Alright, this is my first review. I'll be reviewing the third party accessory set for Rumble/Frenzy designed by Maiden Japan of tfw2005.com. Maiden also makes a soundwave and soundblaster addon head. The soundwave one was included in my set I purchased on ebay, so there are pictures of it, but I am not reviewing it at this time.
So, Maiden designed these a while ago with the intention of creating only 100 sets. I'm number 43, so there likely aren't many left. You can preorder them by contacting Maiden Japan on tfw2005.com. Here is a link to his customs page:
http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/radico...m-hammers.html
So, here is what it looks like, it comes in a little bag with some nice artwork of rumble and frenzy happily equipped with pile drivers.
Taking them out of the bag, I really like the details on these, especially the little etchings on the upper pile driver (good for panel lining if you so desire). The pile drivers themselves are resin and then painted. I have been warned the paint may chip if you drop/mishandle them, and they are resin so they're not quite as forgiving as plastic. I've shown them extended as far as they can, and one also compressed as far as it can be.
The other thing at this point I'll address is the colours. The dark blue is almost a perfect match for my rumble/frenzy, but the lighter blue, and the red, are slightly off. Then again, it might be my g1 figures which are off, they might match better with encore pieces. The colours are very close in any event, and are certainly no different than what we've received from hasbro. *glares at classics sunstreaker* That said they look very good on rumble and frenzy as you see below. Customizers may want to try and get a closer match with the paint, but I'm happy with them as is.
For whatever reason while my blue piledrivers have identical colouring, my red ones seem to be a slightly different shade -one is brighter than the other. It's minor, but noticeable when they are side by side. Once you put the pile drivers on frenzy/rumble it's harder to spot the difference. I may have just received an odd red one since my blue ones are look identical in colouring.
Update: After showing Maiden Japan a pic of the colour difference he has offered to send me out a new pair that will match.
As you see they fit overtop of rumble/frenzy's existing arms easily. They fit pretty well and are very stable for the most part. I have one that does slip off if I have frenzy/rumble lying on his back, but I don't think that will be a typical pose. :-p For the most part it takes a slight tug to get them off, and a slight push to attach them.
The pistons are loose in the pile driver (some more snug than others) which permits you to "rumble" them in a "frenzy" up and down. Because they can be loose their poseability is somewhat limited by gravity if they are pointed straight up or down. If you have them on a slight angle they "stick" at different spots for mid-action poses. If you wanted to make them tighter I suppose it's possible using the same techniques you use repairing loose ball joints, but I don't know if I'd want them too tight since it is a resin kit and not plastic.
I just wanted to show off some of the details, as you see in the picture below, there is even some vent detailing on the top of the pile drivers. Although there is no function to these details, they really make the set shine. It's this kind of detailing that made me order these from Maiden Japan as opposed to waiting for the Crazy Devy version.
So, that's my review, hope you liked it and found it helpful. In summary:
Pros:
+Finally, pile drivers!
+Great details
+Nice colours, decent match for the original frenzy/rumble.
+Attach easily - no customization necessary.
Cons:
-Colours can vary slightly between pieces, and may not exactly match original g1 figures (especially given age/fading of figures).
-Pile drivers can be loose, either "in" or "out" hard to pose halfway.
Recommendation: BUY THIS SET! These piledrivers are great, and seem to be a reasonable price in my mind ($45 for both sets plus the soundwave head). I've been waiting for an accessory set like this for years. The pros easily outweight the cons.
