MannMade Virbrato bridge vs PRS trem bridge

P90s

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Can you help me understand the value of the MannMade bridge as a replacement on a PRS guitar, specifically the S2? My assumption is that everything Mr. Smith touches is perfection, so what prompted you to swap out the bridge? What were the benefits?
Thanks!
 
The s2 bridge is the same as the SE bridge, cast 2 piece with a steel block.
John has two versions of his bridge:
A 2 piece with a brass block, and
A one piece milled from solid brass.
 
I'm hoping John Mann will chime in, I could be incorrect BUT I thought the S2 had "Non-USA" Tuners and bridge parts the Mann Made parts would bring you up to Core USA Standards.
I do have a Mann Trem on a Strat and it is 100% top notch stuff !!!

This. The S2 will have an import trem. Also, the Core Trem is two piece and the MannMade is one piece. The MannMade will have a bigger difference over the SE/S2/CE trems than the Core. But those include better sustain and note clarity, IMO. Besides, John invented the original!
 
The 2000NOS is a one piece and the 2040 Mann/PRS is a two piece. I have the 2040 being installed as we speak for a CE24. If it works out I'll put a 2000 NOS an another guitar.Most here seem to like them and John Mann is great to work with. The SE bridge is okay, (I have them on my CE24 & S2 CU24s) but brass rules.
 
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I just put a 2000NOS bridge on my CE24 and I can't believe the difference it made. Tuning stability is now on par with my Core PRS trems, the sustain is much improved and the tone seems to be more full with better string separation. I would highly recommend Mann made bridges.
 
The s2 bridge is the same as the SE bridge, cast 2 piece with a steel block.
John has two versions of his bridge:
A 2 piece with a brass block, and
A one piece milled from solid brass.

I believe that the Mann one-piece bridge is cast brass, then machined and plated.
 
I've thought about replacing the bridge on my SE Tremonti, and/or SE Custom 24 (steel blocks), but they both sound pretty darned good and I don't want to change the sound too much, so I wondered about the brass and how it would affect the sound as compared to the steel.
 
For what it’s worth I bought Mann made brass blocks and upgraded saddles for my tremonti custom SE and custom 24 SE and I’m pretty happy with it. I didn’t get the full bridges because I don’t have a competent guitar tech in my area so I do mostly everything myself and I didn’t want to play with the bridge pivot screws.

I never really had any noticeable difference in tone but I feel sustain has improved from an already high standard compared to what I was used to with my old SG.
 
Another vote for John here. I bought a set of re-issue saddles for an '85 Custom (now sold) somone had swapped out the originals saddles and felt that they improved the sound of the guitar. I've had a few other bits from him and he repaired a saddle for me with a siezed grub screw. Both my current PRS have original '80s Mann Made blocks on them and they're both works of art. I recall John uses red brass, which I blieve is harder and denser than yellow brass which is more commonly used.
 
As a side note I'm interested to know if the Core models still use a US made bridge.

Dave Burrluck writing in Issue 439 (November 2018, page 30) of Guitarist says 'I can think of a prestigious US guitar company that no longer makes any of its bridges in the US. Yet I see endless forum posts about fitting that 'USA bridge' because it's better than the lower-level import bridges used on the brand's mid- and lower tier guitars. Perhaps both are made in the same factory. The difference is how they are made and their materials.'

He doesn't mention which guitar company he's referring to but I can think of one it might be.

John Mann's bridges are made in the USA btw so the above comments are about bridges fitted as OE.
 
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