I Wish I Had Known This Before I Bought My First Custom Mechanical Keyboard | Beginners Guide
In this video, I’m gonna try to talk about what almost 2 years of playing with a custom mechanical keyboard (s) has taught me and maybe help one or two souls out there. So think of it as a small but perhaps interesting beginners guide to the grand world of custom keyboards.
NearLucid: / nearlucid
Keyboards shown 🛍️
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QK65: qwertykeys.notion.site/QK65-F...
Owlab Spring: / gb_spring
Monokei Standard: www.monokei.co/standard
Percent Studio Trio-60: percent.studio/products/trio-60
PrimeKB Meridian: www.primekb.com/collections/k...
Keebwerk Mega: www.keebwerk.com/mega-keyboard/
Keychron Q2: www.keychron.com/products/key...
Keychron K6: www.keychron.com/products/key...
Keycaps shown 🛍️
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Drop DCX: drop.com/mechanical-keyboards...
Drop MT3: drop.com/mechanical-keyboards...
Monokei Series 1: monokei.co/series-1-keycaps
Osume Keys: www.osumekeys.com
qPBT Terminal: mvkb.com/terminal/
GMK Godspeed: drop.com/buy/drop-mito-gmk-go...
PBTFans Keycaps: kbdfans.com/collections/pbtfans
Mode Keycaps: modedesigns.com/pages/keycaps
Rama Works Keycaps: ramaworks.store/products/caps...
Other items shown 🛍️
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Loobed Switches: loobedswitches.com/
Owlstab V2: www.qwertykeys.com/products/o...
Gateron Switch Puller: geni.us/nGiw
KBDFans Lube Tools: kbdfans.com/products/kbdfans-...
Cat Switch Opener: swagkeys.com/products/lucky-c...
Wristrest for Owlab Spring: www.qwertykeys.com/products/s...
Great place for in-stock parts and keyboards: thocstock.com
Looking for something else? Check out these affiliate links! 🤝
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nuphy.com/?sca_ref=1371668.Wx... (code: cheese to get 10% off)
iqunix.store/cheese (code: cheese to get 5% off)
ezykeys.com/?ref=cheeseturbul... (code: cheese to get 5% off)
hototools.com/discount/CHEESE (code: cheese to get 5% off)
zepsody.com/?ref=BwC1Eimc (code: cheese to get 5% off)
www.amazon.com/?tag=cheesetur...
divoom.com/cheeseturbulence (code: cheeseturbulence to get 10% off, min. order $49)
www.mikit.store/cheese (code: cheese to get 5% off)
Like the music? 🎵
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Sign up for Epidemic Sound using my referral link and get a 30-day free trial: www.epidemicsound.com/referra...
Gear used 🎬
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Camera: geni.us/UzQAwW
Lens: geni.us/HpBXvq
Microphone:geni.us/Y6IkFI
Audio Interface: geni.us/R7lcA
Light:geni.us/13xEU
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Complete Gear List: kit.co/CheeseTurbulence/youtu...
Chapters 📋
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00:00 - Intro
00:15 - Prologue
01:02 - Your First Is Gonna Suck (Keyboards)
03:10 - GMK Isn't Everything (Keycaps)
08:16 - Of Switches And Stabs (Switches & Stabilizers)
12:07 - Accessorize Me (Accessories & Tools)
13:47 - Now Go Forth And Build (Closing Thoughts)
15:03 - Thank You
Outside of KZhead 🖼️
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Instagram: / cheeseturbulence
Support ❤️
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If you want to (you absolutely don’t have to) you can support the channel via Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/cheeseturbulence
About the links 🔗
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Some of the links in the description can be affiliate links, you won’t be paying extra but I get a little commission when you make a purchase.
Been in the hobby for almost a decade, or around there at least, and the most important lesson I try to teach people who ask me questions is to avoid FOMO. Being afraid of not getting a specific board because of a hype train and limited production runs is a serious threat, and has made some people I know want to quit the hobby. It's important to remember that the hobby has exploded in recent years, especially over lockdown, and there are TONS of good keyboard options coming out, and more and more people are making designs and group buys. There will be another board that will come around that you will like even more, and you will have the chance to get the boards you missed in the future. Try not to stress yourself out over not having enough money for a board right now, especially with new boards being announced every week!
This can be applied to any hobby actually. I was going down a rabbit hole with headphones for the last 7 years lol. It gets expensive
@conrad I just bought the KeyChron V1 because of this very reason. I looked for months for a keyboard that had the same height and angle as my old hp ku-0841 keyboard. I also ordered some Silent alpacas because I want it to be a silent build as well as some mx compatible low-profile switches to keep the key height low. DSA keycaps are also a good choice for low profile builds and their surfaces are all the same height and shape. The Keychron V1 doesn't have a wireless option but I don't mind that and it hit every other category I was looking for.
@conrad All the parts should be in by dec 8th, then I just have to see when my friend has a day off because we want to build it together.
@@-conrad- check geekhack for boards with low front height and 5 deg or so angle, . also why not try palm rest? it's great for ergonomics.
I find it weird people call this a hobby. Much of the time reviews of switches only focus on the sound it makes and neglects performance. I'm interested in buying a mechanical keyboard simply because I want to get into a better workflow. I use to have a laptop that just had a great compact keyboard that made me want to type more. I could just flow and was able to type faster and more effectively due to it. Sound means almost nothing to me, I'm often wearing my headphones. It's nice to have a satisfying sound when hitting the keys but that isn't my primary focus. So why is this a hobby instead of being about performance? A keyboard is meant to be used, you're not making music by clicking keys. I mean building keyboards itself I'd consider a hobby... I guess owning a lot of them would be a hobby... but isn't a keyboard suppose to be functional? It's so much harder to research when so many of the videos on the subject are from a hobbyist's view. I just want to find out what'll bring me the best typing experience -- not trying to become an audiophile.
