Do you float your Strat tremolo?

[lmacmil]

Thanks for all the replies. Clearly it's just a matter of personal preference and playing style. I'm going to leave mine decked for now and if I find myself with nothing to do one day, I'll try the floating setup, knowing it's easily reversible if I don't like it.

[ras1500]

I have my trem floated about 1/8 inch off the deck; 5 springs installed. Once I installed locking tuners it stays in tune very cwell.

[rrgguitarman]

Originally Posted by ras1500

I have my trem floated about 1/8 inch off the deck; 5 springs installed. Once I installed locking tuners it stays in tune very cwell.

How do you do that with 5 strings installed? I would like to set mine that way. Thanks.

[ras1500]

"How do you do that with 5 strings installed?"

I have six strings installed as is convention. The trem has five springs. See the photo from Chickee above.

[BoneDigger]

I likewise have five springs installed. This increases sustain and I never use the tremolo.

[rrgguitarman]

Originally Posted by rrgguitarman

How do you do that with 5 strings installed? I would like to set mine that way. Thanks.

Boy oh boy...I meant to say five springs not five strings...

[jp2558]

I have an 86 E series Strat with a Kahler tremolo and a locking nut. I recall one year in in the 90's where I seriously whammied the crap out of that thing and it stayed in tune perfectly for over twelve months (with no string changes). I put a set of Custom Shop 69's in it and the neck is my favorite of all five of my electrics. I actually prefer it to my 96 Clapton Strat simply because I cannot bond with the V neck on the Clapton.

[RP]

My sense is that most Strat owners don't really use their whammy bar much, if at all. I wish Fender produce more than a single hardtail, the Robert Cray Strat. Don't give me the argument that those with bars sell better - you're unlikely to find an RC Strat hanging on the wall so many probably assume that one can only purchase Stratocasters with whammy bars...

[A Scot in Otley]

Why bother with a strat if you don't use the trem? Honestly. If you don't want a trem, buy a tremless. I've had a strat, and blocked the trem (coins taped into a block), but later unblocked it. I wanted the wobble. Otherwise, buy a tele or an SG which is the greatest guitar .... (Clarksonian pause) IN the world ... if you don't want a whammy bar.

[rmp]

Originally Posted by RP

My sense is that most Strat owners don't really use their whammy bar much, if at all. I wish Fender produce more than a single hardtail, the Robert Cray Strat. Don't give me the argument that those with bars sell better - you're unlikely to find an RC Strat hanging on the wall so many probably assume that one can only purchase Stratocasters with whammy bars...

I use em alot, not much into the dive bombing these days, but yea, I do use my trems and when I'm playing a guitar without one, (bigsbys included) I find myself reaching for it to give some chord sustain a little "lovin"

[pieterh]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

Both my G&L S-500 and Sterling LK100D, Strat variants, have their bridges floated. Being able to reach down and wobble a chord or do whammy trem or various effects is what I have them for. I also have hard-tail guitars.

Bob

Same here, all our electric guitars with whammies are floaters (Strat, Ibanez and PRS), I have the others (G&L ASAT, 335 and Telecaster) that have hard tail bridges but I often find I miss the ability to add vibrato to certain chords…!

I generally don’t have a huge problem with the Strat if a string goes mid song. Haven’t had it happen yet with the PRS but that bridge is very stable even while floating, I love it.

The sensitive one is the Ibanez with the Edge 3 (Floyd-Rose like) floating bridge. It’s a pain to tune to pitch and it a string goes mid-song the only thing to do is change guitars…!