Modding a Madcatz SF4 SE Arcade Fightstick with Sanwa parts

[Malachi01]

please reply fast....how good are this sticks with sanwa parts installed?? i want to buy one but idk if it's worth it or should i go with the street fighter tournament edition one?

[kdhif91]

@Malachi01 sawna parts make it a tournament stick if u want proff check out my sawna mode video

[Malachi01]

@kdhif91 thanks for the reply, i got tournament edition round 2 and it looks and feels great, now i need to practice some SSFIV

[22tus]

hey can someone tell me the point of modding your stick , like i understand its to improve but like how?

like i have a hori fight stick, but if i had sanwa buttons would it be better? if anyone could help me out with a site with some info or link me to some vids that be great !

[Becksisbestbeer]

thank you so much! that video is exactly what i looked for! :)

[KageHiRyu]

I'm upset that my buttons are going... But, I guess it's a good opportunity to mod it, right?

[EndWesternTyranny]

curious: why do people mod sanwa parts into a madcatz? are they better? are they quieter? ive never had a fightstick but i asked for one for xmas

[crazyboy87654321]

@EndWesternTyranny way better

[DarkScorpionOmega]

Also I have to take off the panel from the top to get to the parts

[DarkScorpionOmega]

Does anyone whose viewed this video or the person who posted it know how to update parts, or mod the reaction time on fight sticks? I have one it doesn't seem to be responding like I believe it should is this an indication it's time to change parts? It was bought second hand as well.

[DCXASIAN96]

also do they sell sticks with octo gates already attached?

[DCXASIAN96]

what size buttons do you need?

[GamingReel]

@DCXASIAN96 30mm buttons and no all sticks come with square gates, octo gate is extra

[Willettes1]

Whats so good about these buttons?

[game4life12]

@Willettes1 They are the best of the best. last long and you can rage all over them and they will still work

[iixopxii]

What gate comes with the ssf4 te fightstick? I noticed that its different.

[GamingReel]

@iixopxii square

[laraza973]

what kind of glue did you use?

[antdoguitar]

cool ! ima do this , thx for the video.

[Mitsu25fwd]

How much all those snawa buttons and the joystick costs??? Whats the cheapest price to buy them for? Im not looking to spend no damn $50 dollars on these parts if I bought the S.E Stick itself for $50.

Any one has a cheap link to buy them from?

[Robo175]

@Mitsu25fwd Sanwa buttons are $3 each, and the joystick is $25. You won't find better prices, most likely.

[Robo175]

So do these sticks use 24mm snap-in buttons? or 30? i'm getting parts from lizard lick.com. help would be greatly appreciated, i'm new to joystick modding :D

[AgentSephiroth]

@Robo175 30

[bludika]

i just tried to un-clip the quick disconnects for the buttons and its fucken hard to do, how do you correctly disconnect the wires? do you have to like squeeze them at some place or something? I'm still waiting for my buttons to arrive, and I don't want to ruin the wires. A little help on how to disconnect the quick disconnects easier would be helpful, thanks.

[bludika]

hey man, I just got this stick and this is my first stick, which i play for Tekken 6, and I'm still trying to get used to playing on a stick, but when I do a move like the Shoryuken in Tekken 6, I have to do Forward, then Down, then Down-Foward, but if I don't like do the Down-Foward part extremely precisely and don't hold it there, it doesn't come out, Mind you, I put a bat top and the octagonal restrictor plate, is it just the stock stick that sucks? would i notice the difference if its Sanwa?

[bazookafox]

@bludika I would say just keep practicing. When I first for my stick, for use with Street Fighter 4, I had the hardest time pulling off any moves. A few months in and I'm millions of times better and more precise with my combinations. I know some people have had problems with octagonal restrictor plates that were not made custom for their stick. I.E. one too big could lead to bad inputs, and the problem you described. But all in all, I say go Sanwa. I just got one today after my MC one broke.

[bludika]

@bazookafox well yea, maybe its too early to say its the stick's fault, but I have a sanwa original octagonal gate on the stock Madcatz SE Stick, but I ordered the JLF. Do you see a big difference between the stock stick and the sanwa JLF?

[206astro]

what is a warrenty?

