I recently bought a Strat with a 2-point bridge from a well known auction website

The guitar is great, but the previous owner had it set up so that the bridge is tilted backwards, touching the body with its back edge. Just for clarification - the bridge plate is not flush with the body, but at an angle (descending from strings side to back side). That way you can only dive down, but not go up in pitch when using the whammy.

Although unusual, I have in the past seen other Strats set up like that. I enquired about this set up with the seller and he explained that he sets up all his Strats like that and that sort of tilting improves tuning stability. I can't say I agree with that because a gentle shake of the whammy bar knocked the guitar out of tune (a few strings went sharp upon returning the bridge to its original position.).

Does anyone know why people set up floating 2-point bridges like that? What are the advantages? What are the disadvantages?

My 08 MIA came like, that but I don't know who set it up, fender or the store owner.

I never use the trem system so I took my bridge down flush with the body, the problem then became that the saddle screws were too short to lift the strings off the fretboard enough to prevent buzzing. I'm still playing with this guitar trying to set it up correctly.

On the learning curve.

OL

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I remember when we were free!

There are several justifications. The immediate ones I can think of are that it is a 'quick fix' for those who either cannot or will not take the time to set it properly; for some kind of "avante-garde" visual; that this personalized "avante-garde" setting is 'revolutionary' in terms of how to set this bridge; that the plate radiating off the body enhances volume and sustain; depending on the individual's stylings, it helps said individual's tuning stability. I'll leave it to the reader to evaluate the credibility of any and all.

Regardless, the fact remains that these bridges were not designed to be set up like that. Consider that aside from the back of the plate digging into the guitar body, the elevated string angle over the saddles will cause excessive string friction and abnormal wear on all the mating parts. I'd quickly get that plate adjusted parallel again if I were you.

As always, this is merely IMO where YMMV.

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You dig?

the term "wanker" comes to mind.

He doesn't know what he is doing. If you want it to float just loosen the claw. If you want it not to float, then lower the anchors so it sits flat (Requires raising the saddles). It should however not make the tuning less stable in that configuration so check/lube your nut to make sure its not binding.