PRS Trem v. Wilkie Trem

[BubbaVO]

I've read more than a few posts claiming how much better the PRS trem is. Does anyone know what design features contribute to the superior performance?

[unfun75]

Umm, easy, the fact that it says "PRS" on it. I keed, I keed. Actually, the original PRS trems were made by MannMade/Mil-Com. Here's a description from the MannMade site:

"Six hole mount. String spacing 2-1/16" (105 mm) E-E. One piece cast bridge for authentic PRS® sound, with increased tone and sustain! Polished side walls give a smooth, confortable, yet vintage look and feel. Walls also prevent any side movement of saddles, improving tuning and playability. Push-In Arm stays where you put it everytime. Bridge and Mounting Screws have hidden knife edge so that guitar returns to "Zero Position" and plays in tune. Has that smooth, silky feel that has made this bridge legendary. Individual saddles with individual height and intonation."

[Bjørn M]

From the PRS site:

1. In the front of a PRS bridge, the six leading edge screw holes are counter-sunk from underneath, providing six brass knife-edge fulcrums. These rest against the six notched brass body mounting screws. This knife-edge set-up ensures that the bridge will return to pitch after use.

2. The pocket in the tremolo bridge keeps the six individually adjustable saddles from moving sideways, thereby eliminating another traditional cause of tuning instability.

3. The tremolo block is drilled out so the ball ends rest right up under the bridge base plate. This leaves less string behind the bridge saddle so there is less chance of detuning, via proper string stretching.

4. There are no rough edges.

5. All adjustment screws are inset and made of brass.

6. The unthreaded tremolo arm fits into a hard plastic sleeve staying where you put it, via a small set screw on the side of the bridge that faces the tail end of the guitar (where the intonation adjustment screws are located) therefore it will not wobble or break off in the block.

Is it better than a Wilkinson? Maybe. It's more a preference, I guess.

[Gino]

The trem is what I really miss about my 87' PRS Standard (other than that I sold a guitar in 2000 that is now already considered 'vintage' and drawa already big money). It really stayed in tune very well and had a very easy action.

I can't really talk about sound here as I didn't like the PRS pups too much and they had a big role in the decision to sell the guitar. But the trem was nice, indeed.

[BadgerDave]

MannMade website

The MannMade trems are now available as replacements.

[MCChris]

MannMade website

The MannMade trems are now available as replacements.

Man, I might need to get a couple of those for my Strats. PRS trems rule.

[atquinn]

MannMade website

The MannMade trems are now available as replacements.

Man, I might need to get a couple of those for my Strats. PRS trems rule.

Mann's been selling those for a while (and in fact, the Fishman Piezo bridge on my Mirage II was made my MannMade). However, from what I understand, ordering from him can be a bit of a buyer beware situation.

-Austin

[Thundernotes]

MannMade website

The MannMade trems are now available as replacements.

Man, I might need to get a couple of those for my Strats. PRS trems rule.

Mann's been selling those for a while (and in fact, the Fishman Piezo bridge on my Mirage II was made my MannMade). However, from what I understand, ordering from him can be a bit of a buyer beware situation.

-Austin

As I understand it, there was an issue during the time when he had sold the company to his employees and they didn't manage things too well. The business got ripped pretty good on some guitar forums. John Mann has since re-acquired the business, but as they say, the damage is done. He's a good guy - I run into him occasionally at the local blues jams. I'll be happy to ask him about the current availability situation if anyone here needs something.

[edgar_allan_poe]

The PRS trem system rules. Best trem I ever used. The Huber trem is *very* similar.

[serial]

The PRS trem system rules. Best trem I ever used. The Huber trem is *very* similar.

Hmmm, maybe THAT's what I need on my Baker InfernoPaul!

[sw686blue]

As I understand it, there was an issue during the time when he had sold the company to his employees and they didn't manage things too well. The business got ripped pretty good on some guitar forums. John Mann has since re-acquired the business, but as they say, the damage is done. He's a good guy - I run into him occasionally at the local blues jams. I'll be happy to ask him about the current availability situation if anyone here needs something.

There's a thread over on The Gear Page and quite a few people have chimed in. It seems that his customer service has not improved. I, too, have e-mailed him and I never got a reply. Too bad, so sad.

