Is it performing as expected? No, it's not. It has surpassed my expectations in every regard. I expected it to be like my series I from the late '70s. As nice as that guitar was, EVERYTHING is way better. The quality of the luthiery is really amazing, the electronics sound better than my fond memories, touching it is sensual, and it seems to know what I want musically. And, to answer your specific question about the trem: I've had everything (except a Floyd, I don't do dive bombs) and it responds as an integral part of my musical concept. I've had really expensive trems that felt 'disconnected' and non-musical; not the Skyway, it's my all time favorite.