Didn't expect this to actually make that big of a difference. I have an S2 custom 22 with pearly gates in them. There are a bit bright at the top end but otherwise I really like them. Seems like a bridge upgrade could help with that high end. Thanks for this!

@1997Ghost

Жыл бұрын

Just turn up the bass knob on your amp. problem solved and money saved

I have purchased a set of PRS style locking tuners from John Mann for my SE Custom 24 and love them, I have been debating on purchasing a bridge for it from Mann as well. Great video and I too heard a difference.

The Mann's bridge definitely sounds nicer. The extra undesired high frequencies of the original tremolo are gone. You achieved your goal! I'm about to receive a Mann's bridge for one of my Strats. Can't wait. I have a 1990 PRS Custom24 since 1991, only owner, and man... that tremolo sounds great and still works perfectly.

Its definitely a personal preference thing, but the SE Bridge seemed perfectly sufficient and sounded a bit clearer. Both the bridges sound great, but that replacement bridge is a significant cost for only minimal if any improvement at all. Maybe solid Brass or Titanium saddles will set it off perfectly?

@johnmannsguitarvault

Жыл бұрын

The MannMade USA bridge has solid brass saddles, top plate & block

Great comparison. Thank you! Going to install the Mann Tremolo and Locking Tuners on my new PRS SE DGT!

@TheGuitarFam

Жыл бұрын

Sweet. I've heard nothing but good stuff about the DGT SEs. I almost got one this past week but opted for the SE Hollowbody instead.

I agree, I think the difference was quite subtle, but just enough to just take that edge off it and smooth it out.

Great video, definitely made a difference.

Nice comparison and playing. For me I'm not sure if it worth the change being the warmth might not be what I need.

Awesome comparison!!!

Great video. It’s not just the top end, there was a full spectrum resonance shift. The Mann bridge definitely sounds more authoritative. I have owned a new CE-24 and an S2 and I was always skeptical about those bridges! I also dislike the 85/15. One thing: you mentiones pinginess. In my experience, this often relates to sprint resonance, as well as unwanted resonance in the strings between the nut and the tuning pegs. I dampen it out with a small piece of foam with great results - you might be able to spot it in my videos if you wanna see how it looks.

This was very interesting. I didn't know that the bridge would have made any difference in the sound. But I sure did hear the slight reduction in brightness that Nate heard with the Mann bridge.

@TheGuitarFam

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I even left the same strings on so things would be as identical as possible. So glad it worked out.

I have the same complaint about the 85/15 pickups and mod my Strats all the time but I have been too afraid to mod a PRS. I can't explain why. Have you tried different strings? GHS rates two strings from bright to warm and it could be the final piece to get you where you want to go

thanks for sharing brother I can't access the Mann Made website.

I just order a brass trem block from Amazon. Installed it on my s.e. It is my favorite guitar out of many. Even on the cheaper s.e. the neck is quite amazing. Thank you Mr. Smith.

@TheGuitarFam

11 ай бұрын

Sure. Thanks for watching.

@jevonwhite5193

10 ай бұрын

Did you notice a diffence in tone, like brighter or warmer? And which trem did you order?

@robertwillett4122

10 ай бұрын

@jevonwhite5193 9 Javonwhite I have a L.P. Gibson, which is stock and will always be. Same as my E.S.335. The brass trem block that I installed is on my P.R.S. custom se. Being a non American made guitar, I have experimented with a little. I love the neck, and the pickups are pretty good. When I installed the brass block, it gave it a warmer sound. But to my surprise, it gave it more sustain. If my other Gibsons had a wiggle stick, I would probably do the same. But always keep the original block, so if you ever sell it, you will have the original parts. It's really easy to install. The brass block I bought is a Tone Pro. Just make sure you order the right spacing of the installation screws. It is definitely worth the effort. Another thing I did was put a tremble boost in the electronics. That was also a pleasant surprise. If you're on the fence, I recommend it. I've been playing for over 40 years. Try it bro, the sustain and sound is great. Have a great evening .

