A little terminology definition for people unfamiliar with the topic. Straight Setups - from straight build in gunpla (gundam model kits) building. The setup is exactly how it originally came from in the box (barring string and bead/bearing). The cups, tama, and sword have not been switched out for replacements from other setups/brands. Frankendama - kendama made up of a ken and tama both from different setups and/or companies/brands (sword and cups may/may not be the original setup). So here's the question. What do you guys prefer with your kendama setups? Mix and matching to make a totally unique setup or keeping it as is out of the box? Both are fine with me, but I find myself more often than not mixing and matching kens and tamas into more unique setups that (as far as I know) no one else has/seen. It's one of the things outside customizing (burning, painting) or wood turning kendamas yourself that really makes the kendama yours. It gets even cooler when you see other people making the same/similar setups as you (whether on coincidence or being inspired by your setups).
I like changing tamas for better design, better weight match and also I match great tama with a great ken. One time I switch sarado but from one sweets prime to another to make one better lunar balanced. Also about frankendama, kendama.cz has the option on thwir site called frankendama where you can choose tama, ken, string and even the weights!
I mix and match if a ken is good for lunars and a tama is good for lunars. Same for stalls and sometimes weight (I don't have a scale). But yeah, I love that sometimes nobody else has it.
I'm more likely to tweak a stock setup since I like to do stalls and swapping tama and ken between brands (or even different models) doesn't always have a good mate between the tama bevel and stall locations.
Hey guys, First off, im not sure if there are existing thread that talked about specifically mixed set-up kendamas. If this is the first, then this is the catch... Currently or way before, what were your mixed setups??? Now collabs doesn't count as a mix & match. So any sweets painted damas collabs with other brands like kusa,terra,krom,etc. is not include cause it's in their own respective shapes. My recent mix set ups were: Yumu rubber pink X tk16 jka Kaizen merlot X ozora (turns out it's not that much good of a set up for me especially if the tama was already been worn out & ken is too dense it chipped XD)
The search tool is amazing. More people should learn about its existence https://www.downspike.com/threads/frankendamas-vs-straight-setups.2630/
@KeeganS yo thanks for noticing. really need to keep myself updated on DS im quite busy lately that i didn't know some of the stuff here XD anyways really appreciate it dude
Put my Mugen Musou cups on a beech Ozora ken. Plays amazingly great. With a Cooks custom Kaizen tama.
Can't take a picture right now so I'll try to describe my two most successful setups. 1. TK-16 ken x Blue and Yellow rubber Half Split tama from PhilKen, a local company Made this setup cause the stock setup of the half split had a problem with weight; the ken and the tama had a 20 gram difference, with the tama being 80+ grams. Not wanting to waste such a honed tama, I put it on a TK-16 ken and I've never looked back since. 2. KROM bamboo ken x Sweets Prime Solid Green tama I thought I would never take apart my KROM bamboo. If you rummage through this thread and see my post, at the time, my KROM bamboo was the most honed straight setup in my collection. However, due to wear and tear, and probably because I drenched the tama in sweat, the bevel developed a warp. This warp made it impossible for me to do Lunars and Lighthouses on the bevel as the ken would just tip over. Not wanting to waste the ken, I put a Prime Solid Green tama on it. Still putting it through its paces but it seems playable enough. P.S. Forgot to include a third setup I'm currently using right now. 3. Ozora Premium ken x PhilKen Ash Tama Self-explanatory. Also, made this setup because the premium ozora tama was beginning to lose its tack.
So I love to frakendama I even go to the extent of drilling out the basecup on some and definitely painting this is my sweets v11spike (I drilled out base cup about 1 inch x v15 sarado and a self painted sweets prime radar tama
Personally, I like stock setups. I mashup my damas for 2 reasons: Performance If the weights are to my liking (dead on, to tama heavy) or vice-versa If the ken and the tama complement each other (e.g. extremely sticky paint for a ken with Bad Lunar Balance) When I'm broke Every now and then, I mash up a ken and tama from my collection to be able to experience a new kind of play when my wallet is empty and I can't afford a new dama to play with P.S. I never go full frankendama to the extent that I drill base cup holes or paint my own tamas. Aside from not having the tools or knowledge to do so, I like to experience the kendama the way the manufacturer intended it (especially JKA damas).
I love to switch & swap. I have 2 kens in ny collection that aren't custom (sol flow cause of the size & gt e1 cause i don't have a matching weight)
I can't explain why, but I prefer to keep my Kendama's with their original parts, apart from string. I've always tried switching kens and tamas around, trying to find the perfect weight match, or putting my new favourite ken with a faithful honed tama. But I eventually put originals back together again, even if they're harder to play! I'm not OCD or anything, but I kinda like that kendama is played how it was made to be played.
The craziest I get with the frankendama is switching the Tamas and maybe the strings. When people do the different sarados and spikes it make me Cringe. Aesthetically doesn’t look good to me Sorry not sorry
I always have a vision for frankendama-ing, I never just set something up because I’m bored. (Don’t mix a Zach Yourd tama with a pink string.)
Put my Dave mod 2.0 cups on my first run maple craft 2.0 sword with a KUSA Tribute super stick tama. One of my favorite setups