[madmart32]

Hiya Ive just ordered a Sanwa joystick however it didnt come with the washer or shaft that goes on top of the case just below the ball!!! Is it important that you use the shaft and washer??? Please help!!!

[JOKACRAZY25]

WHAT F@#$KIN SIZE ARE THE BUTTONS!!!

[abarai2007]

@JOKACRAZY25 SANWA OBSF-30 MOTHERFUCKER!!!!!!!!!!

[NaimLisEntertainment]

also, how do i know if its an octogon? im on lizardlick and it doesnt say

[NaimLisEntertainment]

does the button size matter? and i want sum led buttons if possible, im trying to buy them from happcontrols cuz i heard that was the best, and i HATE the damn square based joystick so i wanna buy a octogon

[mmkirby2]

Awesome!

[jAjAjOEY113]

what button size and ball size did u use?

[altoman107]

do u put one of the washers underneath the top of the stick right next to the mounting plate cause it comes with 2 washers?

[MrLicky106]

btw when i took out one of my black buttons, the whole thing fell to pieces and the connector was stuck to the wire.

[MrLicky106]

My sanwa buttons and joystick arrived this morning, my fightstick is now modded and it feels totally awesome. huge difference between the stock parts and sanwa parts. @triskadecaepyon, thanks for the video ;). SHORYUKEN!

[SANROMAN300]

awesome thanks bro

[ReaIized]

Which buttons and size joystick would i use?

[videogamedunkey]

How would you rate the sanwa buttons vs the pre-installed buttons on this thing. My buttons (that came with it) are starting to go on me.

[lTheRealDealGamingl]

is the shaft cover necessary because i noticed the other joystick didnt have one before

[llDeaTHhIMseLFll]

What type of buttons do I need? S:

[kenpachithebotosai]

@llDeaTHhIMseLFll for sanwa's OBSF-30 and for seimetsu PS-14-K, PS-14-P, PS-15 i used snap in for the sanwa's i havent used seimetsu so i cant say ne thing bout them

[kenpachithebotosai]

@llDeaTHhIMseLFll Sanwa OBSF-30 or seimestu PS-14-K, PS-14-P, PS-15

[MrLicky106]

As TeaDreamsSon said, its a simple instructional video that even someone who is clueless to electronics can do this. Ive ordered mine today, it will be here monday :). cant wait. This video will be great when it comes to modding my MadCats fightsstick.

Way to go triskadecaepyon.

[microboy90]

please bro! help me with my question!!

[kenpachithebotosai]

@microboy90 its the JLF-TM-8T or the JLF-TM-8YT

[microboy90]

@kenpachithebotosai  Ok thanks!

[llDeaTHhIMseLFll]

@kenpachithebotosai What about the JLF-TM-8T-SK? S:

[SANROMAN300]

@kenpachithebotosai would the JLF-TP-GYT OR THE JLF-TP-8Y-SK work?

[kenpachithebotosai]

@SANROMAN300 I haven't seen a GYT the ones that work is JLF-TP-8YT and JLF-TP-8Y If your looking on the lizard lick site then its the JLF-TP-8YT-SK Ive been trying to post the link for the FAQ's to this stick but keep getting error everytime I try to post Go to shoryuken website and search "how to mod your SFIV SE Fightstick FAQ"

[SANROMAN300]

@kenpachithebotosai thank you very much for the assistance. i also wanted to ask if the screw in buttons are any good, difference between screw in and snap on, and which is better or preffered

[kenpachithebotosai]

@SANROMAN300 Its all personal preference theyre about the same in my opinion but if you look around for info about them in the forums some might argue one more then the other

[microboy90]

Nice tuto bro! but i have a question bout the size and part of the joystick for SF4 SE Arcade Fightstick...cuz i already change the buttos,and now i wanna change the joy and the ball!! so please tell me what's the size of the joy please!!! thanks!! i'll be here waiting for the response

[KingofPho75]

will the ball with the original joystick fit the sanwa joystick?

[altoman107]

@KingofPho75 yes

[PT568]

for this stick do you use snap in or screw in buttons?

