Aha so it's an SPDT on-on switch that connects the hot wire to the ground wire at the jack?
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The Squier Mini Precision Bass Club
- Thread starter sabre79
- Start date
My kill/mute switches are simply SPST toggles that open the circuit up by "clipping a lead." Either the hot lead to the jack, or between the coils on my Stingkitty humbucker. (I wired it in series and hooked it to a P Bass circuit)
WOuldn't that be like pulling the cable from the amp, with all the noise associated with it?
Nope. You're turning off the signal, not moving a hot lead across a ground. There is no "clunk." Or if there is, I can't hear it.
True, I'm often in touch with the person who "leads" the thread, and she's lamented the off-topic direction that things have gone. We'll see if it goes back on track.~
Hilarious !
First GAS, now BHPD - To what is this world coming ?!
BTW, I looked at the first and last couple of pages of that thread, and can see that it started out on topic, but at the end, it's unrecognizable.
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I'm also interested in the mods a few have done of making their Mini P into a thru-body strung instrument. I like the idea of doing that to allow the use of strings for 30" scale basses, but I'm not sure that you'll be able to get from here to there.
mine is the same! I have a (really s**t) little 15w cheap practice amp and the mini P pushes it to overdrive easily, way quicker than my active bass.
I love the stock pickup too. Maybe the sharpish corners could be a little smoother, but I may take the edge off with a bit of sandpaper. But sound wise, I've no reason to change it. The tone pot is really effective, changing hand placement is effective too so I've really no reason to mess with that. The biggest compliment I can pay it is, it sounds like a P bass, a good solid P bass.
My pickups were sharp too. I used micro mesh pads to round off every corner since I was already doing neck work with them.
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That's what I would be inclined to do, if I added a switch for that purpose, and my electronics experience predates my becoming a musician.
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This has been one of my own thoughts since much earlier during this thread, and the answer is MAYBE.
Partially to that end, I have been gathering specs data for all of the common Fender/Squier short scale basses and the Mini-P [with a plan to publish all of this in one centralized location, most likely on TalkBass], and the data so far suggests a pocket width of anywhere from 2+3/16" to 2+1/4" among those basses, measured across the fingerboard at the highest numbered fret, so there IS a ballpark, and we seem to be in it.
Even if it does fit width-wise, and if the heel of the neck is shoved as far South along/into the pocket as it will go, then there will most prob'ly remain one or two issues with the particular marriage which you have proposed :
1) The bridge must be moved [due to the overall difference in scale length, and because of the different number of frets on each neck], in order to achieve the proper range of intonation adjustment [must make new screw holes into the body], and I believe that it will need to go about a full inch South [further away from the neck], in order to match the installation of a 30" scale 19 fret Fender/Squier short scale neck onto a Squier Mini-P body [can new holes still be made on the body at that location ? - I dunno],
and,
2) The holes for the neck bolts [screws] may not line up, and it might be necessary to make new holes in the rear of the heel portion of the neck, and if those are too close to the old holes, then you must securely fill the old holes first.
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Please would some kind owner of a Squier Mini-P go and measure the distance from the centre of the row of screws which attach the bridge, to the South edge of the body, and post that measurement ?
Thanks.
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I get 31.2 mm +/- 0.1 mm from center of screw to edge of body.~
Please would some kind owner of a Squier Mini-P go and measure the distance from the centre of the row of screws which attach the bridge, to the South edge of the body, and post that measurement ?
Thanks.
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Please would some kind owner of a Squier Mini-P go and measure the distance from the centre of the row of screws which attach the bridge, to the South edge of the body, and post that measurement ? - Thanks.
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Thanks for stepping up.
It looks like one of those good news / bad news situations.
The good news is that there is enough room to drill the new mounting holes for the original Mini-P bridge to be moved one inch [25.4mm] further away from the neck.
The bad news is that there would be insufficient wood beyond the bridge to do so safely and securely.
Also, as we approach the edge of the body, the flat surface begins to curve/taper, which means that the bridge might not sit flat on it at the new location.
