It's as easy as I said. At least the adjusting part of it. Staying in tune is another matter. I'd just say try it the way you want. If it doesn't pan out, you can always try another way. I prefer mine set just like that, but as I said I really don't use the trem. I prefer using my fingers. As bluesky said there are always compromises. What I did was set my guitar up the way I wanted, but I also had to adapt my playing to the guitar. Now I'm content. I do all of my own setting up. I know what I want better than anybody else. Good luck

I used 3 springs turned the screws in on the plate to have if flat. But I do not use the trem in my case. Just experiment alittle. You will probably not get the best of both worlds. I am actually going to put the wood block to block the trem. Probably if I used the trem I would have a second guitar for it.
Good Luck

Several people have provided explantions on how to do what you want. Your own words indicate that you are still unsure of the process. OK. So for whatever reason you "can't" take the guitar back to the tech who set it up in the first place. Fine. Excuse me for thinking that if words aren't making an impression on you, that maybe pictures might. Rest assured that I won't be wasting anymore time worrying about you or your guitar. Good luck. Sounds like you need it.

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Bill

The idea was not to take it back, the idea was to take it there *again*.

Cheers

David

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"Humans think they are smarter than dolphins because we build cars and buildings and start wars etc...and all that dolphins do is swim in the water, eat fish and play around. Dolphins believe that they are smarter for exactly the same reasons."

Exactly.

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Bill

I apologize for my response. I appreciate your help. I've just been under server pressure to get this sorted before a big gig.

I didn't mean to offend.

Thank you to everyone for your help

I know it seems like it, but I don't think anyone's giving you a hard time. I'd like to address your questions with some useful answers, but you have a few errors within your questions, which tells me you don't have a basic working knowledge of how to do a setup.

You have a couple viable options:
1. Have a tech set it the way you want it.
But you can't....I get that
2. Learn how to do it yourself.
Until you have a basic understanding of how Leo's synchronized trem works, there's no band-aid approach that anyone can offer to solve your issues. Get a good Strat setup book and learn how to do it. Sorry if you don't like that answer, but I'm the owner of a Strat with a 2 point trem set to float, and you cannot find a guitar with better tuning stability than mine, with or without a trem. You don't like the answers you're getting, but with a couple days of studying, you could be assured of having an instrument that does what you want.

If you gig, you really have to learn these things. Read "Guitar Player Repair Guide" by Dan Erlewine. How was your gig? Everything went OK?

Cheers

David

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"Humans think they are smarter than dolphins because we build cars and buildings and start wars etc...and all that dolphins do is swim in the water, eat fish and play around. Dolphins believe that they are smarter for exactly the same reasons."

This was exactly the reason i came onto here. I've looked at plenty of youtube videos and online forums. But where better to get advice than a Fender support forum. I wanted to know how to do it myself. Especially without the expense of having to go to a guitar tech again and not get the result i wanted.

Anyway i took the advice i got from all you guys. I bit the bullet and just removed 2 of the springs (because 4 was enough) and i put them in /l\ position. I had to make minor adjustments to the intonation. The result.... perfect.

It is so much easier to use the trem arm now. The bends.... well i have to bend a fraction higher, but not so high that is noticeably doesn't stay in tune when i do double bends. which is fine for me. And it stays in tune nicely even with a few dive bombs.

The guitar always had great tuning stability.

I've always known i've needed to learn how to do this, which is exactly why i think these sorts of forums are fantastic. It's better to ask people on here for their experiences and solutions than it is to watch a video. There's no feedback that way and therefore no channel of communication etc.

Anyway guys, i really appreciate your help. And i will be passing on my experiences with others who have similar problems.

I think because the guitar was already set flush to the body and all i did was take out to springs, it somehow felt fine. maybe i'm just lucky. but it felt exactly as it should in my eyes from when i first brought it.

Cheers guys