[llDeaTHhIMseLFll]

@PT568 snap

[yiweisixy2]

wow, i didnt know modding a stick was this easy, thanks for the instructions, I will be modding my own stick anytime soon

[YarYar01]

no on the website it only has one button is it 2.95 per button or for 6?

[YarYar01]

can you use any buttons

[VexxoftheTempest]

I didnt know it was this easy thank you very much :o

[gokukakarot77]

hi there just got question, when u replace the bottons, there are two wire clips go in from behind, does it matter which clip goes on which end? is there a like a positive or negative? or doesnt matter u just put both clips in either head? sorry for dumb question

peace

[microboy90]

Hey bro!! where i can buy the bottons sanwa and the stick>>?? please respond fast as u can !! thanks!!

[ZForce915]

Excellent job with the video, easy to follow, no annoying background music and appropriately sped up during monotonous screwing sequences. Well done.

[Danpser]

do seimitsu ball tops fit on the sanwa stick?

[TheSwordzman]

I am getting the SE stick next week an where did you guys go to get the sanwa parts I was looking for a SE stick with sanwa parts but I guess ppl isnt selling it anyway it looks easy

[VaD3773]

what joy stick and button models did you buy

[emeryDH]

@VaD3773 I'm using a Sanwa JLF arcade stick and 30mm red Sanwa buttons :D

[YarYar01]

@emeryDH can you use any buttons

[WelshKnight001]

Man the connectors on the buttons are a bitch to get off, finally got them off in the end luckily. Certainly requires a lot of gentle wiggling and some gentle force to ease it off, be careful not to squeeze to hard on the connectors because they will cave in and make it even harder to get off and reapply to the new buttons. Just waiting for the sanwa parts now, cannot wait to try it out. Thanks for the tutorial :)

[Didiplouff]

After a lot of months using sanwa part I agree, this is MUCH better :D

[petercrab4]

thanks I never realised it was this simple.

[adrockman2003]

thanks dude

[Browncurse]

aww dude thank you, i will change the white ball for a sanwa green ball.

[zomfgpaNic]

Was just wondering if i shud get buttons or a joystick first? Can only get one atm and i'm thinking get buttons

[solidbeaver]

I really have a problem with modding the buttons. The first button I tried to unplug was the PPP button. So each button has 2 connectors. I tried taking the first connector out of the PPP button with the pliers, and it was all good. But the second connector just won't come out. I'm scared that if I pull it harder it the connector will either bend or break....so how am I supposed to take it out?

[Ravenex2]

Awesome, is this the same process in case sanwa parts break on a TE edition fight stick? Looks pretty easy.

Also, I'd rather not have the 3KKK or 3PPP buttons on my TE stick....can you tell me how to get rid of those extra buttons so I just have the six standards ones?

[snkjack]

@Ravenex2 you can but the socket covers where the buttons would go. they are about 1.25 cheaper.

[Ravenex2]

@snkjack ok

[wak133]

hey great vid i had a question. does it matter what kind of stick you get from the website or is it a specific one? thanks!!

[emeryDH]

This is so easy to do! I have an Mame arcade, this is way easier to mod.

[aznboylol09]

how much you bought for all those sanwa buttons and joystick ???? and where you bought it ??? plz reply !!

[Cpubot]

Nice guide, I followed this when I modded my stick. Works like a charm. Thanks!

[qnbrew88]

I was riding the fence about getting this or the tournament style one, but after seeing how easy it is to change parts in your video, all the worries about the buttons and stick breaking went out of the window. So I ordered the stardard edition and when it breaks i'll come see this video again to replace the parts. Thanks!

[Wiizpig]

Best video ever.

[patrickpolitano]

i play sfiv with the normal ps3 controller, i was wondering what difference does this sanwa parts do?!? im kinda of a newbie to this fighting stick stuff... but im rather good in the game had 12.000+Gp

[KageVincent]

The buttons keep givin me issues T_T...even when I use pliers. and I dont wanna use too much force in case I break it

[Str8Trapstar90]

too much stuff.

[firefeure]

Thanks for the video really helpful stuff!

[genomyoshida]

Dumb question, I am new to modding so please excuse my ignorance, can you replace the ball top with any other ball top or do you have use Sanwa ball tops with a Sanwa joystick.