My biggest issue is spending the $100+ on keycaps. Every discussion I've heard goes on about how designers need to be paid for their time and how small the individual orders are, but the amount of plastic is only worth a few bucks and once they've set up manufacturing, the per unit cost is very low. I can't wait for more people to get into this hobby so they fall down to something a bit more reasonable. Also PBT all the way
Totally agree. Keycap prices are insane for just plastic. You can say that the development of a keyboard, is hard and so on, but I cannot justify the insane prices for keycaps.
Just investigate why Legos are so expensive. Nothing to do with plastic costs
honestly i was like this when i first joined the hobby. now i understand that gmk wins, but crp is a good pbt alternative or xmi/shenpo/cannonkeys pbt since they all use the same blanks
Even if you factor in one time R&D costs, how much does it cost to design a keycap set? The vast majority of keycap sets are following existing standards anyway (OEM, SA, Cherry MX stems, whatever), so it's not like they are even designing each individual key, but just choosing the colors, font, and maybe some novelty images or symbols to be put onto the keycaps. At most it's a couple thousand dollars work. And as you said, once tooling is set up (which it mostly is already, due to aforementioned standards, costing just a couple thousand more for unique colors or font), it costs very little to produce, and metal molds for plastic last a very, very long time. The only explanation is that the cost is part of the experience; it's a Veblen, luxury good, where the more expensive it is, the more valuable it is perceived to be, even if the physical object is exactly the same as something 1/10th of the price. Thus, prices are inflated, and supply artificially limited ("group buys"), and those who try to justify spending this money tell themselves that it's for the "quality" (Are you really going to be using the exact same set of keycaps for 20 years? If you are, why are you buying multiple sets anyway?).
@@retrocomputing least Lego makes some sense, they aren’t using the IP they use without paying the license holders a pound of flesh. I might just not be looking in the right places, but I haven’t seen any key caps featuring Star Wars, or Marvel characters.
As someone who is dipping both feet into audiophile and keyboard hobbies, the Keychron prebuilts are good enough for my thinning wallet.
Agreed. I've received my K10 from Keychron recently and I love it. Great entry into custom mech keyboards.
keyboards and audio at the same time? you are quite brave. RIP to your wallet
akko also does some dope stuff for relatively little money.
As a man who has sank $1000 in audio in 2021, i have also sank $800 in keyboards in 2022 (so far) Edit: its december 30 almost the end of 2022 and i have officially sank more then $1500 in keyboards this year
Yeah, well except their keycaps are not for me, but I've been thoroughly disappointed with kits from Ali express while I just feel content with Keychron Q and V line, the quality and features just happens to fulfill me and I don't want/need to buy anything else.
"Don't stress it, just try it." As someone who has been in the hobby for years and has been giving advice to his viewers, your quote is the best piece of advice that I think beginners need to embrace. Amazing video, keep it up man.
Thanks so much! I actually stole that phrase from Top Gun: Maverick, although he said "Don't think, just do!" 😅 Love your videos btw!
at this price range is not fun for anyone
@@CheeseTurbulence why no one is building low profile keyboard and stuff.
@@braindeadbrick553 There just aren't many good low profile boards. I know Keychron just released the S1, but I have no idea how good it is. Also low profile switches just aren't that great.
@@jaideng721 OEM keycaps are jamming my fingers and probably also because of the travel distance since I came from laptop keyboards and those low-profile membranes...
bruh, you just made me subscribe all because of how well the video is edited and everything. The way you narrate and put out a simple guide for everyone is lowkey mesmerizing. I've seen a lot of videos regarding 'beginners guide' into this hobby but you just uncrowned all of my favorites and I will be moving forward be using this video as an introduction to this hobby. Well done!
Thanks for those incredibly nice words! Really, very much appreciated! 😊🙇♂
GMK has been around forever, because they were originally part of Cherry. I believe it became a separate company after an employee buyout, when Cherry wanted to shut down their internal keycap manufacturing (and possibly exit the consumer space altogether). Cherry is a division of car supplier ZF Friedrichshafen, and ZF reportedly wanted to shut down consumer keyboard production entirely a couple of years ago - Cherry's main business at the time was switches for industrial and automotive applications under the Cherry Industrial Solutions brand, anyway. Then the mechanical keyboard craze happened, so they kept Cherry alive, and rebranded Cherry Industrial Solutions as ZF Electronics.
😮that's very interesting, thank you!
sometimes when companies rebrand it blows my mind! its like elonmusk trying to rename twitter to "x" its absolutely mindblowing because i know for a fact he is smart so how come he makes such a monumental stupid decision? coming up witht he idea to rebrand a 30y old known brand should get you fired
Twitter hasn't been around for 30 years. Elon isn't smart, anybody who ever thought that should have really gotten the memo by now. The Cherry rebrand (and pivot in target demographic tbf) kinda saved them, so it can work.
@@gracelandtoo6240 he made paypal and became a multi millionarie, then used that money to become even richer, then used that money to become ridiculously rich! seems pretty smart to me. and the age of a brand is not the main factor. you were tweeting on twitter! now youre x'ing on x? i dont get it? it would be the same if google decided to rename youtube to "K" or maybe "L" or maybe "CRONK" it wouldnt make sense!
