What's the bottom line on removing the backplate on body. I've noticed that a lot of artists remove them. Better tone or sustain?

This is a subject that's been done to death. It's one of those persistent myths that taking it off makes your guitar sound better.
Utter crap.
The only possible benefit is that some find it easier to change strings with it off. Some have trouble with thier shirts getting caught in the springs. Take it off if you want, but know that IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE IN THE TONE OR SUSTAIN OF YOURGUITAR.

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'08 Fender Am. Std. Jazz bass, maple fretboard, charcoal frost metallic finish
'10 Squier VM Jazz bass, maple fretboard, natural finish
Ampeg BA115
'09 MIM standard Strat, maple fretboard, sunburst finish
Fender Super Champ XD

What Bathead said. There are no tonal advantages. It just aids in speedier adjustments/string changes. And yes, I keep my backplates off.

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The mind is like a parachute; it doesn't work unless its open-FZ

I take mine off and leave them off. No reason, I just do.

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Chet Feathers

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I didn't Lose my mind, I traded it for this guitar.

Easy access for the guitar tech. Since its not noticed when playing, doesn't affect the guitar's tone, its just so the tech can adjust or replace the springs often. I've heard it help acoustical properties, but with all the gain and other effects used nowadays, I really doubt there is a difference unless unplugged.

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"Epitaph on a blues musician’s tombstone: “I didn’t wake up this morning”" Davy Knowles


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Bottom line is that there is no bottom line. Some people leave them on and some people leave them off. I leave mine on so my belt buckle doesn't drag across the springs and make them go "krraaang!".

Welcome, by the way. A search will show this topic gets discussed often. Here are some samples. Have fun.
http://www.fender.com/community/forums/ ... =backplate
http://www.fender.com/community/forums/ ... =backplate
http://www.fender.com/community/forums/ ... =backplate
http://www.fender.com/community/forums/ ... =backplate
http://www.fender.com/community/forums/ ... =backplate

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Obligatory gear list: Fender, Rickenbacker, Gibson, Gretsch, Vox, Martin, and more Fender.

Thank you for the feedback just as I thought. I'm a firm believer that tone and sound will also start with the player.

I agree with you. You see the plate removed a lot on vintage-spec Fenders. Those plates had/have 6 small holes that only really line up when the trem is floating at factory spec. If you deck the trem (so it only lowers pitch) then the holes no longer line up properly and it can make it more difficult to change strings.

I think that is because a lot of real viitage guitars lost theres because they broke being made from cheap single layer ABS

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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

I took it off my 63 strat and left it on my HWY 1.... made no diff in tone... just makes it easier to access the back.... it did up the volume more acoustically... but very slight...

Hi bluestraveller29, and welcome to the forum. I took the backplate off my Strat when I changed out the pickguard. The old parchment backplate just didn't look right with the new pearloid pickguard. But I haven't noticed any difference in tone. It's just a matter of preference.

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I really like all them "Aster" guitars. You know, like the Stratoc, Telec and Jazzm.

Hi Blues Traveller,welcome to the forum.As others have said the plate makes no difference at all to the guitar's tone.Having the plate off can in some cases make string changes quicker,depending on which way the vibrato arm is set up and the model.BTW Jimi Hendrix purposely left off his back plates to get some of his wild and wonderful sounds by manipulating the springs while playing,Machine Gun and Third Stone From The Sun are examples.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

It just looks cooler.

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-Kc
"Payin' dues."

Ok, I can't resist... I took mine off and I do not need to use an amp anymore and I can play better and faster.....

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Xhefri's Guitars
www.xhefriguitars.com

As this is entirely hidden when playing, to whom does this look cool?

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'08 Fender Am. Std. Jazz bass, maple fretboard, charcoal frost metallic finish
'10 Squier VM Jazz bass, maple fretboard, natural finish
Ampeg BA115
'09 MIM standard Strat, maple fretboard, sunburst finish
Fender Super Champ XD