An open letter to Glorious Gaming (or whatever they are calling themselves these days):
This letter is specifically about the GMMK Pro Keyboard. I have had some pretty good products from them before, but this specific product is making me more and more angry as I work on more and more.
Dear Glorious Gaming,
Firstly let me start by introducing myself. This is by no means me trying to brag or throw credentials out there, but it will give you an idea of my experience, and hopefully give some kind of credence to this letter. I am what I like to call an Artisan. I have worked on keyboards for over 3 years professionally, 10 years in a more hobby capacity and have been into the Mechanical Keyboard scene for over 30 years. I've earned my stripes. I've worked on countless boards. I've lubed so many switches it will make your eyes water and I've customized and repaired a LOT of boards.
With that out of the way, I want to address a problem that has been brooding in my mind for a while now, and I really hope you feel like this is something that needs attention. I worked on my first GMMK Pro just after launch, and built a board for a customer that I was pretty proud of. Yes, there were problems with the Stabs, they were shit! No problem, lets put Durock v2 Stabs in as they are not shit! Oh wait, they don't fit, okay, I'll give the benefit of the doubt and mod the plate to make them fit. The board was delivered to the customer, and he was happy. This board had KBDFans PBT keycaps on it, and thank God it did, because if it had worse keycaps on it, I would have heard the glaring sound problems in the board, and not really have known what to do.
Fast forward a year later, and I have just worked on my 15th board, a customers board no less. And there are problems, some you know about, and some I'm sure you have turned a deaf ear to, but man oh man are there problems!
Without going into story format here,. let me just put down the serious problems that I feel is seriously robbing people of their hard earned cash:
1) Every Single GMMK Pro that I have worked on has been a completely different experience from the one before, with some have minor problems and others are write-offs.
2) Every board, for some or other reason sounds completely different. I truly believe that you are using crap quality Aluminium or an alloy. One of the two. The one I just finished sounded like tin.
3) How on God's green earth do you create a gasket mount design, but it's not able to actually move when you screw the case together.
4) The optional plates you sell range between below average to unusable. They are shit. FR4 or aftermarket is the only true option.
5) I have no idea what your gaskets are made out of, but they start disintegrating within one week of use. Did you just take human heel filings and mix them together with a weak glue and then press out some shapes.
6) They are too thin as well.
7) Your foam is shit too. And inconsistent. Sometimes it mutes the sound so much and other times I feel like I could've farted into the case and it would have provided more sound insulation.
8) The amount of money it costs to procure your board, then buy aftermarket parts to fix all the problems, factoring the cost of someone to do the massive amount of work to get the board sounding good, puts the price of this board well over Entry Level/Mid tier, and firmly into the realm of High End Price. This is not a good thing or a compliment. If you truly believe this board is a High end piece of equipment, God help us all.
9) You clearly do not know or understand your competition. Period. Boards from Akko/Keychron/CannonKeys/NovelKeys/Meletrix/KBDFans are literal Galaxies ahead in assembly, use and feel.
10) Some of the solder work on your board looks like my dog did it, after a really heavy party, while all four legs are in a cast. No, he cannot solder either.
11) The cost of your switches, aftermarket plates, accessories and merch is also overpriced. Very overpriced.
I truly believe you are seriously doing the Custom Keyboard scene a major disservice. Why, you may ask? Well if a first time buyer of a Custom Mechanical Keyboard buys one of these, I can truly understand why they might think the hobby is filled with a bunch of idiots who blow ridiculous amounts of money of overpriced, hyped up truly mediocre keyboards, because that's exactly what this board is. I even tried to sell myself on this board, and put it down to me being picky and someone who has unrealistic expectations. But alas, I was wrong. After using your competitors products, I sorry to tell you that you are swimming in a pool way to deep for you. Maybe you should stick to the paddling pool.
Glorious, I'm sorry I had to write this letter to you, but someone had too. I see so many people online justifying their purchase of the GMMK Pro, and I don't blame them, They are not justifying it out of loyalty to your brand, I can assure you of that, they are doing it because they spent $300-$500 dollars of their hard earned money on something that $100 and a little elbow grease can outperform.
You should make things right with customers who purchased this board. Not by offering a 10% discount on your next "Greatest Keyboard".
You should ship them one for free, or give people the option of a no questions asked refund.
But you won't, so that's why I am want this letter to go far and wide and discourage anyone from buying the GMMK Pro in it's current form.
Go on, prove me wrong, Make this right. Make a product that is actually mind blowing and get it to the people who have been affected by this. I dare you!!!!
Regards
Philip Dunkley
philip@keyboardkulture.co.za
Owner of Keyboard Kulture
PS Thanks for all the business you've sent my way by selling this board, and then people send it to me to get fixed, but I'd rather be spending my time building awesome customized keyboards instead!!
hdgoldrand.co.za
toolcentre.co.za
www.digikey.co.za
