Ok, to answer my own question, I got to try out a white alps board extensively today, and while I dont have a strongman board right next to it, I did try a strongman matias tp2 at J&R, so I can sort of compare the two.
Basically (if my memory of the strongman is at all correct), the strongmans were lighter and softer. Lighter in feel and softer in click sound.
The white alps are loud as **ck. What people say is absolutely true. Louder than buckling sprngs (hell, way louder). This was a mk96 I got, so its not even the ultra resonance board like the northgates. And it could easily wake the dead. No joke.
That said, of course, its quite charming. And of course there is no way I could use it as-is. My neighbors would absolutely kill me.
Tactility: The bump is more pronounced on alps than on strongmans.
Audio: The click is way more pronounced on alps than on strongmans.
Someone described the cheap chinese alps as "lighter version of white alps". I guess I'd describe the strongmans in the same way.
In all, the strongmans may be something I could use but I couldnt use the alps. (So I've put them for a WTT in the marketplace section, if you want to get yourself a brand new mk96 with white alps, just send me your white strongmans board
)
I also tried modding the white alps in 3 ways to reduce the sound, results of that are in the modding section.
