How much string tension?

[super rad stuff]

basically, all you did was make your bridge non-floating, so things don't feel so wobbly as when your bridge was floating. that just means your bridge is tight against the body, the strings are under as much tension as they were previously minus the wobble associated with a floating bridge. it may feel like there's less tension, but really they're just more secure.

[baritone]

Yeah, once you retune, the tension goes back to being about the same.

[Gaucho]

Oh.
.
.
.
.

So, if you don't use the tremolo, and if you have the bridge tightened down against the body, is the 'bendability and feel of the setup the same?

And if you don't use the tremolo, is that definitely the thing to do: tighten the bridge down to the body?

[uOpt]

Oh.
.
.
.
.

So, if you don't use the tremolo, and if you have the bridge tightened down against the body, is the 'bendability and feel of the setup the same?

And if you don't use the tremolo, is that definitely the thing to do: tighten the bridge down to the body?

No, both is a matter of taste.

How the thing behaves under bends changes when the bridge is down on the deck, but of course it depends on far strongly you brace it against the deck. If it doesn't come up on bending it doesn't change anything.

As I said before, a floating bridge will always make the string feel much softer because it gives in as you bend, or even just as you press down strings.

A part of Stratocaster's bend-out problems stems from this. Not only do many Strats have low fretboard radius, with a floating trem you have to bend further for the same increase in note steps, and the longer scale also means deeper bends compare to a Gibson.