I caved and bought another Qanba R4 while at work because I don't want to be fooling around with such an expensive item as an 'arcade-stick-illiterate'. I'll just sell the problem'ish one for a discount on eBay and take my loss. Want that piece of mind and my warranty back, stress is now completely gone. Arcade sticks are scary & bat tops are the devil. Maybe one day in the distant future I'll take the time to learn the intricacies of modding/making my own stick, while I'm practically green I think I'll pass. My peers called me crazy for buying another as I was on edge thinking about it all today, but my nerves about the whole mess it ended up being as I watched someone wrestle with it like it was worthless.... it needed to be this way.
Just say I made the right decision regardless of what you think, to make me feel better. Thanks!