Had some indecision this weekend. Initially my plan was to get the HRAP V3-SA as mentioned.
Parts wise it would be fine since it already uses Sanwa parts throughout, but I would still have to get a piece of cut acrylic/plexiglass to put on top since it doesn't come with one. This was only going to happen in December and I'd actually only get the stick in Jan.
In the interim I then thought to get the locally available and cheap Hori FS3. Then in December I'd just get new buttons and a new joystick to stick in.
However the more I thought about it the more the price started to go up.

I'd have to get another piece of acrylic, I'd have to de-solder the PCB and re-solder new buttons on, I'd also have to grind away the button holes as apparently the Sanwa buttons don't fit in 100%, which would require me to buy a Dremel (don't know anyone with similar tools that I can lend).

Anywho after all that I'd still be left with 2 completely different looking sticks. Not to mention that the FS3 case just doesn't seem worth putting in quality components for.

Then I found I could just get a custom built wood case and stick every part in myself.
To buy the case and all the parts with shipping from the US to here (not counting any custom charges, which I'm sure there will be), comes to around R1'7k with the current interest rate.
The problem is there's no guarantee of stock so I can't exactly count on it being available when the in-laws go overseas.
At least this way I would get a solid case, great size, great parts, and if I wanted to get another one in the future, I could get a consistent look for 2 players.

The alternative is to just be patient, get an HRAP in December, and 2player can eat my shorts. Still a decent stick and well priced.
Another alternative is to just buy parts (which would be around R700 I think) and try and get a local carpenter to make the case.

This is my dilemma now, I'm cheap but I'm also immensely impatient and just can't decide.

Or, get the FS3 for now just to practice, don't bother with artwork or parts, and try and get a case done locally to get parts at a later stage.

Indecision! *tears hair out*

I did find this site yesterday which is detailed enough to allow a carpenter to build something. I could always just get the pieces and do the detail work myself but I have neither the time, tools or skill to do so.
http://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/box.html

do not mod the FS3, that stick is a waste of time. practicing on it is fine but modding it is a nightmare, the thing will probably break by the time you get the HRAP anyway.

if i were you i'd just wait for the HRAP or just do what everyone does and get the Madcatz TE and never worry about which stick to get ever again and be done with it, if your really worried about playing on your pc you can just get a convertor or mod the 360 TE

Lol it's just a stick your over thinking it

If the in-laws are going there I'm pretty sure it will be very easy for them to just walk in to any gaming shop there and pick up a hori or madcatz stick. So you probably don't even need to worry about that at the moment.

Alternatively just buy a HRAP3 now lol they around R1700 anyway.

Or if your going to go for a FS3 rather just pick up a PS3 Fighting Stick V3 instead, it's only R900 including shipping and seems to be a decent size, seems the same size as a TE or HRAP. Will also probably be better to mod and such



If you want to go the custom route, speak to Blackname on PS3ZA, he has built his own sticks for around R1500-R1700

This is one of his

I think I've been bitten by the custom bug.
As I said I was happy with the HRAP V3-SA, but then I started doing a template for the FS3 (when I was thinking about modding it) and I just thought "Man, this squarer layout offers a bit more space for artwork".

Then I thought, "Hmmm, see through buttons sure are nice". Which just led me to think why waste money on a whole pre-built stick and just built it up the way I want it?

Thanks for the name drop, I'll hit him up on PS3ZA and see what he offers .

Review of the QanBa Q4RAF dual mod joystick by EventHubs

Overview

This is dual mod stick, meaning it can play on the PlayStation 3, PC and the Xbox 360, it uses Sanwa buttons and the stick is also Sanwa as well.

It's simple to mod like the Mad Catz Tournament Edition FightStick, has a velvet bottom to keep it from sliding around on your lap, and it has a handle to make it easy to carry during tournaments.

What comes with it

The Q4RAF comes in a nice looking white and red box with designs across it. The whole package contains the stick itself, a soft cloth to wipe it clean, a headset, instructions, and a set of caps that cover the buttons you do not wish to use (3x Punch and 3x Kick).

Size and style

The size of the stick is very familiar to me mostly because it's just about the same size as the original Mad Catz Tournament Edition Arcade Stick. The Q4RAF's dimensions are as follows:

Width: 10" 1/4ths
Length: 16" 1/8ths
Height: 2" 9/16ths

The original TE FightStick's dimensions are:

Width: 9" 3/8ths
Length: 15" 7/8ths
Height: 2" 3/8ths

In the end, the Q4RAF is a little bigger than the TE FightStick, but the weight seems to be just about the same.

