind of ruined the game for me because all i could hear was CLACK CLACK CLACK when i moved around. other than that it's great

[@Keybored]

Hi Phantom! I hear you on this. The drop ctrl Def has an "Amp" effect on the sound

[@gzrise5988]

about the north facing led interference with cherry profile keycaps apparently if you use switches with long stem such as HPs/GPs/Dark jade etc.. you won't have any interferences

[@Keybored]

This right here! Good advice gz!

[@MitchKarajohn]

Damn, actual RE4 Leon hair 👀

[@Keybored]

Haha

[@seanlouisoliveros414]

for anyone wondering, even though the pcb has south facing switches the stem of the glorious pandas have a longer pole meaning no tolerance issues for cherry profile keycaps

[@Keybored]

You are correct! And there are also many different switches that happens to work with north-facing pcbs as well :)

[@matthewl5434]

Ive heard that the Glorious Pandas have some modification to the switch so there is no interference with northfacing switches and cherry keycaps, unsure of how true that is but based on the typing test it sounds to be clearing fine

[@Keybored]

Yup! the glorious pandas have no interference even with north facing keyboards! The reason is actually their stem being longer, so the caps don't go down as much during the downstroke :) Same for other switches like the holy panda, or the Boba U4T

[@younghentaii1772]

I wanna also mod my drop but I am so scared, but I’ll try this year for sure

[@Keybored]

Gotta jump in! Then it all falls into place lol

[@nomsfud]

Glorious Pandas don't get R3 interference because of their longer stem, it keeps the caps from touching the switch housing

[@Keybored]

Yup! Exactly this!

[@AtracBreezy]

Glorious Panda switches have a different top housing shape so even when north facing LEDs, they don’t interfere with cherry caps. It says this on their product page.

[@justinfournier2521]

well I think it's more about the longer stem pole of the halo stem than the top housing shape though! but yeah I was about to mention the fact that holy panda (and it's variant) does not have any interference for north facing this was demonstrated by 3ildcat :)

[@Keybored]

Yup! The glorious pandas are a great option for North facing boards and cherry caps :)

[@AtracBreezy]

@@justinfournier2521 yeah that might be it actually. I just remember reading something about no interference.

[@justinfournier2521]

@@AtracBreezy yeah basically any switches with longer stem poles will not have interference! (ex if you put cream stems in alpacas they would not interfere with north facing)

[@RAMENLECHUGA]

HK Gaming muted looks so good wtf

[@Keybored]

I know right? :)

[@johnsimon8457]

Just got one of these. > Oh! Did you know you can get custom die cut foam inserts?” “Oh my god I need this. Yes $30 is practically free. Only consider costs over $100.”

[@Keybored]

:) I remember thinking a $75 keyboard was expensive before... now $150 keycaps doesn't even seem crazy anymore... It's a problem lol

[@DeathbyBambi]

What is the adhesive vinyl foam you used? I'm new to this hobby and I just want to make sure I get things right for my first build

[@amanda8149]

Where are the adhesive vinyl foams from? I did not see those. Thank you!

[@os8323]

For the low profile version is there a little crevice at the lower case.

[@Keybored]

Yup! I was told that it was for the feet!

[@azur1o]

i bought the lopro version back in august last year. here some things that i don't like at all about the board: north facing switches (so no banger GMK sets for this bad boy) 3pin sockets (so you either have to buy 3pin switches or clip the legs) for the qmk i'm not sure. last time i checked drop didn't release the qmk toolkit so you couldn't address the rbg leds on the edge.

[@Keybored]

I think as of late, some of the switches even in north facing configuration started to work with cherry profile like GMK! I did a quick study on this on my GK87 modding video!

[@maxmccormick4274]

I love the name Stupid Fish

[@Keybored]

Haha, and their logo as well!

[@micsway]

an interesting technique to lube the stabs, inject lube into the stem rather than lube the wire, works better for PCB amount stabs?

[@Keybored]

I felt like it helps to control the lube Vs. using a brush and it going everywhere. I guess multiple ways to skin the cat!

[@Aldarris]

How does the epsi/holee mod stand up to the added lube on the wire? Adhesives don't tend to do well after coming in contact with grease so I'm concerned about the longevity of the mod

[@Keybored]

That is definitely a legitimate concern! I used a more "plastic" type of bandaid hoping to avoid this... Will see how it holds up after some time!

