deskthority

//gainsborough wrote: 26 Mar 2019, 22:35 2/3 gold label boards I’ve owned have had white alps >_<. Don’t know serial number or dates but can check when I have free time

snacksthecat wrote: 26 Mar 2019, 23:12 Is it at a price where you’re willing to gamble the money? Good luck by the way.

ZedTheMan wrote: 26 Mar 2019, 22:52

//gainsborough wrote: 26 Mar 2019, 22:35 2/3 gold label boards I’ve owned have had white alps >_<. Don’t know serial number or dates but can check when I have free time

Well shit, I guess I'm a big ol dummy for never seeing that before.

ZedTheMan wrote: 27 Mar 2019, 01:41 Alps discontinued blue Alps somewhere in late 1989 iirc. February should mean blues I think.

XMIT wrote: 27 Mar 2019, 02:33 $50.

But stop hemming and hawing and just buy it already! It's not even that yellow!

cli wrote: 27 Mar 2019, 02:51

Paid 40 euro for a Monterey K102 Alps White .
(and the Monterey K101 Alps Blue only 30, but need lot's of work)

ZedTheMan wrote: 27 Mar 2019, 03:37 "Monterey blues" aren't Alps at all, or even Monterey. They are SMK second generation, very solid switches but feel different from Alps.

Polecat wrote: 27 Mar 2019, 04:38 Sorry, I'm a bit late coming in on this. I've been keeping a database of Northgate keyboards (also Focus, Monterey, and a few others) and here's what I have so far on Gen 1/Gold Label Northgates. 26 total on the list at present. 17 of those have blue SKCM switches, 5 have white SKCM, and 4 I don't have switch info for. Two others on the list have an "8071xxxx" inspection number, both with blue SKCM. The earliest with white switches and a known date is from May 1989, but some examples are missing the fragile paper labels. And the inspection number stickers do not necessarily correlate with dates on those with labels present. In other words, nothing on the paper label or the inspection number is a guaranteed indicator of slider color. But based on the date I'd say there's a very good chance (but no guarantee, of course) of it having blue Alps switches.

That said, my personal opinion is that very early white SKCM switches are indistinguishable from blues. And that the perception that blues are "better" than whites is based on comparisons with later versions of white SKCM switches, which have a considerably different sound and feel than the early ones. I used to dismiss it as hype, and an irrational obsession with "sliders of color", but after more consideration I've conceded that blue Alps switches are a "sure thing" (depending on condition, of course), while white Alps are literally all over the place for sound and feel. Again just my personal opinions, individual results may differ. Considerably.

Polecat wrote: 27 Mar 2019, 04:38 That said, my personal opinion is that very early white SKCM switches are indistinguishable from blues. And that the perception that blues are "better" than whites is based on comparisons with later versions of white SKCM switches, which have a considerably different sound and feel than the early ones. I used to dismiss it as hype, and an irrational obsession with "sliders of color", but after more consideration I've conceded that blue Alps switches are a "sure thing" (depending on condition, of course), while white Alps are literally all over the place for sound and feel. Again just my personal opinions, individual results may differ. Considerably.

cli wrote: 27 Mar 2019, 07:16

ZedTheMan wrote: 27 Mar 2019, 03:37 "Monterey blues" aren't Alps at all, or even Monterey. They are SMK second generation, very solid switches but feel different from Alps.

No, it's a Tulip Monterey K101 keyboard with real Alps Blue ... wiki/Monterey_K101
It's just not in the best condition.

These are the prices in Netherlands, 30-50 euro for Alps boards, 50-75 for IBM model 2.

cli wrote: 27 Mar 2019, 08:24 Just for fun and to satisfy my curiosity I opened the switches


The Alps Blue switch is from a 1987 board, the Alps White from a 1989 board.
Practically the same, only difference are the sliders. Alps Blue sliders are dry lubed, Alps White sliders are not lubed but the plastic is lot smoother.

Polecat wrote: 27 Mar 2019, 04:38 Sorry, I'm a bit late coming in on this. I've been keeping a database of Northgate keyboards (also Focus, Monterey, and a few others) and here's what I have so far on Gen 1/Gold Label Northgates. 26 total on the list at present. 17 of those have blue SKCM switches, 5 have white SKCM, and 4 I don't have switch info for. Two others on the list have an "8071xxxx" inspection number, both with blue SKCM. The earliest with white switches and a known date is from May 1989, but some examples are missing the fragile paper labels. And the inspection number stickers do not necessarily correlate with dates on those with labels present. In other words, nothing on the paper label or the inspection number is a guaranteed indicator of slider color. But based on the date I'd say there's a very good chance (but no guarantee, of course) of it having blue Alps switches.

That said, my personal opinion is that very early white SKCM switches are indistinguishable from blues. And that the perception that blues are "better" than whites is based on comparisons with later versions of white SKCM switches, which have a considerably different sound and feel than the early ones. I used to dismiss it as hype, and an irrational obsession with "sliders of color", but after more consideration I've conceded that blue Alps switches are a "sure thing" (depending on condition, of course), while white Alps are literally all over the place for sound and feel. Again just my personal opinions, individual results may differ. Considerably.

snacksthecat wrote: 28 Mar 2019, 15:45 Best of luck! I hope the deal works out for you