Well it was time for a string change on my new to me Jazzmaster, so I took the buzz stop off to see how things would go. Unfortunately, I can't give any definitive reports on improvements or decline in tone or performance because I went up to flatwound 11s from the round 10s that were on it so everythings completely different. I will say the trem is funner to use, more slap and tickle than yank and pull, and the tone is much more different than simply going to flats on my SSO (strat-shaped-object) resulted in. It's certainly a more graceful looking guitar now...
So far none of the classic "problems" of the jazzmaster have reared their head. I'll keep it off as long as things stay this way...