I've noticed VS my hardtails that the ones with tremolo systems seem to have more of a hollow resonance. Almost like the sound is bouncing around a little bit inside the body cavities. Where my hardtail Strat has more of that beefier, in your face, LP type tone. More sustain as well.

However I really like that hollow resonance. To me that's like the 'Strat' sound.

Funny how I've played lots of Strat KO's and all of them sound muffled somehow, but even an Affinity Squier will get that hollow, percussive Strat sound full of clarity, you even hear the strings slapping into the frets almost like a slap bass.

For me I used to put my ear against the guitars body and hear how it "really" sounds, I love that sharp, clean tone. But no guitar plugged in ever sounds like that, but a Strat? A strat comes really, really close to that sound.

Nothing sounds like a Strat,....with or without the backplate cover, lol.

yeah i use to have the backplate on always on my strat but it was a pain in the butt to always put it back on and take it off and yada yada. soo one day i just forgot to put the back plate back on and then a week later i lost it and i was worried and i thought something would happen to my guitar if it didnt have a backplate until i saw a vid of hendrix playing and he had no backplate so i was like ok i guess ill just leave it off.

_________________
Guitars:
-2008 fender american standard telecaster
-homemade stratocaster (TA guitar)
Amp:
-Fender Deville
effects:
-Boss Md-2
-Vox V847

maxoom, it would likely take incredibly sensitive deeply scientific-acoustic measuring instruments to quantify the difference in a Strat with and without a cover.

If you can hear the difference, good on you. Frankly, these ears can't hear it and apparently neither could Buddy Holly or Mark Knopfler or Buddy Guy or....

Yes it is true, you mere earth mortals cannot hear this difference.