Some quick background of (what I think is) relevant info:

I have a 2002 SRV strat and a 2007 Hot Rod 57 that are both strung with 10-46 gauge strings. The trem on the 57 floats a bit more than the SRV, but both trems have 3 springs. The action on the SRV is a bit higher than the 57.

My issue:

The string tension on the 57 is much higher than the SRV, making string bending on the 57 more difficult. Whereas it is a breeze on the SRV. What should I be looking at on the 57 that might be causing this difference?

Obviously the SRV has a 12" radius and the 57 HR has a 9.5" radius and the guitars have different frets, but I am not thinking those aspects should be contributing to the distince difference in string tension.

Any ideas or help would be greatly appreciated!

Check the spring claw. Bending could be easier on your SRV because that is loose, and when you bend it tilts the trem with it.

Thanks for your response. I should have mentioned in my original post that the spring claws in each guitar are screwed in about the same distance. Perhaps its the strength of the springs themselves?

Could be. Are the springs a different color in each guitar?

It's not a tension issue, unless you are tuning one guitar different to the other.

The way you acheive a pitch is by setting a string to a tension (LBS per foot). Diaddario used to have a list of the tensions required on the back of their strings so you could see exactly what was going on.
That does not change from one guitar to the next. A string of XXX thickness needs XXX lbs per foot to bring it to xxx pitch, regrdless of which guitar its on.

You may be mistaking the way the higher tension springs on the trem of the 57 don't move as much when you bend. So you have to push a lesser distance to acheive the same pitch bend. If you go the same distance you'll be sharp.

If the nut is cut particularly high you will feel a stiffness to the first 2 frets. You'll notice really bad intonation on those first 2 frets also.

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No no and no

No, the springs in both are a chrome color.

Niki:

Thanks for your response, I appreciate your insight. Both guitars are tuned to the same pitch. If I am understanding what you're saying, the 57 has higher tension springs than the SRV. I didn't know that.

If I remember correctly, you have a 57 HR as well. Do you notice a difference with respect to the amount of bending effort required between that and your other guitars?

If both sets of springs are chrome, then they are the same tension as each other. As said previous it shouldn't make any difference. You'd still have to exert the same amount of force if the guitar had less tension springs. The string would have to travel more to counteract the loose spring acting on the notes pitch.

Ok so we can take it both guitars are set up the same. Same action, same trem float.
All I can surmise is that you prefer one neck shape to another. That your wrist sits in a slightly different position on one guitar, that better fascilitates bending.

I do indeed own a 57HR and in truth I did notice it to be stiff down at the nut end of the neck. That has either settled in, or I've become accustom to it. One thing I do notice about that neck is that it practically begs for 'thumb over the top' handling. I don't play mine any other way (yeah sloppy I know). However I do bend from the wrist and not on finger strength alone.

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No no and no

Thanks again for your thoughts. The strange thing is, I play both guitars in the thumb over the top method, so the neck on 57 should be right up my alley. Stiff is a good term for it -- the 57 HR is just stiffer, especially at the nut as you have observed. Thanks!