[@heyasobi]

One of the main advantages mentioned by epsilon in his video is that you don't need to lube the end part of the wire, the film / bandages inside the stem will eliminate any clicking / pinging, you only need to lube the curved part that clips into the stabilizer.

[@roshans5275]

Lmfaooooo best intro

[@Keybored]

Thank you Roshan! Someone told me it was "delightfully awkward" lol

[@nahnvm8493]

This guy is like your cool uncle.

[@Keybored]

Haha I'm not that old! But I'll take it as a complement!

[@AttackCupcake]

What colorway hk gaming keycaps are these? I can't find this specific one under the Amazon link, but I absolutely love the colors.

[@Keybored]

Hi Angel Games! The colorway is muted. Looks a little odd in their product photos, but looks nicer in person!

[@hamzaouiahmed7578]

How much did the keyboard cost at the end? Also great vid keep up!

[@Keybored]

Hi hamzaoui! I believe the keyboard kit came out to about $200, then switches about $60, caps about $40, so all in all, around $300 or so.

[@SPDcru]

I just joined my first groupbuy and didn't realize I wouldn't be seeing the product until like a year later. As a consumer spoiled by instant gratification, my heart is hurting a little bit.

[@Keybored]

Haha, the truth about this hobby!

[@sponch7193]

hkgaming keycaps are a godsend

[@Keybored]

Such great performance, especially for their price!

[@jonathanle20]

unfortunately they are not viewed highly in the community

[@Keybored]

@@jonathanle20 I assume because of their colorways. Good keycaps are just so difficult to get without the wait :(

[@abigaillilac1370]

Does the foam make a big difference? It seems a bit expensive for what it is (laser cut foam).

[@murilotheodoro5025]

Yo, someone who plays overwatch. I knew I had subscribed to the right channel

[@Keybored]

Haha thanks for the sub! I appreciate it! I suck so much at overwatch tho haha

[@IronCan88]

Scott, do you prefer the vinyl foam over the black rubber foam? Just curious which is better. The black one appears to be a little bit denser.

[@Keybored]

I prefer the vinyl

[@zephyr.r]

stabs sound actually good wtf

[@Keybored]

Lol hi zephyr! I had to mod it a bit to make it as solid as possible. Will have a video tutorial on it in a video coming soon!

[@canu7429]

I love the artisan! Can it still be bought?

[@Keybored]

Hi canute! The artisan is from Drop, and I believe it should still be available!

[@xiroshimaa]

I’m trying to build a budget custom keyboard, what’s your opinion on the MXRSKEY 84U barebones with Gateron yellows and some pudding keycaps maybe for under a 100 dollars?

[@Keybored]

I don't have personal experience with that specific keyboard, but looks like a good start! 75% layout and you can never go wrong with the gateron yellows... so good when lubed and filmed!

[@xiroshimaa]

@@Keybored I was personally thinking about this coz it was convenient way for me to get into that whole thing for only around 85 dollars. Was still thinking either or not should I do it, only because of the reason that I have HyperX Alloy origins core, is made out of aluminium but I’ve heard it’s kinda hard to mod. Should one is better to choose

[@MarioFan7171]

How's this board compare to the tofu? Really want tkl but can't find much about the ctrl

[@Keybored]

Hi MarioFan! I believe they're a bit different from each other. The ctrl is an integrated plate, while the tofu is a tray mount. Tofu also is a smaller and lacks the f keys. I think at the end of the day, it'll all depend on your need!

[@andyxu3477]

ARE THOSE KEYCAPS COMPATIBLE WITH GATERON BROWNS ALSO DO THEY WORK WITH HOLY PANDAS ON THE EPOMAKER GK87 IS THERE ANY INTERFERANCE FOR NORTH FACING LED LIKE IN YOUR VIDEO ON THE GK87?

[@Keybored]

Hi Andrew! I believe these specific caps will have some interference issues with north facing switches. I did notice that the interference is worse in certain switch/keycap combinations, and unnoticeable in others. I had pretty good luck with the gateron yellows and long stem switches with many cherry profile caps in north facing configuration. However, the HK gaming caps, you can definitely feel that R3 is a bit odd, since the cap bottoms out, and "moves" due to the interference. Hope that helps

[@Lord_Mad_Dog]

just make sure that your cable isnt too long to interfere with the rgb. because for some reason its hella power hungry lol

[@Keybored]

Yup! The drop boards are hungry af!