Some notable differences between the TE and the Q4RAF is that the latter product has the start button on the face of the arcade stick and also has a handle where the USB cable usually would be. The compartment for the USB has been moved to the side of the stick to make room for the handle which is very convenient.

The USB cable itself seems shorter than the TE's by about 2 feet which isn't too big of a deal at a tournament, but could be an issue inside of your home if you sit far away from the screen. The length of the USB cord on the QanBa is 9 1/2 feet long.

The Q4RAF has a velvet bottom making it stick to your lap nicely. Some people would ask why they would add something like that, but trust me when I say it's a nice addition — just like the handle.

These two modifications to the classic design make the stick more tournament friendly from a convenience stand point. The handle itself is very nicely done and has a grip shape to make sure your fingers fit perfectly against it.

The last thing to note it is entirely Sanwa except for the start button. This is conspicuously not a Sanwa button, but I believe the reason for this is it sticks out further than a Sanwa does, which makes it easy to notice when your hand has strayed a little too far from the 8 actual attack buttons.

I should also note that the headphone jack is bigger than normal and you will need to get an adapter to convert your old headset's jack to make it fit. The stick came with a headset that fit though, so that'll help tide you over until you go buy the converter.

The Dual Mod

The dual mod is installed already so right out of the box you can use the Q4RAF for any of the current generation consoles — except the Wii.

The way to switch from console to console is by flipping the switch at the top of the stick and pressing Home. It's fairly simple and is extremely convenient for any players looking to play in tournaments.

I have one gripe with the dual mod though, it feels that sometimes on the PS3 it takes a while for it to find the arcade stick and assign it to the console, but that's just a small issue that doesn't happen too often.

To get into the stick you have to remove the 8 screws on the bottom of the base, not including the legs, and pry off the bottom.

This is different from a TE FightStick where you remove the top of the case. The buttons and joystick are pretty easy to replace. They have quick disconnects and once disconnected you simply push the button out.

The stick is pretty much ready straight from the box when it comes to quality and if you need to mod the stick to suit your needs it's ready to go.

Closing thoughts

The stick is very good. It shocks me how cheap it is despite the mod and the Sanwa parts. The stick runs for $149.00 on FocusAttack.com (shipping costs may vary) and easily rivals the Mad Catz TE FightStick.

For the price, convenience, and design I give the Q4RAF a 9/10. The reason it didn't receive a perfect score is because of the placement of the start button, a slight issue with the PlayStation 3 taking awhile to recognize it, and the headphone jack being incompatible with the Xbox 360 headsets (including my PX5 Turtle Beach).

It's just a complete package that offers everything you would want from a tournament grade arcade stick, while offering a few more conveniences that will hopefully become a staple in the future.

Score:
9 / 10

Ordering mine today, just saw it's R1000 on a certain Asian site

@DP: $129 plus $185 for shipping is what they quoted me. A little ridiculous I think, especially with the chance that there will still be customs to pay once it gets here.

There is no customs fee from there when you ship with FedEx not too worried about shipping since I'll be splitting the shipping fee's as there a couple people that want to order. With 4 guys it will work out to about R1700, but want to wait a bit for the rand dollar to stabilize, plus I still have $50 credit from there.

Well that doesn't sound too bad. In that case let me know when you're ready to order and keep me in mind as well, if the shipping is split evenly and it doesn't get too high I must just grab one as well.

Have checked out other options as well but this is so far the easiest and best so yeah, keep me posted.

ya we are waiting a bit just to see if the Dollar evens out and another local site has just put this up but price is still pending till stock arrives and since shipping there is free for anything over R350 the shipping will be free on that just need to see what their final price is

DP ill be ordering with you... i want that stick aswell

Yeah cool

I suspect that local site will be quite expensive since they'll likely work the import shipping cost into the price, so my guess is we'll pay over and above the $130~$150 price.
I mean the MadCatz sticks alone already cost a huge chunk over their usual $150 retail price from overseas sites.

When they say shipping is free on items over R350 they just mean shipping locally, they still have to coup what it costs them to import the item.

