The Squier Mini Precision Bass Club

[OLD-PLAYER]

View attachment 4680705 And here is my little bass with new bridge (to add weight, I find it nosediving) and new strings.
I put rotosound rs77s but I can't intonate the E, with the [don't know the word, but the thing that I can move to increase or decrease the lenght of the string] crushing the spring. The E is still a little sharp at the octave.
I wondered if I can take off the spring to go further?

I took that spring off, and then I used a pair of metal shears to cut it in half. Problem solved.
But, I have the Hipshot version, I think you have the Fender branded version (made for them by Hipshot).
Anyway, if you trim the spring, it should give you the room you need to dial it in. If that's not enough room, you could always try removing that spring to dial it in. Those springs were originally designed to keep things tight when those saddles were out further from the bridge. As you've discovered, that isn't an issue with the MINI E string (I also trimmed my A spring too)

 

[OLD-PLAYER]

My Mini also has a ton of low end but I have Chromes on it so there's quite a bit of high end. I max out the Hi Mids on my Rumble 100 so it's quite an even sound. Basically the Laura Lee tone.

No problem being heard under a drummer and two guitarists who are in an appendage measuring contest on stage.
With a pick my Mini is too bright. I also turn down the Tone to 5 or 6.
This is a Beatles cover band BTW.

How do you like Gigging with a Rumble 100? Does it have enough "in the tank" for you?
I was thinking of going that direction for small stuff. (I'm too old to drag the Ampeg out any more).
For now, I went with a Hartke KB12, cause it's really light and small, and easy to drag around
(I even put small casters on mine).

 

[OLD-PLAYER]

I took that spring off, and then I used a pair of metal shears to cut it in half. Problem solved.
But, I have the Hipshot version, I think you have the Fender branded version (made for them by Hipshot).
Anyway, if you trim the spring, it should give you the room you need to dial it in. If that's not enough room, you could always try removing that spring to dial it in. Those springs were originally designed to keep things tight when those saddles were out further from the bridge. As you've discovered, that isn't an issue with the MINI E string (I also trimmed my A spring too)

*Actually, I cut that E spring in half. I used half of it for the A and the other half for the E. I put the other untouched spring in a bag for safe keeping. I also trimmed a "teeny weeny bit" off of the D spring, as you can see if you click on the hastily taken "badly shadowed" picture. loll

 

[GregLeSage]

I took that spring off, and then I used a pair of metal shears to cut it in half. Problem solved.
But, I have the Hipshot version, I think you have the Fender branded version (made for them by Hipshot).
Anyway, if you trim the spring, it should give you the room you need to dial it in. If that's not enough room, you could always try removing that spring to dial it in. Those springs were originally designed to keep things tight when those saddles were out further from the bridge. As you've discovered, that isn't an issue with the MINI E string (I also trimmed my A spring too)

Thank you! I'll try this as soon as I can.
(And yes it's the fender himass bridge)

 

[OLD-PLAYER]

Thank you! I'll try this as soon as I can.
(And yes it's the fender himass bridge)

Actually, I cut that E spring in half. I used half of it for the A and the other half for the E. I put the other untouched spring in a bag for safe keeping. I also trimmed a "teeny weeny bit" off of the D spring, as you can see if you click above, on the hastily taken "badly shadowed" picture of my bridge.

 

[andare]

How do you like Gigging with a Rumble 100? Does it have enough "in the tank" for you?
I was thinking of going that direction for small stuff. (I'm too old to drag the Ampeg out any more).
For now, I went with a Hartke KB12, cause it's really light and small, and easy to drag around
(I even put small casters on mine).

It's the only bass amp I have. It's barely enough. Good for small and quiet gigs but we have an outdoor show next summer and I'm looking to buy a 500 and never have to worry again. 100 watts is just not enough, especially with a 12" speaker.
The 100 is also very muddy. I plugged the ports with poly fill and the low end "rumble" disappeared. Apparently lining the cab makes it even better but I haven't bothered.

