Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: I'm having an issue or I have a question. What is the best way to contact you?
A: Email keebmeup@gmail.com, message me via Reddit (u/Andj00) or join our Discord (Discord Invitation)
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Q: What is included in the price?
A: Tax & Continental USA shipping is included in the price, as well as the convenience of purchasing rare, sought after keyboard parts without needing to do the dirty work of identifying, bidding, testing, desoldering, cleaning, converting, etc. We do that hard work for you, and this work is reflected in the pricing of our items.
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Q: Help! Some of my switches are not working!
A: Do not be alarmed! Due to the nature of vintage switches there can always be issues. Please contact me ASAP if you need help or replacements!
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Q: Are your keyboards/switches tested and ensured working?
A: KeebMeUp always denotes whether a keyboard or batch of switches are tested or untested. If untested, we offer no guarantees and price them lower accordingly. If they are tested working, we will offer replacements if you happen to have any issues (though you will be asked to send your malfunctioning switches back to us).
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Q: How do you rate the quality of your keyboards/switches?
A: While other people try to use 1-10 rating systems, KeebMeUp denotes the quality simply as:
-NOS: New Old Stock Hardware. Straight from the factory.
-Near-NOS: Exceptional quality switches, found in very well-maintained units. These switches should be up to everyone's standard, no matter how picky you are about quality.
-No Cleaning / Lubing Required: Good enough to put directly into a build, but may not be up to everyone's standard. Although cleaning/lubing is deemed not required, the purchaser is always advised to both clean and lubricate any vintage switches to their own standard for the most optimum experience.
-Cleaning / Lubing Required: Not good enough to put directly into a build. The purchaser is advised to both clean and lubricate the switch on their own prior to building.
-Ultrasonic Cleaned: Switches have spotless internals after cleaning, but lubrication is highly recommended since ultrasonic cleaning washes away the pre-existing factory lubricant.
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Q: I'm so bored with modern MX switches! What vintage switches do you recommend I try out?
A: Alps SKCM/SKCL, Alps SKCC, Topre, IBM Model F & M, Beamspring, Space Invaders, Fujitsu Leaf Spring, Microswitch SD, Microswitch SW.
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Q: What is your experience with vintage switches?
A: I am a keyboard enthusiast and have been in the keyboard hobby for a few years now. In that time, I found myself moving away from MX switches due to being unsatisfied with them. During my journey collecting vintage keyboards, I have come across literally thousands of vintage switches. I have knowledge of when switches need cleaning, lubing and can rate them consistently from look and feel.
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Q: Why do enthusiasts tend to prefer vintage switches (like Alps) to modern MX-style switches?
A: Prior to 2015, when Cherry still held the patent on MX-type switches, options for mainstream keyboard switches were much more limited than they are today. During this time, people were desparate for alternatives to Cherry MX, and often times hunted for vintage switches that felt better than MX Red, Brown, Blue. It was obvious at the time how superior these vintage switches were to the Cherry OEM offerings. However, fast forward to the present (post-2015, after Cherry MX's patent had run out) there are now a plethora of new MX-type clone switches available (Zeal, Holy Panda, Kailh Box, etc.). Thankfully, many of these MX clones are far superior to their genuine Cherry MX counterparts, but the tactile and clicky switches have not yet surpassed the vintage switches, even in 2020. Thus, when comparing Alps to MX offerings, it is still obvious that vintage switches such as Alps are often times more tactile and have a more pleasant click and feel. In terms of discrete switches, if you are a fan of tactility and/or clickiness, Alps SKCM and others will still hold supreme, even in 2022 and beyond.
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Q: Why are newcomers hesitant to enter the vintage keyboard community?
A: Newcomers can often be hesitant to approach vintage switches due to them being hard to find, keycaps having limited options and PCBs/Plates not being readily available commercially. Furthermore, there are no commercially prebuilt keyboards using genuine vintage switches. KeebMeUp.com hopes to fix each of those issues for newcomers.
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Q: What Alps switches would be good options for me?
A (Linear Fans): If you're a fan of Linears, the more widely available options are SKCL Green & SKCL Yellow. Green is a lighter weighting than Yellow. These switches are unique to MX Linears in that they contain an inherent, small tactile event. In terms of heavier switches, SKCL Cream and SKCL Brown are great switches for linear fans as well.
A (Tactile Fans): If you're a fan of Tactiles, the more widely available options are SKCM Orange & SKCM Salmon. Orange is a lighter weighting than Salmon. Orange and Salmon have rounded and snappy tactility. SKCM Pine Black and SKCM Cream are both similar in feel to Orange / Salmon. A step up from these tactiles would be SKCM Brown which is simply in a tier of its own.
A (Clicky Fans): If you're a fan of Clickies, the widely available options are SKCM White Pine or SKCM White Bamboo. Pine Whites feel better than Bamboo Whites, but both are vastly superior to clicky MX switches, including Box Click switches. A step up from SKCM Whites would be SKCM Blue or SKCM Amber. SKCM Blue feels crisper and more elegant than SKCM White, and SKCM Amber is more tactile and heavy than SKCM Blue or SKCM White.
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Q: How can I identify legitimate vs. clone Alps switches?
A: There is helpful information linked here: Identifying Clone Alps Switches - Deskthority
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Q: Why are some of the vintage switches you offer ultrasonic cleaned but others are not?
A: If there is time available, KeebMeUp will ultrasonic clean switches and upcharge for this service. However, if you prefer to have a specific batch of switches ultrasonic cleaned prior to purchase, please contact us directly and we may be able to arrange it.
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Q: What should I do if I need a specific quantity of switches or type of switches that you do not currently have advertised for sale?
A: Contact us! We are happy to try to work something out.
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Q: Do you offer International Shipping?
A: Yes, international shipping is available at an extra fee. Make sure to choose the international Shipping (Outside USA) option at checkout.
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Q: My shipped item's tracking information still says 'Pre-Shipment' after a few days, has it shipped yet?
A: Yes your item has shipped if you have received a tracking number. If it still says 'Pre-Shipment', there is a chance it was not scanned by USPS prior to departure. It will be scanned in at the very least once it is 'Out for Delivery'.
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Q: Will you Solder/Desolder/Clean my switches for me?
A: Yes, KeebMeUp offers soldering, desoldering & cleaning services.
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Q: Will you Lube my switches for me?
A: Unfortunately KeebMeUp has stopped offering lubing services as it is too time-consuming.
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Q: What do you use to Lube your Alps switches?
A: NyoGel 760G
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Q: What kind of Desoldering tool do you use?
A: Hakko FR-301
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Q: How do you Ultrasonic Clean your switches?
A: 3L 120W Ultrasonic Cleaner + Soap
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Q: What do you use to convert your vintage keyboards to USB?
A: Usually Pro Micro / Teensy + Soarer's Firmware
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Q: Why do your MechMarket posts always get downvoted?
A: Unfortunately there are a certain group of vintage gate-keepers who do not like when people separate keyboards from old computer terminals or desolder switches from old hardware. They tend to follow my posts on Reddit and downvote them. I guess it makes them feel better. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