I have a Squier Classic Vibe Strat that I put a brass block trem on, it made a noticeable difference - mainly a fuller/tighter low end. Same effect here, subtle but noticeable. I just got a used PRS SE Standard 24 that’s a candidate for this treatment, so this was worth my time to watch.😎 Also Wampler Pedals did a video about Vaughan Skow Holy Grail pickups that are designed as PRS replacements, worth checking out.

@TheGuitarFam

2 жыл бұрын

That's good to hear. I haven't tried any block upgrades yet. Thanks for watching.

To me, the Mannmade bridge sounded more "full", with more of a humming resonance, where the stock bridge sounded a bit more sharp, with a slightly more bitten off sound. I think the Mannmade bridge is "technically" better, but it does come down to personal preference more than anything.

@TheGuitarFam

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, that's what I heard too. It's not technically better like you said, but it's what I was shooting for. :D

Mann does also sell a cold roll steel block which sounds brighter than the brass block and may be better suited for keeping the CE 24 tone but, in my opinion, still gives a noticeable improvement.

call me crazy, but did you pick softer the 2nd time around? in the video it looks like you may be attacking the string less hard than with the Se bridge. still a good and interesting comparison, and within the scopy of 'real world' variables :) cheers!

@TheGuitarFam

2 жыл бұрын

I'm not sure Bad Motivator. It's hard to say with so much time passing between clips. I was just playing normally.

The SE bridge definitely isn't bad, but the Mann is a lot fuller to me. John Mann makes great stuff.

@Steinstra-vj7wl

Жыл бұрын

A lot is a lot exaggerated .

Noticeable difference, just don't know if i like it better. Sounds a bit dull though i can see the appeal

Slight change for sure. I have a 2020 CE 24 and recently picked up a 2003 CE 22. I actually like the 22 more than the 24 overall. Just wish the fretboard was more rolled on the edges but that’s my only gripe. I think it sounds better and it stays in tune better. This video is helpful because I’ve been thinking about swapping the trem for a MannMade. If that doesn’t get me where I want to be, I might look at other pickups too. Basically the reverse order of what you did.

@TheGuitarFam

3 жыл бұрын

I LOVE the CE22s. I wish they were still making them. I actually really like the Dragon II pickups that come on the CE22 as well.

@DiscoScottie

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheGuitarFam - I have Dragons in my '97 Custom 22 and they're awesome.

Thanks for the video. Sound like the Mann is less toppy, but the same could be done by just rolling back the tone or an eq pedal. Better to have the clarity there than remove it altogether.

@TheGuitarFam

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, that's what I would normally think too, but it really retained a lot of the pingy sound even with the tone down.

I was thinking about getting the tremonti. Humbucker pickups for both bass and treb. Any thoughts on this choice? Also thanks for the info I’m gonna go get one of those bridges from mann

@TheGuitarFam

5 ай бұрын

Hi. I haven't had any experience with the Tremonti pickups, so I'm not the right person to comment on them.

First off, great playing! I’ll have to practice your pentatonic pattern later;-) Secondly, “big” difference with the Mannmade bridge. Well, big to me, a tone chasing knucklehead. Thanks for the comparison.

@TheGuitarFam

2 жыл бұрын

It never ends David. ;)

@dbwproductions

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheGuitarFam I just got a S2 semi hollow custom this weekend and after a day of playing it stock put in the Mann Made Tremelo. It actually was quite a dramatic upgrade. Acoustically the guitar came alive with better tone and sustain. This is my first PRS but won’t be my last;-)

Not steel saddles on the korean one...i took them down as well. It's diecast as they are very light. I changed to titanium...best

Heavy doesn't just mean quality, with wood if it's a lighter guitar thank goodness I saw some people realising this but lighter means way less water in the wood, and brass is naturally heavy, so it's just brass being heavy, and with my super dark sounding custom 22 I got that's a 1996, I really want a steel lighter block to also... brighten and lighten it Also BUT if you REALLY wanna make that way clearer dark but crisp, I think brass saddles would've been your answer

Hi i'm planning on doing this with my guitar. When you put the screws back into the bridge did they go in nicely? I'm worried about loosing the structural integrity of the holes. Any help would be greatly appreacited!

@TheGuitarFam

2 ай бұрын

They went in great. I didn’t notice any difference.

@TarshishedCactus

2 ай бұрын

@@TheGuitarFam Thank you!

