Thanks for the answer Rich, and I agree that the backstop is quite stiff. I removed mine shortly after I got the guitar, and it still has the best stability of any trem iIve ever played, even after hours of Vai / Mattias Ia Eklundh type madness, perfect pitch.
On the other hand tho, the backstop nearly hardtails the bridge and could be bery useful for someone who doesnt need whammy theatrics, or who wants to change tunings alot without worrying about trem angle.
Imo A fantastic trem all in all.

\00/