So putting a 30" 19 fret neck such as from a Mustang or a Squier Bronco [onto a Squier Mini-P body] might indeed work at the neck pocket, but the main trouble would be at the [ confounded
] bridge.BTW, the reasons to even TRY this Franken-Fender experiment [and the benefits/results from doing so] are :
1) Maple fretboard [if Bronco and some Mustang necks],
2) 30" scale fits regular short scale strings better than a stock Mini-P does,
3) Nut width is 1.6" [if Bronco neck], and various widths [if Mustang neck],
4) Lighter Mini-P body weight [compared to a Mustang],
5) Split-style hum-cancelling pickup [compared to a Bronco].
But the bridge would most likely be too Close to the Edge - Yes - unfortunately.
Knowing this now, if it was ME trying the mod, I would likely do this :
1) Move the original Mini-P bridge only 1/2" to 5/8" South, not a full inch,
2) Remove the springs from the E and maybe A string intonation bolts, to get a bit more adjustment range,
3) Pray.
One additional strategy might be to investigate whether an alternate bridge might mount better, that far back.
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The Mini P is already poorly balanced because the body is so light, a longer neck would just create massive neck dive IMO.~
Thanks for stepping up.
It looks like one of those good news / bad news situations.
The good news is that there is enough room to drill the new mounting holes for the original Mini-P bridge to be moved one inch [25.4mm] further away from the neck.
The bad news is that there would be insufficient wood beyond the bridge to do so safely and securely.
Also, as we approach the edge of the body, the flat surface begins to curve/taper, which means that the bridge might not sit flat on it at the new location.
So putting a 30" 19 fret neck such as from a Mustang or a Squier Bronco [onto a Squier Mini-P body] might indeed work at the neck pocket, but the main trouble would be at the [ confounded
BTW, the reasons to even TRY this Franken-Fender experiment [and the benefits/results from doing so] are :
1) Maple fretboard [if Bronco and some Mustang necks],
2) 30" scale fits regular short scale strings better than a stock Mini-P does,
3) Nut width is 1.6" [if Bronco neck], and various widths [if Mustang neck],
4) Lighter Mini-P body weight [compared to a Mustang],
5) Split-style hum-cancelling pickup [compared to a Bronco].
But the bridge would most likely be too Close to the Edge - Yes - unfortunately.
Knowing this now, if it was ME trying the mod, I would likely do this :
1) Move the original Mini-P bridge only 1/2" to 5/8" South, not a full inch,
2) Remove the springs from the E and maybe A string intonation bolts, to get a bit more adjustment range,
3) Pray.
One additional strategy might be to investigate whether an alternate bridge might mount better, that far back.
~
I won't debate sizes and proportions because they are highly personal. I feel you Dave with the nut width. I can't sleep at night because my P bass has a puny 1.625 nut on a thin neck but the fat wide Vintera necks are out there and i can't find a decent one to buy.
The Bronco neck has a good shape but I'm not a fan of the unfinished maple fretboard.
I also find that the string issue on the Mini isn't really an issue with Chromes. The E string seems solid even with a 1/4 wrap on the post and the sloppiness actually makes it sound better. Going back and forth between the Mini and the Bronco I'm becoming convinced that short scale basses are going to sound weird no matter what the string gauge is. There just isn't enough vibrational length.
One thing I suspect though is if you get your hands on a Mini...you will understand and fall on love with it. It just goes!
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My last post was mainly about "Can it be done at all, putting a slightly longer neck onto a Mini-P" body, because it is something which has repeatedly been considered in this thread.
I have already acquired other basses, models which started out with most of the characteristics which the above experiment could accomplish for a Mini-P body [such as the Jay Turser JTB-40], so I do not need to do it, but the other poster asked, and I decided to at least go through the math and the motions.
Having done that now, I can say that it is prob'ly possible, albeit with the one issue, which I could not say before.
And the point which you raised about increased neck dive is a valid one, which I did not consider last night while writing that post, though as you know, there are ways to deal with neck dive, and trying some of them could still be of benefit, even to an unmodified Mini-P.