Maybe just me but I like the stock bridge sound better. I thought the idea on the CE being bolt on was the brighter cleaner sound. If you want it less bright there’s always the tone knob, amp eq, even eq pedals. I always use 2! Plus my EP booster etc. tone? There are lots of places to get it from 🎶

@TheGuitarFam

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, it depends what you are going for. I wanted to mellow out the high end a bit. Rolling off the tone knob didn't get the rid of the inherent high end found on steel saddles, but this worked. I always have an EP on my board when playing through a tube amp.

@jubjub905

Жыл бұрын

Sometimes those dont quite get you there.

Page not found

I hate the 85/15 neck in my CE24, very wooly and dull. How do you like the Thornbuckers?

@TheGuitarFam

Жыл бұрын

I thought they were a big improvement. More neutral and versatile.

I want to see the sheetrock test

I definitely was able to hear the difference, but to be honest, I preferred the brightness of the original bridge. I tend to prefer brighter humbucker tones.

I actually preferred the SE bridge in every clip. Maybe with OD/Distortion I might feel different.

@TheGuitarFam

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I could see someone who is after a brighter tone liking the original more.

@luciverofficial4061

6 ай бұрын

same here, I like the top end of the steel block, the stock tuners are also fine. Sure you can replace the pickups, the bridge and the tuners, but in that case an se bolt on is a better buy in my opinion. Or you can buy a second hand cu24. If you play with digital moddeling like fractal, kemper, quad cortex,..you can eliminate or enhance all the frequencies to your liking without doing any mods to the guitar. Just my 2cents...

Subtle but noticeable. I have one of these and it's the nicest playing guitar in my collection. I wish they made a custom 24 with a stop tail. I think I'd trade in a few guitars for that.

I just made the same change as you, and I noticed a very noticeable change for me, and I didn't like it, who else made the change comes to KZread to look for videos, and I found your video, and the truth from my point of view when putting the brass bridge (bronze), resonance of low frequencies was lost, and it sounds a little brighter, of course my comment is the opposite of what you comment in your video, but it is my observation, the truth is that it is very rare already that the high series of PRS come with a brass block, I am very confused, but my ear tells me to go back to the original tremolo that is made of pure steel, everything is steel, I already put a magnet and it was verified, so my summary is, original bridge with steel the sound sounds more resonant and with more body, and with brass it loses resonance and loses deep frequencies, perhaps it is that the construction of SE is thinner woods compared to a higher series that are thicker, Paul Red Smith must have done some calculation of weights and chose the tremolo according to the construction... well I hope my comment is of some use, I'm going to return my original tremolo, greetings!

Wow? Even via just the Mac speakers you can hear the difference. Nice mod.

I thought it made a huge difference. The Mann Made bridge brought that guitar up another level.

@TheGuitarFam

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, some people didn't like it in the comments because it took some of the brightness away, but that's what I was going for.

@Steinstra-vj7wl

Жыл бұрын

I'm sure anyone blindfolded couldn't hear the difference.

Q; mine has a plastic nut on it have you changed yours or?

@TheGuitarFam

2 жыл бұрын

Mine has the proprietary brass powder PRS nut. I like that one so I left it.

@trentseaman3666

2 жыл бұрын

Ok so I ordered one and haven't been able to finish the install yet(I have to re shape the routing on one side to accommodate) I was just wondering how you are liking yours now after a year--ish ? I really could hear a difference in n your install video..

What’s the the pickups long leg or short ?

@TheGuitarFam

Жыл бұрын

I believe they were short.

I have a CE24 Swamp Ash Special. I took out the 85/15 pickups, and the bridge. I put in the Supervee. Hated it. Tried Callaham. Hated it. There was no tuning stability. I put in Seymour Duncan Seth Lover and a 59 in the neck. The Supervee Bladerunner was very nice, but I couldn’t use the trem without the guitar going out of tune too much. The Callaham sounded better, but caused terrible overtones and there is no tuning stability. I had the Callaham installed by a luthier, and it still was unusable. Perhaps I got a bad one. Now I’m $550 in on new trem bridges, but no better off.

aint nuthin' wrong with a JB! btw, just played a new SE CE24 it was bright but in a good way.

