Originally Posted by: moucon ... the first thing you'd notice is when you pull a bend the whammy works against you, meaning you have to work harder to get the same bend.

I avoid this potential problem by making the bridge sit flush with the body no matter how much I bend a string.

This can be accomplished by screwing the spring claw plate in far enough, adding stronger springs, or more springs. Or any combination of those three things that achieves the goal is how I set up all my Strats.

I also prefer the slightly different tone that results from having the bridge plate in contact with the body; as opposed to when it is "floating".