[Thundernotes]

As I understand it, there was an issue during the time when he had sold the company to his employees and they didn't manage things too well. The business got ripped pretty good on some guitar forums. John Mann has since re-acquired the business, but as they say, the damage is done. He's a good guy - I run into him occasionally at the local blues jams. I'll be happy to ask him about the current availability situation if anyone here needs something.

There's a thread over on The Gear Page and quite a few people have chimed in. It seems that his customer service has not improved. I, too, have e-mailed him and I never got a reply. Too bad, so sad.

Next time I see him, I'll ask what's going on with respect to the company and the customer service / delivery situation. By most accounts, it sounds like he's got a great product, but it's got to get into people's hands.

[burningyen]

Yeah, I remember the trem on my old PRS CU24 as being pretty much perfect. I've read mixed things about the Wilkies.

[Thundernotes]

FYI: http://www.hamerfanclub.com/forums/index.p...=31510&st=0

[MCChris]

FYI: http://www.hamerfanclub.com/forums/index.p...=31510&st=0

Thanks T-bags!

[silentman]

Not that you asked, but I find the trem on the Ernie Ball John Petrucci guitars to be equally as excellent as the PRS. It's not available on any of their other guitars, though.

[edgar_allan_poe]

Not that you asked, but I find the trem on the Ernie Ball John Petrucci guitars to be equally as excellent as the PRS. It's not available on any of their other guitars, though.

I would absolutely agree with that. Unfortunately, you cannot get them on any other guitar or buy them as a separate item IIRC.

[Guest pirateflynn]

Thanks T-bags!

haha .... T-bags!

[holLoWskull]

My take (Mannmade vs. Wilkinson VSV/VSVG...I haven't tried the newer/less expensive Wilkinson stuff):

If you set the Wilinson VSV up w/ a slight pitch (back raised up from the guitar body) and you keep the bar adjustment screw relatively 'tight' so the bar is in there firmly...they are fairly smooth (for vintage style tremolos). I think they're good tremolos, the basic design is what irks me about them.

The VSV has a stupid thumbscrew device that is needed to hold the saddles in place while setting string intonation and the saddle set screws go into the baseplate (a stipped thread just waiting to happen should you overtighted one w/ the tiny allen wrench needed to screw them down). Mannmade (PRS) trems are stout, saddles can be adjusted w/ a regular phillips head screwdriver, and to me they sound a little 'richer/less metallic' (if that makes any sense) than the VSV.

Is one better than the other, obviously it's a matter of opinion. Is the PRS trem easier to maintain/set up...I'd say most definitely. Also, I personally think the Mannmade units have a better effect on my guitar's sound then the Wilkinson VSV tremolos I have/had on the same guitars.

[silentman]

But you're forgetting intonation is for pussies.

[holLoWskull]

But you're forgetting intonation is for pussies.

Good point...I almost forgot one of the sacred HFC mottos

[Mike Lee]

The original PRS bridges were made of cast bronze, and few years into production they switched to brass. Along the way they parted ways with Mil-Com and John Mann and started making them somewhere else.

I have a Mann Made bridge I used on a Mirage, and it's about the same as a PRS bridge.

As the lone dissenter in this thread, the problem with both PRS and Mann bridges is that they are made of brass and the knife edges can thus wear out rather easily. They have to be set up perfectly - every screw in perfect alignment with each other with respect to location and height. My Mirage didn't have the holes perfectly aligned from the factory - the VSV didn't need it because of the hardened steel base plate - so after I installed the Mann bridge the knife edges getting the most pressure wore out and started preventing the pitch from returning to zero. I had made sure the screw heights were aligned, though.

Anyway, if it works for you, great. It didn't work for me, and the PRS trem on my old EG didn't work very well either.

The saddles on the factory Wilkinson VSV kept making kazoo sounds, so that's not a better solution either.

[BubbaVO]

Does anyone know if John is still around? I sent him an e-mail a while back and haven't heard anything.

[cmatthes]

John is a member here. Although I haven't had any correpondence with him in several months, he has responded to me very quickly in the past. I suspect that he is probably very busy and not always on the internet like the rest of us here.

I'd try him again. I understand that patience goes a long way there!