Mann Made all day. Fullness, sustain, note definition. Seems like it inspires your playing..,

Massive improvement unless you want that drier and cutting top end for some 80s stuff:-)

@TheGuitarFam

10 ай бұрын

Yeah, that's what I heard too. Thanks for watching.

@andreil1234

6 ай бұрын

@@TheGuitarFam Thanks for sharing! :)

The upgrade sounds duller. It doesn't seem to add anything, just take away. I wouldn't want that.

@TheGuitarFam

2 жыл бұрын

I see what you mean, but that's what I was going for. I wanted a fatter sound and the original bridge had a very pingy presence that I didn't like.

One word - WOW.

@TheGuitarFam

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, ended up being a bigger difference than I anticipated.

The mann made was definitely less bright sounding and it didn't surprise me being made of brass. And the 85/15's are way too bright to put in a bolt-on guitar with a maple neck in my opinion. Bit of a toxic combination with the SE bridge.

@TheGuitarFam

6 ай бұрын

Yeah, that's kind of what I found.

@KahnuevsKrake

6 ай бұрын

@@TheGuitarFam True Story, I nearly didn't buy a Marshall JCM 800 because the guitar I used in the shop had those damn 85/15's, it was honestly the most shrill thing I'd ever heard. So I brought my own guitar and it sounded AMAZING!! Makes me wonder why they don't make a Floyd Rose bridge made mostly of brass.

Why do you say Korean SE bridge? I thought the CE series is Maryland made with all US parts..

@shawnmcginnis2508

3 ай бұрын

The CE is a little different from the Core line and thus the difference in price. The neck is made from a thinner peice of wood and has a scarf joint vs the core being a solid piece of wood. The custom 24 and CE share pickups and pots. The CE switch is the same high quality 3way toggle that is on the core line guitars. The tuners are the ones used in the past on the Core guitars. The bridge and saddles are the import bridge with a thick steel block vs the brass block and saddles that the core guitars have. Also the wood is a thinner piece of less flamed ( or as consistently flamed) maple. Those are the main difference other than the obvious bolt on vs set neck. The CE gets the pickups, and higher build quality associated with the US factory, but saves money in the neck contruction, bridge,inlays, and wood department.

@jimantonino4394

3 ай бұрын

@@shawnmcginnis2508 yes, I’ve since learned a lot about this, and I put in a Mann made bridge about 6 months ago. The milled brass bridge vs the molded bridge is the biggest departure from the core line after the scarfed neck, and disappointed in PRS for the bridge appointment.

Those pickups have no soul. I bought a CE24 cheaply off Gumtree and put in a high-end bridge and new pickups. You can make a great all-rounder guitar for $500USD. I have a Core PRS as well, but the CE24 is the guitar I reach for most times because it’s light and feels good.

@shawnmcginnis2508

3 ай бұрын

I love my 85/15 tci pickups vs say a pair of burst buckers or JBs. Especially clean. Their is a clarity and depth and almost purity to the notes that a lot of other pickups don't have. To each their own I suppose...

@MaxPower-js1sk

2 ай бұрын

@@shawnmcginnis2508thank you. I need to find a bridge with better tuning stability.

Another trick change tone cap or better get good eq pedal get pickup right then guitar to eq to rest of set up get source audio need play around it little is best on eq source audio amzing

@TheGuitarFam

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for posting the tip jonset70. I put a v-treb variable bleed circuit on this PRS too. It helped a lot.

Guitareo guy?

@TheGuitarFam

3 жыл бұрын

Yup, doing our own thing @ GuitarFam.com now.

Well that was an eye opener, there is a difference! I kept hearing this was a complete waste of money but after hearing this, that's been busted!

@TheGuitarFam

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, it really just depends on what sound you want.

It would help if it wasn't so bathed in delay so we could hear the guitar.

Original bridge was better

No noticeable difference.

No discernible difference.......none

@TheGuitarFam

2 жыл бұрын

I sure heard the difference.

@aoffer100

Жыл бұрын

Your ears have a problem lol.

I’m always looking for those pups you sold. They keep going up😩😩

@TheGuitarFam

Жыл бұрын

The PRS Owners Worldwide group on FB is a good place to find them. Reverb too.