Building your first custom keyboard takes about an hour and needs zero soldering if you choose a hot-swap kit. You need four things: a barebones kit (case, PCB, plate, stabilizers), switches, keycaps, and optionally a cable. Everything presses or screws together.
Step 1: Pick a barebones kit
The kit is the foundation. The Holy60 barebones kit includes an aluminum case, 1.6mm hot-swap PCB with RGB, your choice of plate, PCB and case foam, and Cherry screw-in stabilizers. Hot-swap means switches push straight into the PCB — no soldering iron, no risk.
Step 2: Choose your switches
Switches decide feel and sound. For a first build, you can't go wrong with Gateron Milky Yellow Pro linears (smooth, deep-sounding, community favorite) or Cherry MX2A Brown tactiles (gentle bump, quiet). A 60% board needs 61 switches — four 18-packs covers it with spares.
Step 3: Choose keycaps
Keycaps are the look and much of the sound. Any MX-mount set in a 60% layout works; the PBTfans BOW set is doubleshot PBT, which means the legends never fade and the plastic resists shine for years.
Step 4: Assemble (about an hour)
- Screw the stabilizers into the PCB (spacebar, enter, shifts, backspace).
- Push each switch straight into the plate and PCB until it clicks — test every key with a key tester site as you go.
- Press the keycaps onto the switch stems.
- Drop the assembly into the case and screw it shut.
- Plug in over USB-C. Done — it types immediately.
Step 5: Make it yours with VIA
The Holy60 supports VIA/VIAL, so you can remap any key, build layers (put arrows on Fn+WASD), and tune RGB without flashing firmware. This is where a custom board pulls away from anything off the shelf.
What does a first build cost?
A complete Holy60 build — kit, switches, and keycaps — lands well under a comparable prebuilt custom, and every part is replaceable if your taste changes. Everything ships from our Chicago shop at typetide.shop; use code LAUNCH10 for 10% off through October 7, 2026.