I was so lucky I had a friend who was also into keyboards. She went so far as to buy over 120 different switches to make a sample kit and even labeled each one! After trying all of them I realized just how tiny the differences are with the feels of each switch, sound tests definitely does not tell the whole story. For my first keyboard I went for Holy Pandas lubed using Star Wars GMK keycaps on a Keychron Q6 keyboard. I’m gonna build it soon but I’m excited!
What a great video. Been in the hobby for a couple of years now, this video resonates well with me and agreed with virtually all if not all the points you made 👍🏼
Thank you 😊
This is most definitely one of the best "beginners guides" I've ever seen, be it keyboards or otherwise! You did a great job of giving real-life suggestions and didn't inject too many of your own preferences into the guide at all! I'm pretty deep into the hobby now (Probably close to two dozen custom boards sitting near me and another dozen in boxes waiting to be unleashed) and I wish I had sen this video before a lot of the choices I made early on. That being said, having gone through the experience much like yourself, I can attest that your advice and suggestions are very much accurate and things I would also recommend to others! Thanks again for taking the time to create this....even if I am late to seeing it! Heck, it still holds true a year later so you clearly did something right!
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
When I began this hobby, I didn't know if I should go for linears, tactiles or clickies as if I should only like one. After almost two years, I have a board for each type of switch as I enjoy using all of them for different reasons and I like to cycle through them. This keeps each type of switch fresh every time you use it and prevents from getting bored of only one type of switch. An important thing to remember in this hobby is that if you give switches a chance long enough you can begin to like it even if you didn't like it at first.
Aaah this video is so important, sums up a lot of what I would like to tell people when they're starting out, thank you for making this
I'm really glad I stumbled onto this video. I officially got into the hobby last month and had been researching the type of switches, keycaps, and bases I wanted. This hobby actually taught me how to budget and feel okae with not buying 'high-end' parts because I wouldn't have as much appreciation for them for now-which is a point you made in the video! I learned to appreciate the growth that could come out of this hobby with every keyboard that I could build and that convinced me not to gun for a $600 build on my first buy! :') Thank you for this video, I'm glad I saw it while I need the advice. I'll try it, before I buy big :D
AND preferences change!! GB times be crazy. You might not even want what you ordered 2-3 yrs down the line.
the best advice i can give having recently built my first custom is to see if theres any custom keyboard communities around. i was able to find some local hobbyists and got to try a few keyboards to see what i liked. ended up building a GMMK with durock T1 swtiches. ive been very happy with it.
Great video. Lots of good advice. Love the storytelling style of your content.
I appreciate that! 🙇♂️
i always love it when I find this high quality content on small channels, thanks so much for making this vid :D
Glad you enjoy it! 🙂
This really helped thank you 🙏🏽 I got a change of mindset going into this now
As a fellow 2-year hobbyist, I agree with these points and also want to add that this realization is mainly possible only bc of the abundance of alternatives nowadays compared to 2 years prior.
except us iso people, we still have the same options like before the death of the dinosaurs.
@@Daniel-dj7fh disclaimer: I didn't like the comment because of the situation, but because it was funny as heck 😅
Your video, script, pacing, etc. is awesome. I feel like getting in under 10k subs on your channel is crazy. I'm excited to see where you go and how you grow your channel. Great job.
Thank you so much! 🙂
Totally agree. I have no interest (at least I didn't think I did) in keyboards as a hobby, I just need a decent replacement keyboard for work, but this video is so well presented that I watched the whole darn thing and learned a lot! Nice work and I hope your channel continues to grow.
Love the videos. Just getting into this space, this was very helpful. Hope to see more.
Thank you! 🙂
Your video editing skills are next level. I watched the whole video just for the enjoyment of how professional the shots were, yet you still threw in humor. :) Keep up the hard work. You're going places!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you! 🙂
In regards to switch testers and small packs of switches like those 10 pack switches, I will say that sometimes it ain't bad when you can grab a few and replace just specific keys such as the space, shift, enter, backspace or the specific keys that you use for gaming. For speed or extra thump thock.
Totally! I do that too sometimes 🙂
my broke ass using u4t on spacebar and the rest is just huano holy toms on the rest 💀💀💀💀💀💀
beautiful cinematics and keyboard.
Thank you 😊
So many great points made in the video and such a refreshing critical take on the scene. Enjoyed watching.
Thank you so much! 😀
One of the most edifying & fantastic videos on this subject, on the Internet - probably full-stop! 👍🏽👍🏽
Thank you! 😀
You covered so much good info and gave us some great food for thought. Great vid per usual.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
8:48-9:07 Totally agree with this - I also don't recommend switch testers to my friends for this exact reason. Hitting a single switch just isn't representative of how it will feel across a whole keyboard. Great video!
Thank you! 😊
i bought packs of 10 switches for 7 different switches and it is still not enough to have a strong opinion on the differences between these switches !
A great video and precisely what I needed to see right now. These recent weeks I have been buying parts for my first custom keyboard and the one thing I could not decide on was the keycaps. I wanted something like the GMK momo yume caps which I missed out on due to being late to this hobby. I never heard about osume until your video and after looking them up made one of the fastest impulse purchases in my life so far.
Really great quality content here, wish had known about this channel sooner!
Oh My God… Those keycaps are insane. It’s the first time in my life I had to subscribe to a newsletter for a set of keycaps. How much were they? Also, how do you not have 500K subs. Your videos are top notch!
