I also prefer a 6 digit serial #, a 5 digit serial # just doesn't resonate as well.

That's why I love hardtails, no worries at all about trem covers. Plus it looks fantastic.

Despite my sizeable wooly girth, I leave the backplate on. I find it adds mass to the body improving its woody tone and takes some of the high end zing out of the equation. Its also a great place to store extra plectrums if you dont like jamming them under the sctratchplate.

_________________
No no and no

I can't add to that Very fitting statemant

_________________
The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

Once, I took the back plate off and lost the entire guitar.

At least you still had the backplate

_________________
The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

taking the back plate off your guitar is a big no no it affects the balance, so when your swinging it around your body on the strap it comes back round to your front, upside down.

_________________
Fender Blacktop Stratocaster HH Sonic Blue

Fender american special telecaster Olympic White

Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Surf Green

Vox VT40+

Leave 'em off.

They hide the beauty of the springs.

_________________
Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

This is why you leave your tremolo cover off ..For what ever reason you need to make a tremolo adjustment ..You get it done go to check it out and its fine so you keep playing ..Then when done you put your guitar down forgetting about putting the cover back on when you finally remember to put it back on you realize you have lost the screws..So you make a note to get more screws and you never do ..Then you lose the cover and the guitar is sold without the cover..Someone sees it and thinks its cool so he copies..Rinse and repeat...

Unless tremolo arm is a lady...? Then it would be a rather nice mental image...

My issues with the '58 Strat I owned was relative to string changing which, I believe is the reason why later models eliminated the individual holes in the plate in favor of a full cut out.

The influence of a piece of plastic seems negligble. What would be more relevant is the amount of body wood routed for the trem system vs the hardtail. Despite the blocked trem, Clapton maintained that the trem system lent something to the tone of a Stratocaster.

_________________
"Another day in paradise!"

It's amazing how some of the silliest threads tend to take off around here sometimes. Weird...very weird.


Regardless, -if- there is a difference at all, it's something that is only going to be measured with extremely sensitive electronic equipment....not the human ear. Personally I leave the covers off on the Strats I play the most for one simple reason...makes doing string changes and adjustments just a little bit easier. Saves one step in the process with those instruments that I play frequently...nothing more.

It's like so many of the other highly subjective issues with guitars...you think you hear a difference so that's what you believe.



BTW...



BB King might have a thing or two to say about that . What about Randy Bachman? Elvis was getting "pretty thick" there towards the end. I think Jerry Garcia was getting pretty big there towards the end too....

Personally I always thought a bigger torso rather added to the sound...a larger "sound board" if you will. Much more resonance! LOL!!!


"Well cleaned abs"??? What do you use...Nare? Wax (ouch!)? Weed whacker? Yikes I say, YIKES!



Like I said...a very silly thread.

Peace,
Jim

Now theres something in that. The difference in sound between my hotrod and custom classic is astounding. The hotrod has a vintage trem, the custom classic has a two point trem. Both guitars have the same pickups except the bridge pickup. I can only attribute the difference to the trem.

_________________
No no and no