Want to get into the keyboard hobby, but not quite ready to invest too much money on a “proper” custom keyboard? Well, then consider the GamaKay LK67 keyboard kit. Not only is the kit quite affordable, the LK67 even has a knob – a feature not many keyboards have.

If you’re intrigued, here’s our unboxing of the LK67 keyboard kit courtesy of Banggood. We also received the DAGK Rosemary keycap set to pair with the keyboard!

The packaging of both the GamaKay LK67 and DAGK Rosemary keycap is quite simple. The former is protected reasonably well with some foam and a plastic covering, while the Rosemary keycap set is placed in two foam cutouts in a plain brown box.

Bundled together with the LK67 are several accessories. These include a braided USB-C cable, a keycap/switch puller combo, and a 2.4GHz dongle. That’s right, the LK67 is a wireless keyboard, and it can connect to a device via the dongle or Bluetooth. Unfortunately, there’s no mention of how long the 2,400mAh battery can last on a single charge.

Anyway, the LK67 itself has a plastic case, and it seems to be using a tray mount system with a metal plate of sorts; typical combo of a pre-built keyboard. But what’s not so typical is the hotswap PCB of the LK67, allowing you to experiment with different switches easily without the need to solder them to the keyboard.

Not surprisingly, the LK67 features plate-mounted stabilisers as well, which are less desirable than screw-in stabilisers that fit more tightly onto the PCB of a keyboard. That being said, the LK67’s plate-mounted stabilisers are…actually quite good.

Not only do these stabilisers sit quite snugly on the plate, they don’t seem to rattle or tick much in my brief test with them. For the sake of context, I tested them with the Akko CS Sponge tactile switch and the aforementioned DAGK Rosemary keycaps. I’ll pay close attention to how these stabilisers continue to perform as I use the LK67 as my daily driver.

Another neat feature of the LK67 is the knob on the top right of the keyboard. While it doesn’t feel particularly solid – there’s quite a bit of wobble – it does work as intended. I can easily control the volume with the knob, and I can even click on it to pause and play media.

Oh, there are also a boatload of RGB lighting throughout the keyboard, though I find myself disabling them.

So…how does the LK67 feel like to type on? Well, it’s reasonably good for the price. Because this is a tray-mounted keyboard, it does offer a firm, stiff typing experience. If this is exactly what you look for in a keyboard, then you’ll be happy with the LK67 – it’s all about preference.

What about the sound profile of the LK67? I would say it is acceptable (again) for the price. See, the tray mount system transfers quite a bit of typing vibration to the case, so it has the typical “plasticky” sound signature of a pre-built keyboard, unfortunately enough.

However, with the right configuration of parts, the LK67 definitely has the potential to be “thocky” – the deep, low-pitch sound profile that is sought-after in the enthusiast keyboard scene. I’ve tried mounting the all-nylon Anubis switch with the DAGK Rosemary PBT keycap, and it definitely has a deep (albeit still plasticky) sound signature.

Speaking of the DAGK Rosemary keycap set, I’m genuinely surprised by how good it is. Made from PBT plastic with a Cherry profile, the keycaps feel and look great. There are enough keys of various sizes to fit most keyboard layouts too, such as the LK67.

Design wise, I’m not a big fan of the font used for the alphas, but the dye-sublimation is respectable with reasonably sharp-looking legends and vibrant colours. I especially like the unique aesthetics of the spacebar; the design is a little busy, yes, but it’s definitely eye-catching.

Okay, so how much does the GamaKay LK67 and DAGK Rosemary keycap set cost? The LK67 keyboard kit (at the time of writing) costs only $59.99, which comes up to about RM250. The DAGK Rosemary keycap, on the other hand, is also going for $59.99 right now.

While the DAGK Rosemary keycaps are not exactly budget-friendly – though the quality does match the asking price – the LK67 is certainly an affordable keyboard that can be a great starting point for folks to get into the hobby, especially if you want the practicality of a knob.

I will be putting the GamaKay LK67 through its paces in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for a review of this budget-friendly keyboard right here and Nextrift’s YouTube channel. If you’re keen to purchase the LK67 keyboard kit or DAGK Rosemary keycap set, you can get both of them over at Banggood.