Thanks a lot 😅 I'm still fairly new to the game, so time will tell how far this goes 😅 And do you mean the Terminal keycaps? (the ones in the thumbnail), those were around $70 (without the artisan), fairly "cheap" for keycaps, but yeah, they look very cool 🙂
My first mechanical keyboard was a Keychron Q1 (ver. 1) with Gazzew Bobagums, I remember a lot of nitpicks I had about the key feel, the keycaps, the layout, the case color, and the switches. Almost a year later, I’ve given away that board and spent a couple hundred dollars on different types of switches and JUST NOW decided that in order to make my “endgame”, I have to manufacture it myself.
In theme with the video title, I wish I spent more time researching about what I want in a keyboard and less about wanting to have cool, modded keyboard that gets people’s approval. Hopefully this is just a me issue looking for people’s attention and not a widespread thing in the community.
@@ethur10n That's a very good way of approaching it 🙂
That was ridiculously good - great work, can't believe how good of an 'into to mechanical keyboards' video that was... also love the accent/voice and really nice job with your studio lighting!
Thank you!
Thanks so much, new to this all, and just been reading and watching vids on the subject and recommendations. Very informative!
Thank you! 🙂
I started out with buying cheaper sets of keycaps and personally I have ended up trying to stick with more of my sets to be only GMK. The quality to someone whose been in the hobby shows for sure. But manufacturers have really been pushing the manu process to match!
Surprisingly, my first one came out better than my second one. I stick to the rule building the first one, then start being experimental on my second and third.
Very informative and well explained in detail. Look forward to more of your videos.
Thank you! 🙂
Definitely needed to hear this all. Appreciate this!!
Thank you! 😄
Nice video for those who are looking to build their first board! However, I would like to add to the topic of switch lubing. I have observed that most new people entering the hobby seems to lube their switches for the sound, and lubed switches SOUND GOOD, but bear in mind that once you use that set of switches enough (a month or two of heavy usage, your mileage may vary), the LUBE WILL SETTLE. The switches will still feel smoother than stock, but the sound will basically "default" back to how it sounds stock, minus the scratch sound at best. Personally, I wouldn't recommend relubing considering that the cycle just repeats itself and it is, to me, a huge waste of my time. So, in the end, just use the board and I'm sure you'll learn to love the stock-ish switch sound after some time. We watch content creators build keyboards with lubed switches all the time but this one is hardly ever talked about in the past 2 years ever since the hobby popped off. I often read suggestions to "lube it to make it sound better". Well, generally, that's true, it does sound less scratchy long term, but the distinct lubed sound will slowly fade away with continuous use. Also, Durock/Everglide stabs are overrated. I understand the hype, but ever since its release, there has been several new stabs that came to the market with new features and are WAY easier to tune than Durocks and Everglides, Tx stabs, for example, is my current favorite.
Money fisrt advice for newbie, save money
Hey fantastic advice buddy - thank you for taking the time to post. There are indeed many potential circular & pointless rabbitholes in many hobbies (all hobbies?) - & you've just educated me about a crucial one for this hobby. 👍🏽👍🏽
Your point about lube settling is wrong - from my experience of being in this hobby since 2011 and having used dozens and dozens of keyboards that have been lubed AND heavily used for 5+ years. Yes, the initial fresh-lubed sound will go away after a few weeks or months of use, but switches don't just go back to their "stock sound minus scratch" after 2 months; they usually just settle down slightly and then retain their lubed sound profile for... practically forever after that.
I've been a proponent of mechanical keyboards way before the hobbyist aspect of them really took off, so seeing where they are today is equal parts intimidating and amusing. I'm very utilitarian in my uses so I don't really care to headcase over all the particulars, but it'll always be odd to me how GMK took off in keycap reverence. For a hobby all about the nitty gritty of sound and feel, I'm surprised that key shine hasn't been a priority to eliminate. For the last few years I've been using a Topre Realforce and the keys are just as good as the day I got 'em.
For some odd reason a lot of people seem to like the shine. I've come around over the years to the sound of ABS keycaps over PBT, but I can't stand how they shine with use.
First off, thank you for the helpful information. Also, I think your script-writing is superb and your delivery/voice/cadence is even better. Massive props, man! 😄👍
Oh wow, thank you so much! 🙇♂️
Excellent quality video! Was recommended to me just as my keyboard obesseion took over and I was watching a craaaaap ton of keyboard vids for my first keyboard.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
I did quite a lot of research on my first (and only) board. Ended up spending £300ish and while I think it's a bit much, I'm very happy with the end product. The only thing that is disappointing is my own lack of lubing experience which resulted in many keys sounding inconsistent, but I've come to call it the keyboard's personality 😂 The biggest upgrade and point you come to find is the typing experience. Good stabilisers and harder springs makes typing feel so much more responsive, and I went from 120 WPM to 160 WPM on the first typing test on my new keyboard. I don't see myself getting another one anytime soon, I'm content with what I've (tediously) researched and built.
congrats! 🙂
What switches did you end up going with? Also, do you agree that it is absolutely crazy that nobody sells split spacebars on a TKL (or almost any) non-ego keyboard ? If you are a touch typist and you have to reach for that backspace key causing your entire hand to shift, it is absolutely insane that this single wide spacebar was invented. Nobody uses both thumbs for space. I just cannot make any sense of this illogical design that has been around forever aside from my 1990's NMB The Right Touch which had a split spacebar.
@@nicholash8021 Never thought of a split spacebar, guess I'm just used to full-width. I went with the U4T Boba switches w/ clear casing. 🤙
@@regiiment Thank you. I'm actually surprised you type so fast on a 4mm switch. My ideal range is 3 to 3.5mm. 4mm just feels like too much work and slows me down.
