Trem-setters

What exactly are the purpose of them? I was taking my 93 Strat Plus apart and have one in the rear cavity. Is there a benifit of one over the usual spring set up?

The Tremsetter automatically brings your guitar back to its "zero" or starting position. Ordinarily, your tremolo relies on the your string tension pulling against the springs in the back of your guitar. Its a delicate balance. For Example the Tremsetter works very similar to a double hinged door. The door can swing both ways, but comes to rest in the center position. When you let go or your tremolo arm after you have raised or lowered your strings, the Tremsetter automatically returns your tremolo to it's "zero" position. It can improve things by stabilizes your tremolo and eliminateing that annoying flutter. Some people think string energy can being absorbed by your tremolo springs so when you put the Tremsetter back there you eliminates the need for extra springs. So you get more tone. I dont know about this but on the other hand i have not messed around with many Tremsetters myself.

I put one one on a strat I had a few years ago. I most definitely don't like it. I has a "clunk" feel when it returns to "zero". And on a floating tremolo, it's real noticable. I always felt like something was caught in my tremolo route area.

My brother made a device that he screwed to the front of his strat, which holds the vibrato arm in one position, thereby stopping the bridge floating.

This means that when he bends a note, the other strings stay in tune, rather than going flat. If he wishes to use the vibrato, he can move the arm from its stop position, so allowing the bridge to move as normal.

An added advantage of this system is that if a string breaks, the others do not immediately go sharp, since the bridge position is fixed.