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The Squier Mini Precision Bass Club

#221
HaphAsSard said:
Width of the neck: not unusually thin. Truss rod: present. Length of the neck: reduced (because of a reduced scale length, number of frets being equal), which makes it stiffer overall. Given the above, if the neck didn't handle the tension I'd be very surprised. Regarding the tuners, unless they are made of the vilest metal alloy they should too. :thumbsup:
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Thank you, good points. I’m not used to such small tuners but it will probably be fine.
 
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#222
Frank Vozak said:
Makoman, thanks for all of the advice on what to check on a new Mini. I received mine today and used your checklist to check out my new Mini in red. It is really a nice bass.
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Thanks for this post. I am so glad I was able to help out someone. I didn't want to be negative about the bass, but I used some of the info provided by others when I checked mine out and I thought members should know about another potential issue that happened to me. It was my wedding anniversary yesterday so I only got to play the bass for about an hour after I got it home, but it played beautifully. Going to spend some time today playing it and comparing it to my Jay Turser Mini P and will post photos and my perceptions in the next day or two. One thing I can say is I think the pickups are pretty good. Thumpy, very good output and no noise are my first impressions. And the tone knob actually works!
 
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#224
If you convert the Mini to a strung-through bridge, you can use quite a few different short scale string sets. When I had my Fender P-Bass Jr (same scale length), I used short scale flatwound Chromes on it.
pbassjr.jpg
pbassjrback.jpg
 
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#227
SBassman said:
Nice. Maybe you want to post where you got the parts and any tips on how to do the mod. ? :)
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The Fender P-Bass Jr came that way stock. Mine came with Fender 5250 roundwounds.

But if the string spacing is the same as a full size Fender, the bridge and ferrules would be available from Fender or other parts suppliers.

Drilling the body required, of course.
 
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#228
Well! Every time I pick up Li'l Red, I become more and more impressed. The tonal variation just from moving my right hand a few inches is insane. I notice it on my other Ps, but not to this extent... it's almost like having a second tone knob.

I'm loving the Mikro strings, too. Bendy, but not too loose. Doing a G bend-to-A with a snap off to E is easy peasy. On some basses I have to force the A pretty hard, but these just whoop right up. Pretty thumpy for roundwounds, yet also quite bright, depending on tone and plucking position.

If/when I get back to playing in public, I believe this bass will be my new go-to.
 
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#229
pcake said:
what wind lengths and gauges did you ask for? i'll send an email.

i believe that strings that fit the mini P would also fit the mikro, a huge plus for me since i have 2.
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I didn't ask for any specifics....just dropped an e-mail via their website with with a general inquiry. I figured if the answer was "yes/possibly", I'd move to the next step. Their response wasn't a flat no/never, but just that it wasn't something that they could commit to - I'm sure that I was likely the first person to ask for such a thing, but I do see an opportunity here. This shorter short scale will likely not be the last bass that comes along under 30".
 
#230
JPJ said:
I didn't ask for any specifics....just dropped an e-mail via their website with with a general inquiry. I figured if the answer was "yes/possibly", I'd move to the next step. Their response wasn't a flat no/never, but just that it wasn't something that they could commit to - I'm sure that I was likely the first person to ask for such a thing, but I do see an opportunity here. This shorter short scale will likely not be the last bass that comes along under 30".
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emailed them regarding strings for the mikro and the mini p. i did mention that mikros are very popular with very limited string choices.

btw, i use d'addario short scale nickel rounds on my mikros and they fit.
 
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#234
pcake said:
since the mini P and the mikro have the same scale, and there are probably a lot more mikros out there, i tried to sweeten the pot by pointing out to them that the mikro is a very popular bass...
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Yup - with a little measurement luck maybe they could identify lengths to fit on both basses. Although with the different headstocks, it might be a challenge.

I think the Mikro side is particularly perplexing. Ibanez has told a Ton of those basses. You would think there was an easy business case to set up some proper lengths for that bass. Doesn't make sense.
 
#236
So I have now had a bit of time to play around with my new Mini Precision and I've been able to compare it to my Jay Turser Jr. Precision. Right off the bat, I always though my Turser was small - it fits easily in most guitar cases - but it looks like a full size bass beside the Squier.
The tuners are better on the Squier and the pickups are a bit hotter. Tone wise they are about the same for the most part and both are dead quiet when not playing. On the Squier the tone knob offers a fair bit of variety, while on the Turser it is for the most part there for decoration.
The body on the Turser is not only a bit wider and longer, it is also noticeably deeper. Despite that it is over a pound lighter than the Squier Mini, coming in at exactly 5 lbs, while the Squier is just over 6 lbs. The Turser has some neck dive due to the 30" scale, long headstock and light body, but the whole bass is so light it's not much of a bother. The Squier is very well balanced overall.
The biggest difference between the two Mini Ps is the neck. The Squier being 28.6" and the Turser a full 30". The neck width difference is also huge, with the Squier at 1-1/2" and the Turser at 1-5/8. It's a huge difference... the Turser neck feels like a Precision Bass neck and the Squier feels like a Jazz.
Overall I really notice the difference in size between the two basses. I can't lie: overall I prefer the Turser due to the 30" scale, wider neck and larger body. The better tuners and slightly hotter pickups don't quite make up for the very small size of the Squier Mini P. They're both good basses, but the Turser fits my adult-sized body better.
Of course things can change. I've been playing Turser Junior Precisions for several years, so I'm really used to them. The Squier Mini Precision isn't going anywhere

Turser and Squier Mini Ps 2.jpg
 
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#239
I played my Precision Mini at band practice for the first time and I was THRILLED with how it played. And maybe more importantly my guitar payer was thrilled with the tone. I have had a Squire Precision with P/J pickups and I still have a SS Squier Jaguar and I played with different pickup choices including Precision pickups only plus my guitar player had lent me his Kramer P Bass but the Precision pickups on my MINI has the best tone of any of them. I find that runs, fills, and chord matched bass major and minor patterns are much easier with the 28.6 inch neck. And this with the strings that Squier supplied. Maybe good luck, better production or Woodwinds/Brasswinds Music being my source of buying the bass.. This has been a very happy purchase. No defects and the fit and finish on my bass was flawless
 
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#240
I put a Bill Lawrence EB60P in mine just the other day. It's not the "good" Wilde brand pickups made by BL and his family, but it's a great sounding pickup, very even, fat, more midrange complexity than the stock pickup. I left in the stock pots. While I had the strings off I oiled the fretboard, which was incredibly dry.

I definitely want to replace the pickguard with something classier, and possibly even have the frets dressed, but that all comes after I figure out whether I'll drill for a string-through bridge or not.
 

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