[Rhapthorne3]

hey do you think i should buy se instead of te. I'm kinda tight on budget right now, so is it better to buy se first, then mod it later. Also how much in total did you spend on the sanwa parts?

[SLxSoldier2]

@Rhapthorne3

honestly itll cost you about the same, im about to mod mine and the parts are going to cost me around $56 including shipping, so that plus the stick will put me where a TE would cost anyways

[portrra]

@Rhapthorne3 The TE is just bigger, but if you modify the SE with Sanwa parts you can save a bit of money (maybe $50 if you're lucky) and have parts of the same quality.

[s0mdab0mb]

quick question for the uploader, i checked the website in the description, and i don't know what joystick to pick. does it matter, or can i pick any joystick?

[qwasd0r]

The wire connector to the stick keeps getting loose in my stick. Happened several times to me that I suddenly couldnt move in certain directions anymore. Sucks, lol.

I'm gonna try to fix that with some plastic glue...

[NaokiB2U]

Nice tips! Helped me mod my Wii SE stick quickly.

[xnjay34]

i can't seem to get the balltop off. I don't have a flathead screwdriver so I used my keys and the damn thing just won't rotate. It bent all of my keys too.

[mariotaz]

@xnjay34

XD

THing about my stick is that the button wires are seriously stuck down. I used pliers and they're really hard to get up but I don't wanna apply too much pressure and break the wire O__O

[spyhinken]

Must save this in favorites so I can use the clip when I am going to mod my stick ;]

[WUstah36]

Thank you, just finished doing this

[bobbysorad]

thanks for the help...quick question. what size buttons do i get??

[Antonton128]

Hi there, nice video, I am trying to mod at the omment. I am from UK and the only website I can find supplies from only supply the JLF-TP-8YT and not the JLF-TP-8YT -SK. Will that be sufficient for modding my stick? Thanks.

[ImShiawase]

Thanks for this video! When I first thought of modding my stick I thought it would be a hard process but after watching this it looks very simple. I wouldn't need to mod the one i have now but the stock joystick only registers up and back about 40% of the time. :(

[Heshley14]

When you say it only registers up and back 40% of the time do you mean when they are pressed together or seperately?

[qwasd0r]

This thing is actually really durable for a MadCatz product. Money well spent imo.

[lvletalsoljah321]

i only have 1 question... why the HELL did you buy 8 buttons and only replace the 6 -_-

[TeaDreamsSon]

@lvletalsoljah321 He only used 6 buttons because you don't need the 8 buttons for street fighter. He will prob just use the other 2 buttons for spares in case one of the other sanwa buttons break.

[OpiumScout]

Great job !

Really nice video !

[BuddhaOn3Lov3]

i wanna mod a TE fight stick what part do i need like the numbers im so lost bout it

[TeaDreamsSon]

Great video... Very clear and your not talking in a low voice like some other peoples videos. Plus you don't have any annoying music playing in the background, Just a good simple instructional video.

[Heshley14]

If i wanted to change the joystick in my SE edition of the SF4 FightStick (Mine is broken - wont register down and right togethher) would it be OK to use this joystick:

'Sanwa JLF-TP-8YT-SK Ball Handle Joystick, 4 & 8-Way Adjustable'

I looked it up on lizardclick.

Im new to arcade sticks so sorry if its a stupid question.

Thanks

[MACCKK11]

lol this is easy to do now after watching this video...when i first heard about modding arcade sticks it sounded hard but not anymore!

[theMaj0r1337]

erm stupid question but can i also play tekken 6 with that thing? i mean i guess i can program the buttons?

[riotinthecity]

yeh tekken 6 is playable with it

[riotinthecity]

This is a great guide, but does anyone know the precise screw dimensions, and have a list of parts needed? I'ma total newbie at sanwa sticks etc, but would love to have the SF4 SE working =[

[mikr0bas]

whats the difference between sanwa parts and the stock ones ?

[DivineChaos97]

The stock ones are horrible and arent even real arcade parts.

[jboogie713]

@PercyinaBox 30mm

[george120050]

Thanks for your vid, got it all done easily.