As for all short scale basses having an odd sound character from notes played on the E string [and their simply being short being the reason], I can from personal experience say that some do not, and respectfully disagree with your analysis about this.
Before this thread began, I already had a Hofner Ignition Club bass, and it is OK in that regard, though I and the previous owner did not choose the lightest strings available.
I promise that if any of the folks who do not have physical pain from playing somewhat heavier strings, would just suck it up and try some on a short scale bass, that they would understand what I have been repeatedly saying about the benefit of doing so.
And while my last post was not only about nut width, yes, in some cases, with some necks, the result is that it becomes wider.
I too BTW would like to try one of those Vintera 50s Precisions [I think that those are the ones you mean], and will keep my eyes peeled for them, when I visit a physical music store again.
Cheers !
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I bought the Bronco so I could put heavy gauge Labellas on it but in Europe they're really expensive, almost never in stock and I'm afraid the 109 E won't fit in the bridge feed hole, tight as it is now. I also don't have bass nut files. I'm dying to be proven wrong~
My last post was mainly about "Can it be done at all, putting a slightly longer neck onto a Mini-P" body, because it is something which has repeatedly been considered in this thread.
I have already acquired other basses, models which started out with most of the characteristics which the above experiment could accomplish for a Mini-P body [such as the Jay Turser JTB-40], so I do not need to do it, but the other poster asked, and I decided to at least go through the math and the motions.
Having done that now, I can say that it is prob'ly possible, albeit with the one issue, which I could not say before.
And the point which you raised about increased neck dive is a valid one, which I did not consider last night while writing that post, though as you know, there are ways to deal with neck dive, and trying some of them could still be of benefit, even to an unmodified Mini-P.
As for all short scale basses having an odd sound character on the E string [and their simply being short is the reason], I can from personal experience say that some do not, and respectfully disagree with your analysis about this.
Before this thread began, I already had a Hofner Ignition Club bass, and it is OK in that regard, though I and the previous owner did not choose the lightest strings available.
I promise that if any of the folks who do not have physical pain from playing somewhat heavier strings, would just suck it up and try some on a short scale bass, that they would understand what I have been repeatedly saying about that point.
And while my last post was not only about nut width, yes, in some cases, with some necks, the result is that it becomes wider.
I too BTW would like to try one of those Vintera 50s Precisions, and will keep my eyes peeled for them, when I visit a physical music store again.
Cheers !
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Yes, I have noticed some crazy string prices for USA made strings on European sellers' websites.
In the instance of the Bronco, I would suggest first trying a more common [and less expensive due to choice of brands] 45-105 set of roundwounds.
Even though I do not like rounds myself, they would still prove my point at the lowest possible cost, and after that, if you also think that they did help, then go shopping for a more specific heavier [and possibly flatwound] set of strings such as those LaBellas.
Also, a 105 for the E is less likely to cause concern with the size of the bridge apertures or nut groove widths, than a 109 might do.
Another string choice which I personally have used [and like] are the GHS Brite Flats, which in short scale ONLY come in 49-62-84-108, IIRC.
They cost less than flats as well, though more than rounds.
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LaBella DT Flats in 43-104 gauges are a nicely balanced set, and not too light.
I just received two sets of those, one in short scale and one medium.
The mediums are destined for the Ibanez Roadster RS721 bass which is currently in my Avatar, and the shorts will likely end up on either one of two JTB-40 basses which I snagged recently, or onto my Jag SS [though the Jag has some kind of flats on it already].
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Please, would one of you kind souls be willing to measure and post the distance from the current position of the crest of the bridge saddle of the properly intonated E string of your Squier Mini-P, to the nearest edge of the back of the bridge.
I'm curious as to how much length adjustment range currently remains, to make the active part of a string longer.
The answer will assist with the proposed mod which I mentioned above, and with another which I will post later.
Thanks.
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You don't "clip a lead" you GROUND the output. Otherwise, as Andare says, it is like an open cable and all the noise it can pick up. And you do it at the output jack to eliminate any noise pickup from the rest of the parts. Also, grounding the output makes NO NOISE while opening and re-connecting the circuit could make a click or buzz (like plugging in a hot cable).
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