Anyway, we'll just have to wait and see I guess, they likely use cheaper shipping methods as well but I still have this feeling that they'll come in well over R2.5k

Will have to see I only paid R1500 for my TE stick and not too long ago the HRAP3 was sitting at R1600 before the rand went to[censored].

Also think Woofels only paid around R1700 for his Hori at the time as well.

Not too sure on the sudden price jump though the same TE stick I had was R1600 on 360 and now it's sitting at around R5000 lol

Hopefully there initial price is decent.

Ok so recent developments. Got in touch with blackname on PS3ZA, he's going to quote me on a straight forward wooden shell (essentially the same design as above), plus 2x plexi covers for bottom and top artwork.

Depending on his price, I'll either go with him, or wait it out until Dec/Jan to get this bad boy http://www.tek-innovations.com/arthobbies/?loc=products&cat=12&subcat=&item=120



I know a lot of people don't like plexi but these things just pop to me, very keen on one, and for $64 it's a steal.

edit: Oh and on the Qanba side of things, the dual-mod has its appeal but it's not a necessity for me, so I'll hold off on buying parts for another week or two pending a local price assignment. Then I'd take the PCBs off the Qanba and stick them in a new box.

Tekken Hybrid Extreme Edition Includes A Limited Edition Mad Catz Stick »


http://iplaywinner.com/news/2011/10/6/tekken-hybrid-extreme-edition-includes-a-limited-edition-mad.html

Namco just put the Extreme Edition of Tekken Hybrid up for preorder on its site, complete with a rather large pack-in, a new Mad Catz TE S. Available only in this bundle, the limited edition stick is rocking an all-black design with the Namco logo on the side. There will only be 1000 made, so if you want to take Tekken Hybrid to the extreme, preorder now from Namco. The full contents of the Extreme Edition can be found below.

TEKKEN®Hybrid Limited Edition Soundtrack - 2 disc soundtrack set with music tracks from TEKKEN® Tag Tournament and TEKKEN® Tag Tournament 2

TEKKEN® Hybrid Artbook - Artbook containing artwork and background information on the TEKKEN® series, production stills from TEKKEN Blood Vengeance Movie, character renderings and more.

PSN Home content – TEKKEN themed costumes and accessories for use in the PlayStation Home network

LIMITED EDITION "TEKKEN® Hybrid" NAMCO ARCADE FIGHTSTICK: Tournament Edition (S)– Exclusive all-black Namco Fightstick by Mad Catz

Namco Fightstick by Mad Catz Specs:
Each fight stick is individually numbered for authenticity

Authentic Japanese-style Sanwa Denshi joystick & buttons

Sleek “S” design FightStick casing

8-button layout with additional multi-speed Turbo functionality

Premium-quality components with genuine arcade layout

Controller lock/unlock switch prevents accidental button presses

13 FT USB Cable with internal cable storage

Connect to console via lag free USB

Storage compartment for efficient cable management

3-way switch enables joystick to function as left or right analog stick or D-Pad

Works with all PlayStation 3 models

Tight.

Another update, got a quote from blackname, R955 for a wooden case (unpainted), 2x plexi for top/bottom, no parts.
A little more than I would've hoped for, especially considering the plexi one I posted above is a mere $64 (R550~), which I prefer as far as aesthetics go.

Considering that parts alone are costing me around R1'2k as is, I'll just have to weigh up my options regarding a case.

i really want one of these, nice and plain, looks like it could be very nice to work with in terms of mods

@Tiggi

Custom made sticks will always be more expensive than the mass produced stuff lol.

I'd still say but a complete stick, change your artwork and when you have the time and cash start modding it yourself or build your own.

Mad Catz(R) Enters into Agreement with Namco Bandai Games Inc(R) to Create SOULCALIBUR(TM) V Arcade FightStick Soul Edition

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=69024&highlight&p=irol-newsArticle_print&ID=1621165

SAN DIEGO, Oct 25, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. ("Mad Catz") (AMEX/TSX: MCZ) announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Namco Bandai Games Inc, to produce the SOULCALIBUR(TM) V Arcade FightStick Soul Edition, a Tournament Edition fighting game controller for use with the upcoming SOULCALIBUR V videogame. The agreement gives Mad Catz worldwide rights to ship products for the Xbox 360(R) video game and entertainment system from Microsoftand for the PlayStation(R)3 computer entertainment system from Sony(R).

so they will now ship to SA aswell now?