[LakeEarth]

Thank you very much, I assembled my stick using your guide. Turning SFIV on and every button/stick working is the best feeling in the world.

[fuzzcentralage]

whhoo! thanks for the guide bro, very helpful, i wasn't quite sure if i was gonna break those god damn connectors for the buttons, scared me takin em off with plyers, haha.

[JigglyNorris]

Face buttons are 30mm.

[thaguy]

Hey there I was wondering about how long it took the parts to get shipped to you from Lizard Lick? I keep getting mixed results from other people, so your input would be good. Thanks.

[mrbucket1337]

SE fightstick are 30 mm, so go with Sanwa OBSF-30 buttons.

[ekisc]

going to replace those crappy matcatz crap buttons with sanwa deluxe clickers next week :D

i think this vid will be very helpfull but i got a question:

is there a big difference between the mad catz se fightstick and the sanwa stick? i am playing for month with the mad catz stick and i can tell that the mad catz buttons suck ( 2 are already broken) but the stick always performed like the first day. do you think that there is a big difference ?

[playboi815]

nice thx man!

[hombrezoo]

Hey guys does anyone have the precise specs on what parts should I buy from Sanwa? the model, I am noob.

Thanks

[TheFriendlyPyro]

I don't trust myself with the glue. I know I'll break it.

[rumbazz]

uuuum, fuck u divzx. I bought a JLw-UM-8. w@ now. I replaced it w/ th shitty madcatz joystick. and now, it's even more of a piece of shitt.

[taevus]

Tried to remove the connectors to the button after the button failed to register inputs 90% of the time and it ripped out the black part instead of taking the connector off. The connectors are still attached to the broken port, they're super fucking stuck on. I have no idea how I'm going to get these fuckers off. Oh and the ball bearing and spring went flying. No idea where the spring is. Doesn't really matter since the button is useless now anyway but.

Not great for a first attempt then, eh?

[taevus]

Okay just as a follow up, it turns out that it was just with that one button where the wires were impossible to remove, the others were easy to remove from the port. I've removed a black button and put it in the vacant hole left by my broken one and attached the wires and it all works fine. No damage to the wires and I can replace the buttons with sanwa ones when I get the money so, no big deal after all.

[boyonweed]

happened to me. You shouldnt really care, if you have spare buttons waiting. what you do is, you snap off the connector from the black thing, and then just work from the wire. It's alot easier to get it off after, you dont have the black thing in the way

[Sayishere]

nice video, gonna order my parts asap

[kevaughanshiu]

how much did the buttons and stick cost?

Someone mentioned the JFL stick was best :S

I'm on a $20 budget too T_T

[palehorse864]

I think you can get a sanwa stick by itself for 27 bucks online, check ebay for the model number you want and google it. I want one, but I don't have any of the other parts. I would love to just solder my own board and get some wood from home depot to put one together. I wonder if it could come in cheaper than buying the fight stick and modding it with a sanwa. I wouldn't be sure where to get the board to go to USB though. This would be great for SFIV and MAME.

[CpNickel]

on Lizard lick the buttons are 3 bucks each, and the stick is 25 bucks. good luck on that 20 dollar budget.

[Didiplouff]

wow, thank you very much for this vidéo, im about to buy some sanwa parts tomorow in order to mod my SE, and this video will help me :D.

Anyway i have a question, is there a HUGE différence beetween standard SE parts and sanwa, i mean in game play and precision, i already know that sanwa is more flexible :D

[triskadecaepyon]

Yes there is!

[MajesticMouse1]

@triskadecaepyon What model stick is that? also, does it come with an octagonal or square gate?

[Counter00Hand]

@MajesticMouse1 It looks octagonal to me, not sure though

[portrra]

@Didiplouff I just did it to my SE. You'll notice a huge difference between the stock stick and the JLF, and the buttons also feel nicer. If you're unsure, I'd say at LEAST replace the stick. It's easy as hell and you'll notice an immediate and substantial difference.

[emeryDH]

@Didiplouff The Sanwa parts are REAL arcade parts, that means their reliable, plus I heard the stock buttons stop working.

