I hope you have springs in the trem cavity. There should be at least three tension springs that hold the tremelo back. It is the cavity in the back of the guitar, should have 6 screws holding it in place. On newer guitars there is usually a Fender sticker telling what strings were used on that guitar.

I think you are thinkng the little spring that is in the hole that your tremelo bar fits in. Losing that spring is not as great of deal as the tremelo tension springs.


RK

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RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head

^^^^ both mz8's and neither had the sticker or trem spring

Any new Strat will have the plastic on the pickguard. There should also be a sticker on the pickguard and on the back of the trem cover. Are you sure it was NEW? Did you see any dirt on the fretboard (easier to see on a maple fretboard)?
As far as the little spring in the trem block where the arm goes, the MIMs that I had never had them. I think they just came with the MIAs.

had the sticker on the trem cover, none of the strats i looked at had the sticker, (several different stores)

Yes, I was referring to the small hole where the trem bar goes. The back is fine.

Cool. A lot of people do not even use that little spring.

RK

_________________
RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head

No big deal about those tension springs for the trem bars. That is something new Fender decided to include. Older Fenders never had those springs and works just fine without them.

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