finally got a working keyboard!!
at this point, my only real quibble is the C and V LEDs seem mysteriously brighter than the rest of the board, but that's really no big deal. you don't notice unless you're looking really closely.
instead of the thin laser etched ABS caps that the first drop came with, this drop came with blank black PBT caps. they actually have a great texture, but i'm not keeping them on here.
this thing is solid as a rock, and the clear switches i got in it feel real nice. a little heavy for my tastes, but the tactile bump is so good! i suspect some flavor of zealio purple switches are my ideal... all that said, i'm not sure i can really recommend these keyboards to anyone. it clearly took me months and months to get a working board, so unless you really don't care how long it takes, spend your money elsewhere.