Hey guys, I've just got a couple of questions about trem spring advantages/disadvantages

Does the amount of springs affect the sound in any noticeable way?

And is there any advantage to angling the outer two as to just having them straight?

I've never had any experience with a tremolo before, and I wanted to get some info before my new strat arrives.

The trem springs are designed to counterbalance the string tension to allow the trem to "float" above the body, and return to the correct position after using the trem. Tightening the claw and/or adding more springs will lower the height that the trem will float. Changing string gauges (going heavier) will increase the string tension and raise the trem, so it's really kind of a balancing act.

That said, I seldom use my trem and like a low action, so I have my trem "decked" (set solid against the body) by using 5 springs and tightening the claw to make sure the trem sits solid against the body. I can still use the trem to lower pitch, but not to raise it.

Although both five springs and three springs can be set to balance the strings, five springs will require more force on the tremolo arm to bend down.
I also think that five springs would return the springs back to pitch more accurately.
I can't see why they would affect the sound though.

Won't affect the sound at all. And if you use the five springs, as digby described earlier (and as I do myself) it will add a little more sustain to the guitar. I also have my trem blocked, with pennies stacked and taped together and stuck between the trem block and the lower edge of the rear access cavity. This gives my Strat considerably more sustain than a wood block, or just adding two extra springs.

_________________
"It's about sound and sound alone. Looks are irrelevant. You can have the best-looking guitar on earth, but if the sound isn't there it is nothing more than a beautiful piece of trash. The sound it makes is the soul of any guitar."

Interesting idea using pennies instead of a wood block. I wonder then if old pennies work better than new ones.

And before anyone laughs, U.S. pennies minted after 1982 were copper plated zinc, while those minted earlier were 100% copper. More copper = more mass.

Lol, the $@!& guitarists #$@*&!% do sometimes.

_________________

It may just be me, but leaving the tremolo balanced properly seems to add a bit more "jangle" to the sound. There's more sustain locked down to the body or blocked, but the tone does seem to change a little to my ear.