@@nicholash8021 Strong finger muscles I guess, haha. 💪
You should really look at Akko Their new boards and keycaps are seriously awesome! I've got the Very Pery set on gat ink black v2s and they look, sound, and feel amazing. Also I can't wait for you to blow up, your content is seriously amazing! Keep being you 💜
Thanks a-lot and thanks for watching again! 😀
This is a grat video. I've been hoovering around the idea to build one but I'm scared to screw up. Thanks!
still astounded at the fact that you have so few subscribers. we actually got into the hobby around the same time, and i feel like your experience reflects similarly to mine! I'm so excited to finish my second build, and have my third and fourth come in :))))
Thank you 🙂and congrats on your continued journey! 😄
The most important thing is to take your time and realize that learning about the keyboard hobby is an ongoing task. The rabbit hole always gets deeper, take it day by day. Coming from a person who watches primarily tech youtube, and in tech youtube - keeb youtube - , this videos' quality in terms of information and the way it gives it is of the quality of a channel with a million subscribers. I'm late to the part on this one, but honestly being in a similar position to the creator I can say everything (except all stabilizers being the "same")* is correct and great advice. I have heard from lead director (cel) from nearLucid that staebies are way better then owlstabs but personally owlstabs are more then enough. I have had 3 sets, and theyve all been perfect. * If you can wire balance, then the statement "most stabs are the same" is more or less true. But if youre someone like me who cant for the life of them "pull a :3ildcat" and whip out the back of his iPhone and fix it, then you're going to have ticking with lower grade stabs (like durock/everglide). (for reference ticking is like a little clicky noise when you press on either end of a stabilized key). Also; to add to the lube talk; you're going to want to invest in more then one lubricant. It's going to suck, but the results of having both dielectric grease and krytox 205g0 and krytox xht-bdz is going to make your life a lot better. Also if you're buying krytox, use keys.my. Ships from malaysia (via DHL) but they have bulk prices of as low as $.08 per gram of krytox 205g0. For reference, at divinikey, one of the cheapest keyboard shops, 8 grams/mL is $18.95. That's $0.42 per gram. Don't buy fake krytox. If you're really budget oriented and you need lube, sw-92sa works well enough but at the cost that after months/years depending on how you lube you may need to re-lube as it will "dissapear" whereas krytox doesn't. sw-92sa is priced at $.02 a gram however, and you get a 35g of lube per tub ($2.00 each) from aliexpress. The con is you have to wait months for your lube as it ships from russia. Not to mention other lubes such as gs1, trybosys, etc. Also you don't necesarily need a switch opener for lubing switches if you buy a lube station that has a switch opener integrated in it, linked below; Minus the cost of the switch opener mentioned, its about $33 (without shipping/taxes) for a 4x8 grid for switches. Its made out of aluminum so it should last, and it includes box style stem holders so you can hold any type of stem. Also, the spring holders have a bottom to them, so when you go to pick it up they dont fall out. Thats 2 batches for a 60%, 3 for a TKL, 5 for a full-sized keyboard (technically 4+ ~8 over)
That's some really fantastic advice and insight, thank you so much! 🙇♂ ps: also thanks for the kind words 🙂
@@CheeseTurbulence Thanks! Something I should add in post is - dont believe something because many people say it. This has been a problem for people historically throughout the centuries, but it is a vast plague in this community. People overstate and make everything seem like an extreme. I remember when I was new people talked really horrible things about the Boba U4 switch (which I am now typing on) and that it was mushy squishy yadda yadda or that Outemu Dustproof Reds are extremely scratchy etc., While these things aren't neccesarily wrong its like saying a pile of dirt is the same thing as a mountain. Yes, outemu reds are scratchy even when lubed when compared to something like gateron black ink v2s or cjs etc. But it gets close enough where its acceptable at the price point. Things that people say are really bad, like the squishiness/mushiness of the Boba U4 are usually in actuality a lot less extreme then people make them There is definitely an argument for growing your sense to detect unpleasant noises in a keyboard, its a skill you develop, but this alone does not excuse the behavior of saying x linear is shit because it is 0.0000001% less smooth then another linear. And I really think linear smoothness is the perfect candidate for this phenomenon as the exponential graph of diminishing returns curves fast for this phenomenon.
THIS IS THE VIDEO everyone should be watching when they enter the hobby. Wish I had this when I started. p.s. Nice to see someone else using Terminal caps. Looking forward to R2.
Thank you so much and glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
I love the fact that he mentioned about refining palette. I can extremely relate to this as I’m a foodie. Thanks for this video
Love the way you talk and how you made this video! Thank you :)
Thank you! Glad you liked it! 🙂
Something else to know about as far as trying it is a lot of customs hold their original value if not going up more depending on the board. If you go balls to the wall on your first board and want to try something else, you can pretty easily resell and not lose much if anything
Update: pandemic rush is over, boards lose value now. Low end is getting very close to high end now so if you want to spend a lot, it's for the aesthetics rather than quality
I got lucky and got into custom keyboards because of Osume so I was the opposite in terms of keycaps and didn't even know about GMK until later. Switches were my personal biggest hurdle. I settled on Akko CS Siliver switches cause they are really good easy beginner switches and I can't complain about them but recently switched cause they were a little too light so wasted a little money there and is my only regret with getting into this hobby.
Not sure if it would be of interest for you or not, but they do sell aftermarket springs! Seems like such a small thing that it wouldn’t be worth trying, which is what I always said until I tried it. Now I feel like I can’t go back… lol Love some heavier 2 or 3-stage springs
@@sixxtylol I actually thought about that before I bought new switches but for me personally I was a mix of lazy/intimidated to replace springs but it's absolutely a viable option for some!
