ABS M1

[Techno Trousers]

Hey,  it's my first review!

CPTBadAss expressed some interest in this board since I posted about it in the "just came in the mail" thread.

The ABS M1 is a 104 key, modern full-size all-black board with Alps  key switches. I haven't looked/researched to see if these are Fuhua or XM switches,  but they are black tactile switches, and exhibit a lot more ringing than the complicated Alps CM switches that I'm used to. They also do not have the same consistency of feel that CM switches do, but when I'm up to full speed,  I don't really notice that. Overall, I wouldn't call them awful, but they're not fantastic .

Background: I'm just getting back into Alps switch boards. I had a SIIG Suntouch (Complicated white Alps) as my daily driver for about ten years, from when I bought it new in 1990. That board and my neighbor's Model M are the ones that made me fall in love with mechanical keyboards, although at the time, I didn't know exactly why I loved them so much compared with all the other mushy boards of the day (and since). Finding GeekHack in 2009 gave me the information I needed to really kick start this hobby. I disappeared for a few years after getting a Cherry MX blue Filco, but now I'm working to try just about every mechanical key switch available and decide once and for all which is my favorite.

Okay,  so back to the ABS M1... Oddly,  the full promo page for this board is still up, although it hasn't been made for years. Lots of sexy pictures there, and much better than what I could take.

The board itself feels pretty solid, and looks fine. The only slight annoyance is that it's not perfectly square, but I'll fix that when I open it for modding. Speaking of modding,  my plan is to solder in some replacement old school CM switches, either white or blue (if I can find them).

If you're looking for a full-size modern Alps board to mod, I can definitely recommend the ABS M1 as a decent starting point. If there's interest, I can create a project thread for my switch replacement projects when I start working on them.

Edit: fixing typos.

[CPTBadAss]

Think I saw in the DT wiki that it was Fuhua Tactile Black Alps.

Are you planning on cutting it down at all? There's a mod where someone cut an AT101W down to a TKL board. And have you looked at the Matias switches at all? The Matias Tactile Pro Switches (What they call their Clicky Switch) is my favorite Alps/Alps-esque switch.

Thanks for doing the review and for the shoutout ^__^

Edit: I fixed some grammar stuff 'cause that Chinglish comes out something fierce when I'm excited.

[Binge]

They used to have MX Black switches.  My brother has one of those older models.  It's a reliable 2kro board.

[Techno Trousers]

I'm not planning to cut it down. I'll take a TKL board when I can find one, since I touch type numbers and don't use the number pad, but it's not worth the work to me to mod it that extensively.

I have to buy a pack of the Matias switches to check them out. Have you compared them head to head against complicated whites or blues? It's hard to imagine Matias coming out on top in that showdown for me, but of course everyone's preference is different.

[CPTBadAss]

Yes, I have. I have a Complicated White board right now and I've tried Matias boards in the past. My Complicated Whites are a little stiff/crunchy while the Matias are wonderfully clicky and not as heavy. Most of my thoughts can be found in these reviews. I'll eventually update it to include some newer impressions.

[Techno Trousers]

Cool, I'll check that out when I have more time. I think I may have a source of complicated blue switches, and I'll order some Matias switches too. Then I can compare them all to find my own favorite. I need to know that for the Alps TKL board project! )