I've gone back and forth from 3 or 4 springs. I probably have strats with both ...

I've never tried 2 or 5.

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

I used five springs when i had my 10-52 set but sounded horible i just put regular 10-46's on now and have 3 springs in triangle

My Strats are a later Highway 1, and a Classic 60s. I like my trem to float, so I find that 3 springs is perfect. I use either a hybrid 9 - 46 string set, or the more standard 10 - 46.

With a 9 - 42 set, my Charvel mk3 needs just 2 springs. Ideal for an extra light trem touch so I can experiment with all those old 80s dive bombs, bounces, flicks and tricks..

My hardtail (ie'non floating bridge') Strat, is a much modified Squier Standard. By screwing the claw right in, i have the bridge locked down with just 3 springs. It absolutely does not move even under fierce whole chord string bending. Most informed opinion suggests a full 5 spring set to achieve this, but 3 is just fine for me.

My other various strat clone trem guitars (Yamaha Pacifica, Ibanez SA etc) also float nicely on 3 springs..

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Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!

3 springs!!

5, I use .11s and little vibrato.

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I recently changed from 4 to 3. Except in my old '88 with Kahler Spyder Trem, it's still 4.

I guess my Trem Touch has lightened up over the years, I used to be pretty rough with it. Still have a pretty heavy hand on Locking FR Style trems, they need 4.

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"Persistence Is The Father Of Invention"
-Crazy Old Man In Training