I really appreciate the information in this video. I know next to nothing about this topic. As in I've had my first 'hot swapable' k/b for all of 8 days. So everything you said really helps, though I'll need to watch this video at least 2 or 3 more times for it to 'soak in'. 👍
thank you for this. Very informative as I am too right in the first time buying customer keyboard game. so many things to learn making me overthink
My main issue with this is that I have a pretty specific feature set that apparently no one else in the enthusiast space wants. I literally just want a keyboard that has an identical feature set to the Corsair K70 with better switches, stabilizers, keycaps, and hotswap switches on a 100% standard layout for keycap compatibility. I'm at the point where I may just mod my current K70 myself to get keys that don't wobble and rattle so much. I had just about sold myself on the GMMK1 with their GMMK numpad, but then I looked into the software and it's apparently absolutely terrible.
Still on an original 1.0 version K70 to this day. No failed LEDs. Only just replaced my first cherry brown switch that was playing up on the A key. Enjoyed desoldering the old one with my equipment and soldering on the new one. Satisfying.
Seeing those Drop keycap sets at $100 is absolutely mind blowing. Those keycaps have to cost less than $10 to manufacture. I won't ever buy any there when there's so many you can find for $20 or $30 which imo is still a lot of money for plastic keycaps
Where do you recommend buying from instead of Drop? For high quality keycaps. Thanks
I'm so glad that someone who is into keyboards finally admits that breaking in a switch is a good idea. My keyboard started sounding even better over time when that break in occurred. Also helps with "scratchy" switches as that's often the parts that will get worn in over time. I'm a fan of the $100-ish range of pre-built keyboards. And also love my pbt shine thru keycaps. Cooler Master OEM profile ones are pretty decent and dirt cheap ($20 for a full set). I used those to "compliment" my stock sets on the MK Night Typist (aka, Ducky).
when you said "try it for a couple of days" it reminded me of back when i built my first keyboard with mx hyperglides after i lubed them they were scratchy almost like i put sand in them i was so close to throwing them out but after consistenttly using my keybaord for weeks it kept sounding cleaner and smoother. they are one of my favorite switches til this day now
My first custom keyboard is actually really good by most metric. I watched a bunch of videos about the hobby before deciding that my old first gen K2 & Apple keyboard needed an upgrade. I had a few rules and still do - I would not get into Group Buys. Only buy keyboards that are currently in stock, or pre-order to be released in the next few weeks. Waiting 2 years for something i might not like is no fun. Secondly, I stay with Hot Swap, no soldering PCB, I know i will make mistakes and don't want the fix to be awkward. That would take away the fun. Thirdly, I wouldn't want to lube switches, that's no fun. Then I went into it...researching. I ended up with a Keychron Q1 ver2. Then bought some Gateron Oil Kings and some NovelKeys PBOW Keycaps. I did the Force Break Mod, PE foam mod and I must say the feel and that pebble like noise is unreal. Is it end game? Probably not, but my god, it's amazing!!! Some people would probably call that isn't really in the hobby, no group buys and don't want to lube anything. For me, if the factory lube is done right, the switch is smooth, then the sound at the end is good then that's all i can ask for. Who lubed it, don't really care. I think the Keychron offerings are very good as a platform. So much value in there. Last couple of weeks i received a NUPHY Halo 65, a pre-built keeb. But it has all the silicon and foam dampening already done, the spacebar sounds unreal, actually sounds better than my Keychron somehow. Sooooooo much value for 1/3rd of the cost of my Q1.
I really like the Halo65 too, took me off guard that board 😅
All i wanted is just a new keyboard... 12hours later i joined a subculture
Been in the hobby a while. This is a really good video. Definitely the perfect intro to the hobby. Subbed
Awesome, thank you! 🙂
this is some good quality video, keep up the great work. you deserve many more subscribers
Thank you! 😅
This hobby is an exercise in landfills and waste. As I am getting into it, it is frustrating that I have to buy, possibly return or keep these boards instead of being able to try them somewhere 😢
Been out of the game for a decade since I got a Filco Multicam, just wanted to let you know this was really helpful in bringing me back to speed on the state of the hobby.
Well put! Great production quality as well; I am glad I subbed! Can confirm about the “developing tastes” aspect. I entered the hobby chasing the deep, muted sound profile for literally everything. Since then, I went a complete 180 and like louder, higher-pitched sound profiles for both switches and boards. Now, I have 2 semi-expensive keyboards that kind of just sit there looking pretty, for the most part. 😅 Anyway, I’m interested in more videos about the hobby from you! And thanks again for the video
Thanks for the great comment! Really appreciated 🙂
very nicely made video, the grafics , the props with the same color on the background, the minimal music on the background.... very nice indeed my friend
Thanks a lot! 🙇♂️
Came across your videos quite a while ago. Bought the keebwerk. It's been a while but as your taste is great, you showed some great sets that are really scratching my itch again
Thanks so much and thanks for stopping by again, it's much appreciated! Hope that Keebwerk is serving you well! 🙂
as someone that just started looking into the more expensive mechanical keyboards, the guitar comparison really sat with me. I play guitar too and i thought back to when I had just started playing guitar and couldn't tell those sound differences either. Really put it into perspective. Thanks!
