https://idobao.net/products/idobao-id80-75-hot-swappable-mechanical-keyboard-kit?variant=33586934874243
I have the gasket mount "crystal" version of this keyboard. Thissun:
https://idobao.net/collections/75-layout/products/idobao-transparent-acrylic-id80-keyboard-kit?variant=34240839975043Currently using
Kailh Polia switches with
Drop + Matt3o /dev/tty keycaps.
I've been pretty impressed with this thing so far. Assembly was easy, the packaging is fantastic, and brass plates are sex (a bit on the pricey side, but worth every penny). The RGB lighting is fantastic as well, so if you want something that's a bit showy it's a good option.
Summary, I don't know what im doing, but I might get the ducky TKL and replace the switches with something else? Gateron yellows are cheap and well received, so those might be a good base to try lubing everything.
There are a couple considerations there. For one, those Ducky boards are mostly plastic. This largely comes down to personal preference, but I find that metal backplates both tend to offer a better feel and sound. Plastic tends to feel kind of mushy and sound hollow by comparison. The Drop CTRL and ID80 are both aluminum (with the ID80 crystal being brass).
One thing that I feel is a bit more important is the Ducky firmware isn't customizable. This doesn't sound like too big of a deal, but once you've dabbled with hardware remapping and layers it's hard to go back. For example, one of the things I've been consistently doing is configuring it so that holding caps lock and pressing WASD causes it to send directional keys (with Q/E being pgup/pgdn and R/F being home/end). Seems like a small thing, but it's very convenient to be able to page through a document or source code file without your hands leaving the home row.
That said, there is a pretty big cost difference. With the Ducky boards you get everything you need for $150. With the others you get just the base keyboard (no switches or caps) for the same price or more. That said, if I add up the amount of money I spent on shitty mechanical keebs (SteelSeries 6Gv2, WASD Code, Logitech G920...probably $400-500 total. None of them were all that good and two of them failed after only 13-18 months) I could have easily bought a good one years ago and ultimately spent less money overall. Thing is, you could have the most awesome switches in the world, but if you plug them into a less-than-ideal base they're still not going to feel all that great, y'know?
Also, yeah, I would consider hotswap to be mandatory. Switches do fail prematurely (one of my Kailh Polia's developed chatter after about 6 months), and it's nice to be able to just yank them out and swap them without having to bust out the soldering iron. That being said, just because you can swap them out doesn't mean that it's particularly easy. You basically have to take a metal tool and pinch these two little clips on the switch down, then pull them free of the plate and board. It's not too difficult, but then you have to repeat that another 79 times (not to mention having to remove the keycaps, then install the new switches and such). It's pretty tempting to mess with new switches once in a while, but make sure you 1) have good tools and 2) are willing to dedicate 30-45 minutes to the process.
Still, even knowing that I can't help but order neat-looking tactile/clicky switches that pop up on Drop to take them for a spin. That's how I ended up with these Polias, and they're some of the smoothest switches I've used (I still really like the crisp tactile bump that the Zealios V2s have, though...).
One thing that does make this a bit more pleasant is a switch tester. These are essentially keyboard shells that you can mount switches into so that you can get an idea of how they're going to feel. Most of them also include a bunch of switches so that you can mess around with a bunch of them. I ended up snagging this one from KBDfans that's pretty nice:
https://kbdfans.com/collections/switches-tester/products/kbdfans-72-switches-tester-all-in-oneBasically, you can order a small batch of switches, plop them in the tester, and feel them. If you don't like them, you're out maybe $4-6. If you do, just order a few more bags and get ready to do some swapping.
If you're looking for specific keyboard recommendations, I would suggest skipping the Ducky and going with either the CTRL or ID80. The initial cost is going to be a bit more, and you'll have to source your own caps and switches, but you'll have a very solid base, and a programmable microcontroller to boot.
Oh, as far as keycaps go: get PBT unless you like them becoming smooth and shiny after a few months. <_< Just to give you an idea of how long they stay textured, I have a vintage 1992 IBM Model M hooked up to my retro PC and its keycaps
still have texture.