Strat players. Floating or decked?

[Sascha Franck]

I'm just wondering if anyone had noticed much difference in tone between floating and decked.

Just sort of. I have been fooling around with an easy to insert little wooden wedge (between block and wood in the cavity), and while I didn't notice much improvement on sustain/decay, it was noticeable when hitting hard, as the vibrato always does a little "purring". But on the two guitars I fooled around with, it wasn't getting much in the way (if at all) - and I really just love floating trems, so blocking them is no option.
I also had a Rockinger Black Box (pretty much the blueprint for any "Tremol-Nos" and whatever there is) installed ages ago and just hated it even more than a blocked trem.
So, for me it's either floating or no trem at all.

Fwiw, I still wish someone would come up with a solution such as on the Steinberger TransTrem guitars. Blocked when not needed, floating when in use. It doesn't get any better, really.

 

[metropolis_4]

There is some difference in tone and feel. To me it seems like the springs have a bigger impact when it’s floating. Decked is a little more… solid sounding.

I like both. To me floating sounds and feels more traditional Strat, but decked is a little more versatile

 

[SillyOctpuss]

If I do deck my trem I'll probably set it up for down bend only rather than blocking it off altogether.

 

[norminal]

Floating with the bridge angled forward with about a 1/8” gap between the bridge and body.

I find that this gives me the best tuning stability and feel.

 

[HomespunEffects]

I prefer floating but it sounds better decked.

 

[FuzzyAce]

Decked. I just prefer it that way since most of my vibrato is with the left hand. Not that I don't like to float, but it's been a while. When I do I set it like Carl Verheyen does.

 

[AlbertA]

Floating, can’t always vibrato with the left hand the same way, specially holding chords

 

[TSJMajesty]

It's like errything.. you give up something to get something.

Floating tremolo is so fuckin' cool, but you can't do unison bends

Sure you can. In tune too.

and the tuning stability is a little bit more of an issue.

I have 5 with fully-floating, non-locking trems, and as long as the strings aren't old and the nut slots are lubed, they stay in tune just fine.

 

[TSJMajesty]

Sure you can. In tune too.

I have 5 with fully-floating, non-locking trems, and as long as the strings aren't old and the nut slots are lubed, they stay in tune just fine.

In fact, every now and again I'll go totally nuts on the bar, as in, all-the-way-down-till-the-strings-are-slapping-against-the-board, nuts, and 4 out of 5 of them come right back, I play an open D, G, E chords, and they're all in tune. The 5th one I just need to figure out what the issue is one of these days.

 

[Chocol8]

If I do deck my trem I'll probably set it up for down bend only rather than blocking it off altogether.

Yes, decking is down bend only, blocking is totally disabling it. Two very different things IMHO. Decking gives you a little bit better tuning stability and a little bit more sustain. Emphasis on little bit. Totally blocking it off I think has a bigger tone impact but still not earth shattering.

 

[DrewJD82]

Floating tremolo is so fuckin' cool, but you can't do unison bends and the tuning stability is a little bit more of an issue.

 

[Sleezy E]

You think you Michael J Fox or sumpin?

 

[PLX]

You think you Michael J Fox or sumpin?

Sorry to hear about the Parkinson's Drew.

Tough break.

 

[DrewJD82]

Sorry to hear about the Parkinson's Drew.

Tough break.

My Strat's still in tune

 

[PLX]

My Strat's still in tune

same

 

[metropolis_4]

There are definitely some bend things you can’t do with a floating trem. Such as country licks emulating pedal steel where you hold the root and 5th while bending a 2nd up to a major 3rd

 

[SillyOctpuss]

 

[SillyOctpuss]

Which trem are you using on your strat @DrewJD82?

 

[SillyOctpuss]

Yes, decking is down bend only, blocking is totally disabling it. Two very different things IMHO. Decking gives you a little bit better tuning stability and a little bit more sustain. Emphasis on little bit. Totally blocking it off I think has a bigger tone impact but still not earth shattering.

Definitely not blocking it off and my tuning stability is rock solid with this guitar even while floating. Doesn't matter how much I abuse the trem the tuning never slips.

I've ordered some extra springs I think I'll set it up down bend only just to see what it's like. Mainly because I've never had a non floating strat.

 

[Eagle]

I could write a book on this.
Tremol no = tone sucking shit and poor performance when compared to the same guitar without it. A whole thread on its own same as the other blockers and stabilising devices.
Carl Verhayen set up = pure troll physics but sometimes a guitar by coincidence can hit those intervals but nothing to do with the pure flat earth garbage Carl says about it. Angled claw?.
Jeff Beck had his guitar set up to achieve three semitones of up on the g.
Resting on the body on a Strat is a good compromise and with a skilled user vibrato is still fine albeit harder to do smoothly . EJ SRV EVH Hendrix all had it this way. I personally like it floating but not works well too when you get used to it. Plus’s and minus’s the best being you can rest on it and it won’t go sharp if you break a sting and the big minus is no up pull.