Thank you! 😀
As a guitarist myself, you'll also notice that with experience comes efficiency of movement to play the same notes and chords. As a beginner, you'll see huge finger lifts and over pressing on the frets, and over plucking and finger straining with the other. With years of practice, you barely see the fingers move. If you are a true touch typist with good form, you'll hate linear keys and you'll find yourself moving toward a lighter and shorter stroke over time to gain speed. Most switches are around 4mm total stroke and that is just way too much work. My 1990's NMB The Right Touch RT8255CW+ was only 3 to maybe 3.3mm and had the bump at 1mm and completed bump at 2mm with a noticeable return bump. I could type faster on that keyboard than any other despite them being around 65 to 70 grams of tactile pressure. I have not come across a key like it.
same as someone who started mech keebs and guitars aroudn the same time.
This was just the video I needed. Subscribed.
Thank you and welcome! 😀
This has been an eye opener for me, I'm about to embark on this journey, and have got as far as knowing i want a 100% 102/105 ISO Keyboard as that has the Style "Enter" key I want and I also need a British Keyboard layout. It was good to see the "go to" manufacture "GMK" and then comparing others to them, it's changed my opinion on where to start, just need to find a good PCB and Case for my starting point. Awesome video :) Made me Subscribe and LIke, and I don't normally "Like" Videos!!
Thank you, much appreciated! 🙂
Quality production and great info 👌
Thank you! 🙂
this video was so helpful for me
Excellent video. I'll definitely recommend it.
Been in the hobby for little over a year and you hit so many true facts. GMK isn’t mandatory, only if you are after a very specific color. Now there are so many other options and in stock too.
Hey {{3}}! As a fellow mechanical keyboard enthusiast, I totally agree with you. GMK keycaps are great for specific color preferences, but there are so many other fantastic options available now. By the way, have you checked out the HOTO Compressed Air Capsule? It's a handy tool for maintaining a clean setup and it's reasonably priced. Worth considering for your cleaning routine!
I decided to get a custom mechanical keyboard for the first time recently and I think I chose the best options for me. I have a uk/iso GMMK full size with drop/Invyr Holy Pandas (which aren't lubed but plan on doing so later down the line) and an AKKO double shot PBT cyan/black keycap set. I am really happy with the choices I've made with it especially when compared to my previous keyboard the razer blackwidow v2, I was considering getting the blackwidow v4 pro but I think I made the better over all choice with going custom.
I have been in the hobby for a while now and I go with hotswappable Royal Kludge and I did not regret, I slowly customize as time went on and it feels amazing now and I am happy with what I have. Also am a fountain pen enthusiast so my wallet is drying from both mechanical keyboard and fountain pens. Oh the pain of wanting to type and write with the best experience personally.
wow man, its really helpful and high quality video
Thank you! 🙂
I got a keychron q2 w/ knob as my first keyboard. Bought some Ink Black Box V2's and SA profile keycaps. Made some basic mods like the tape mod. I've still got to lube the switches, change the stabilizeras and the plate. And ofc a custom knob will be a cherry on the top. Overall this hobby has been super fun. Costly, but definitely worth it if you enjoy a good sound and aesthetics
Lubing was satisfying and also putting it together a keyboard just like working on my own cars it’s nice when you accomplish it and finish
it been a while since i watched a quality mech. custom keyboard vid. great work dude
Thank you! 😊
Amazing video, thanks man!
Thank you so much! 😊
I've been in this hobby for years, and still never built a single board, and im still learning things, great video
Thank you! 🙂
Nice vid, the clutched first when talking about lubing being satisfying made me laugh
Thank you! Glad somebody noticed it 😅
I love the beginning with your first order 🤣 i ordered my two days ago with a group buy. Maybe i will experience the same 😜
😅 I hope not! Mine actually arrived a couple of days ago, almost 2 years on the date since I ordered it 🙂
Building my first keyboard, keychron q2 with Akko switches and keycaps! Spent $90 on the switches and keycaps total, and $150 on the board! Super excited!
osume keycaps are so gorgeous and are relatively affordable too. I've purchased two of their sets and they feel and look awesome. Also a very informative video, thank you!
I`m quite new in this hobby as I´ve just started changing my whole setup since my girlfriend moved in with me but I really enjoy it, got my first mechanical keyboard but I plan on getting a custom keyboard, watching videos about that for a while now and just came across this video, I gotta mention that this was on one hand very helpful but on the other it was an experience, it was so chill and relaxing, thank you for that
Thank you for the nice words! 🙂
really helpful, I started this rabbithole when i tried to find a new keyboard specifically getting good switches for typing. I kept find a few I like aesthetically and sound wise but then found a different brand, oh there are other type of switches, different color, a different sound, more expensive, more affordable, stock, prelubed aahhghg!
great video! i wish i would have seen this before i built my first keyboard
Very nice info, thanks. I see that you used a semi-split ergonomic keyboard for some of this, but I wish you had talked more about ergonomics in the video. Split keyboards have definitely helped with my RSI.
Going by the production quality I assumed this was a 500k+ channel. You'll get there in no time with content like this my friend
Thank you very much! 🙇
Great production quality and video. I thought you'd be a lot bigger that 7k subs when I went back to thumbs up the video
Thank you, very much appreciated! 🙂
tbh I like custom keyboards, but I'm not enthousiatic enough to build on from, the ground up, so I just bought a great drop pre built and added some custom keycaps and am very satisfied but I can't recommend drop enough. After about 1 year of usage, 2 of the LEDs started to partially die, but it wasn't a big deal, so I just messaged drop asking if they could supply new switchs, but instead to my surprise, they sent a brand new keyboard, no charge, no need to send back my old one! very impressed, hopefully the new keyboard stays good and doesn't get any defects
This is amazing! VERY VERY RELATABLE
Thank you! 😄
Great video. Nice job. 👍🏻
Thank you! 🙂
i'm just starting to get into the hobby and i'm super excited to try and make my board better. I started with a hotswap board with some tactile switches and now I'm purchasing a new set of linears and a lubing kit trying to just make it better. hopefully in the future I'll be able to make my own board that fits everything I'm looking for but one thing I know from just doing it outside of keyboards is soldering is a scary thing because if you mess it up it's not the easiest to recover from, thankfully it's pretty difficult to really mess it up but I don't want to get a special tool to desolder my switches if I end up making a mistake or not liking them so I'm gonna try out a bunch before I make a final decision.