[Counter00Hand]

@emeryDH

I've had my SE stick for 7 days and the x button works 5 out of 10 times, I tested it, so yeah these buttons suck but I have no clue if its the PCB or the actually button as I hit my button REALLY hard when testing and it doesnt register at all.. I also tried tapping it rapidly and it doesn't work for a couple of seconds

[emeryDH]

@Counter00Hand I replaced everything with Sanwa parts right away because Ive heard of parts not working correctly. I wanted to mod this stick so I didn't even bother with the stock parts, I recommend doing that. Its probably the button, from what Ive heard the buttons are really bad.

[Counter00Hand]

@emeryDH

Yep I ordered new Sanwa buttons but I'll leave the joystick till a later date since its seems to be fine the way it is now.

[YarYar01]

@Counter00Hand can u use any buttons

[emeryDH]

@YarYar01 no, you have to use Japanese buttons because US companies like Happ won't fit, they are too tall. Sanwa and Seimitsu are the most popular, Lizardlick is where I buy my parts from, Its a good reliable website. I hope this helps!

[YarYar01]

@emeryDH no like i mean any sanwa buttons

[emeryDH]

@emeryDH 30mm buttons, 24mm are too small.

[YarYar01]

@emeryDH O how many do u get

[emeryDH]

@YarYar01 I got all eight just in case I want to SNK games, my brother likes to play Blazblue like that. If you only play Street Fighter games, I would just go with 6 buttons and since most fighting games only use 6 buttons.

[microboy90]

@Counter00Hand i have the same problem man1!!

[deryell]

Is it normal that when I tried to pop my sanwa buttons in it was extremely difficult? I had used the tabs too but it was like a little too big, ended up warping the art on the front.

[kevaughanshiu]

sounds like you bought 30mm buttons but the hole was only 24mm in diameter?

correct me if i'm wrong.

[ancalime3]

thanks for the guide, looking to upgrade from fightpad to fightstick SE soon. this guide will come in handy

[AzuroMasurao]

Man, this is a great guide! As soon as I can get parts, I'm modding my SE stick. I did not know the SE stick was easy to mod. I always thought only the TE stick had the connector parts.

[Nothing13lue]

i got this a few days ago and was woundering do i have to buy the whole joystick or can i just buy the Sanwa TP-MA Replacement PCB Switch Assembly and have it work just as good ?

[triskadecaepyon]

Truthfully I'd buy the entire joystick just to be safe. There are some tolerance differences between the knockoffs and the Sanwa's that'll cause some issues.

[Nothing13lue]

i c thanks for the info

[OliverTwisterJr]

No soldering required for the buttons or joysticks? I had no idea it was this easy, everyone else on the net made this sound like it was torture and really risky.

I might just buy this and do the mods instead of buying the new Hori EX-SE coming out. Thanks.

[fistsvsface]

Thanks for the guide. I was having trouble removing my two disconnects from my buttons. =D

I'll be ordering my parts as soon as I can come up with some money >.>

[DarkyDiZZ]

This is a really helpfull guide, my buttons and stick came this morning and the only problem i had was like 2 of those connector things to the buttons everything else went smoothly. thank you good sir for creating this tutorial for newbies like me.

[sod9gfk2]

Hey a question to the uploader, I know this stick has alot of problems with breaking; if I replace it with these new parts will it still be able for this to happen or will it be fine? Thanks.

[triskadecaepyon]

The exact reason I replaced the parts in this stick is because the SE parts aren't authentic Sanwa. Replacing them with authentic Sanwa or Semitsu is the best thing you can do to prevent broken parts.

[kevaughanshiu]

What parts break? the actually stick + buttons or do you mean the whole thing?

Cause if only the buttons and stick break i'll replace them when they do break.

but if the whole thing will end up breaking then I'll never get a chance to upgrade T_T

[robbit126]

thanks for the guide. When I was switching out the artwork for my stick, I had a really hard time taking off the wires off the buttons. I ended up pulling out the whole black top of the button. But guide will be useful when my new sanwa parts come in

[Quake2815]

This is easier to mod the the hori ex2 stick but cost more.

[Danmartigan]

good tutorial, but keep in mind the extra dust cover can go under the panel, and the shaft cover should be installed with the thin edge toward the ball top.