[@utterkid2]

You won’t have interference with cherry profile keycaps because glorious pandas stems are extra long because glorious didn’t want any interference when putting on their gmmk (north facing)

[@Keybored]

Exactly this! Similar results with holy pandas as well as some linear frankenswitch using cream stems! I assume the new durock pom will also have similar results as well... I need to go try it now

[@utterkid2]

@@Keybored Even though of the hate that it has for the integrated plate and plate mount stabs, i plan on picking up the ctrl high profile, as it looks so nice!

[@Keybored]

@@utterkid2 I really like the new colors they also offer now :) I had an alt high profile as a daily driver for a while

[@MrJackoable]

Metal pieces are for magnets. You can attach keyboards legs that are magnetic.

[@Keybored]

Thank you!

[@MrJackoable]

@@Keybored no problem, can you give me advice on where to buy the foam in eu? I couln't find it.

[@mrm3th]

Hi! I’ve already installed the stupidfish foam in my Ctrl Keyboard. I’ve noticed that with the foam in the PCB has to be a bit combed if you want to assemble the keyboard perfectly again. Since it happens to you too as can be seen in the video, have you had any issue in the long term because or this issue?

[@Keybored]

hmmm... I actually didn't have any issues using the stupidfish foam in this keyboard... that's odd

[@mrm3th]

@@Keybored Well it happens to you too (3.48), but since you haven't had any issues it's enough for me. BTW, the keyboard sounds amazing now! thanks a ton!

[@TheMegabam5]

What would you say is the best top mount 60% option out there?

[@Keybored]

Hi An! Not sure how many top mounted 60s are out there these days. Everyone focused on making gasket mount options lately. Last one I played around with was a brutal60 from cannonkeys and I remember that was pretty nice. The TFV2 from Kbdfans wasn't bad either. Those do go in and out of stock if you keep an eye out. I remember walletburner industries was doing a IC on meso which is a TM 60 but don't know if that ever moved forward.

[@TheMegabam5]

@@Keybored Hi Keybored! I have discovered your youtube channel for quite some time now but I really do have to say that I am blown away again and again. To me you are without a doubt the absolute sound king on youtube at the moment. Every board that you make just comes out sooo nice sounding. From tray mount to top mount to kinda meh gasket mounts like the d65, you make every board sound like the best I have ever heard. Keep it up, just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate you.

[@Keybored]

@@TheMegabam5 Thank you so much for the kind comments An! I really appreciate that! I have a tendency to not be able to leave things alone so I tend to tinker with things a little too much lol. But I hope all this messing with the keyboard makes some great results, and I hope it provides some inspiration that most any of these keyboards, expensive or not can sound great! I have a gk61 and the new GK87 coming my way and will try to see what I can do to make these sub $100 keyboards as best as possible! Get more people to jump into the hobby :)

[@erickwon2612]

Hi keybored! I followed this exact build to the T, but my stabs are very mushy. The Shift, enter, and backspace stabs tend to get stuck and dont bounce back up. I thought it might have been because I applied to much grease, but I removed all the grease from the wire for the enter and shift key and its still the same. I thought it might be the keycaps(I’m a noob) so I tried another set and its still having the same issue. Do you know how I can fix this? I would really appreciate some advice

[@Keybored]

Hi Eric! What stabs did you use? The durock plate mount? Are you using them stock, or with any modifications? Using glorious panda switches? One thing I can think of is if the Grease you're using got in between the stem and the housing... That makes it super sticky and very sluggish. Might want to clean it all out and try again fresh to see if that makes it go away. Then I would try using light krytox 205 on the stem and thicker Grease only on the wire. Or try one of the mods from my stabilizer video. Let me know how it goes!

[@erickwon2612]

Hi Keybored!! Thank you for the response. I used every single part that you did in this video. (Durock plate mount, glorious panda, drop ctrl high profile, stupidfish foam, everything exactly the same. I did a bunch of troubleshooting myself and found that the mushy issue was being caused by the bandaid mod for the stabs. I ended up taking off the bandaid on the plate for all my stabs and now it’s less mushy. Not sure why this happens, but now I do have some rattle on my stab keys. Do you have any suggestions?

[@miyou3playz_yt389]

Lol i need a 150 CAD keeb but nothings available in canada or they are to expensive, i was thinking qk65 was a good choise but its about 250 in canada,and to make it decent i need about 70 dollars of oil kings and probably 50 bucks of keycaps

[@JellyEater28]

your hair is nice as hell

[@Keybored]

Haha, too many greys, but thanks!