This is the best video about keyboards I’ve watched. I’m new to the game and looking for “the best” keyboard. Now I know I shouldn’t stress out about it, maybe will start with a case from esthetic purpose only and go from there. However, so far in searching for light (35-38gf) tactile silent seems difficult. U4 + changing spring deemed promising, yet it’s another journey to the “spring”, and lube game that what if spent xyz amount of time and the switches fails. Ok I’m stressing again, I’m here, watching this video (the best!), do not stress, do not stress, do not stress… 😂❤💕😊
O"Oh boy, that was my first video from your channel. It's really rare to come across a video with such great quality - the sound, visuals, your voice, camera, and overall aesthetics are just on point. I really enjoyed it. I also appreciate that you didn't say anything irrelevant just to fill up the time. BTW: I'm not into the hobby, but I just want to buy myself a good-looking keyboard. Keep going and your channel will explod.
Thank you very much for the kinds words, very much appreciated! 🙂
I got into this hobby quite a while back, I'd say a good 5 years ago at least. It was around the time that I built my first proper PC and everybody was saying I NEEDED a mechanical keyboard and everybody said cherry MX was best but nobody knew why or what the difference was between each switch (or even had tried each switch). This was long before the big hype that is the modern keyboard scene as we know it today. I did a lot of research and stumbled across Chyrosran22's channel, it was great and for quite some time I went down the rabbit hole of looking for vintage keyboards. Custom keyboards at the time often ALWAYS lacked 1 feature (that until very recently I still thought I needed) - a numpad. I ended up buying lots of vintage keyboards for cheap, picked up an old Chicony board with MX blues (never do this), a old semi mechanical thing that felt quite interesting, lots of different bits, I was ultimately in search of a cheap IBM model M, or something with Blue Alps, but these boards were often going for crazy money so this was never going to work out. Shortly after this I finished the college course I was doing which meant my home PC would be used for nothing but gaming and very little typing. At this point I had decided a wanted a linear switch. I HATE typing on linear's but they are just the best for gaming, when you want quick key presses with nothing in the way it has to be linear. I picked up the monstrous original Corsair K95, the one with the massive bank of G keys off to the left hand side. This had cherry reds. I knew that this wasn't ultimately what I wanted but it was so much better to game on than those previous vintage boards that I settled with it for quite some time. Then probably about a year and a half or so later Chyrosran22 did a video on the SteelSeries Apex Pro. He was genuinely impressed with how smooth the key switches were. I loved the look of it also and he gave it a glowing review so I knew I had to get one. The price at the time was ~£200 so I decided to wait a bit to see if that would come down and then randomly me and my mate were checking Amazon and I don't know if it was a price glitch or something but they keyboard popped up for £150. I instantly bought it and I also convinced my mate to as well. I have no regrets and its a great keyboard, but it is sooooo smooth, I just can't type properly on it! So I was sorted for a gaming keyboard, which was fine for now as all I used my PC for was gaming. However I have just started an apprenticeship for which I am studying for a degree at university. So now I finally have to go back down this rabbit hole as I really need a keyboard for doing a lot of typing! So so much has changed. I've loosely followed the hype train but not religiously enough to know what switches to avoid and what are the best. I think for my taste I will end up liking something like Kailh box switches, however I have never tried them so I just don't know. I wanted ZealPC to make a less tactile version of their clickiez switch - closer to blue Alps - I think this will be the holy grail of switches. I've ordered a switch tester which would be my advice for anyone to do first if you are inexperienced. Also don't use it like its a tester - its hard because its just one switch but don't sit there pressing it from the top with one finger, try to image you're typing on it almost if that makes sense? I have a base for this keyboard I'm going to make, managed to find the EVGA Z-15 on amazon for £55 last year, which is a full size hot swappable keyboard. and I've ordered some nice but obviously knock off g-mky AFSA profile keycaps from Ali-express. I'm working on the assumption that I may like Kailh box Pinks or Chosfox Artic Fox V2 switches best - but without trying them I just don't know. Maybe I'll post an update after the test arrives. I know this will not be my endgame keyboard, bit it should definitely get me close! I know now that - since using a keyboard without a numpad at my new job - that I do not need one, so this opens up a lot more options for me in the custom keyboard world. This was a great video, it kind of summed up the conclusions I had came to myself over time. I wish I had done this sooner though, but alas I am finally scratching that itch and will soon have my first sort of custom keyboard! :D
Very well said. Some people forget that this is supposed to be a fun experience to relieve stress and not something that you should stress about.
Thank you 🙂
Honestly my first board was an nk65 EE, and I still love it. If I were going to recommend someone a starting board this would be the one, just based off the price point it's a great way to get started, do some mods, and get a baseline. What I would change with my first boards was getting DSA. Idk why I did, but I traded it out immediately for cherry profile keycaps.
Dude, you are amazing. Thank you.... 👍
Thank you! 🙂