 

[OLD-PLAYER]

It's the only bass amp I have. It's barely enough. Good for small and quiet gigs but we have an outdoor show next summer and I'm looking to buy a 500 and never have to worry again. 100 watts is just not enough, especially with a 12" speaker.
The 100 is also very muddy. I plugged the ports with poly fill and the low end "rumble" disappeared. Apparently lining the cab makes it even better but I haven't bothered.

I tried a 100 out at the local Guitar Center (it seemed so, so) and I was curious how yours held up with an actual drummer? My KB12 has 500 watts (250 RMS) and it seems to stay clean all the way up to around 2 o clock!
(which is pretty darn loud) I kind of wish I'd gone for the KB15, but the increased size and weight wouldn't have worked for me. But, mine can definitely handle a small to medium club gig, or an outside patio pretty well. It also has a DO on the front panel, so I can feed the house without having to put a microphone on the cab.

 

[andare]

I tried a 100 out at the local Guitar Center (it seemed so, so) and I was curious how yours held up with an actual drummer? My KB12 has 500 watts (250 RMS) and it seems to stay clean all the way up to around 2 o clock!
(which is pretty darn loud) I kind of wish I'd gone for the KB15, but the increased size and weight wouldn't have worked for me. But, mine can definitely handle a small to medium club gig, or an outside patio pretty well. It also has a DO on the front panel, so I can feed the house without having to put a microphone on the cab.

The 100 was clean all the way to 3 o'clock. It also has a DI out the back but I can't use it in the modest establishments I play. We're lucky there's power at all.

 

[PDW30]

More on strings

Fitted Chromes to my Mini and TBH I'm a bit disappointed. I'd read all the positive reports and hoped for more thud than the trashcan-hitting I got both with neutral EQ and after fiddling with the knobs on my Rumble 100V3.

I'd like something closer to the thud I'm getting from D'Addario black and LaBella white tapes on Ibby MiKros (for the record the LaBellas are smoother and the D'Addarios give a bit more growl). Any suggestions?

 

[HaphAsSard]

I put rotosound rs77s but I can't intonate the E, with the [don't know the word, but the thing that I can move to increase or decrease the lenght of the string] crushing the spring. The E is still a little sharp at the octave.
I wondered if I can take off the spring to go further?

Take the spring off. As I've just finished explaining on another thread, the low E from the Rotosound RS77S set is low-tension but pretty stiff, so compensation at the bridge tends to be quite radical.

 

[RodRy]

It's the only bass amp I have. It's barely enough. Good for small and quiet gigs but we have an outdoor show next summer and I'm looking to buy a 500 and never have to worry again. 100 watts is just not enough, especially with a 12" speaker.
The 100 is also very muddy. I plugged the ports with poly fill and the low end "rumble" disappeared. Apparently lining the cab makes it even better but I haven't bothered.

You may want to wander over to the Combo Club and mention this to them. They may also have some good ideas of amps. The Combo Club

 

[HaphAsSard]

The 100 is also very muddy. I plugged the ports with poly fill and the low end "rumble" disappeared. Apparently lining the cab makes it even better but I haven't bothered.

You made it "aperiodic" (leaky-closed box), as suggested here as an option for the Rumble 200 model:
Just got a Rumble 200 - Low B muddy

 

[OLD-PLAYER]

More on strings

Fitted Chromes to my Mini and TBH I'm a bit disappointed. I'd read all the positive reports and hoped for more thud than the trashcan-hitting I got both with neutral EQ and after fiddling with the knobs on my Rumble 100V3.

I'd like something closer to the thud I'm getting from D'Addario black and LaBella white tapes on Ibby MiKros (for the record the LaBellas are smoother and the D'Addarios give a bit more growl). Any suggestions?

Next time maybe try Roto 77S Jazz Bass? Just a thought... (that is, if you don't mind flatwounds...) Several of us really like them on our MINIs.

 

[Greywoulf]

Next time maybe try Roto 77S Jazz Bass? Just a thought... (that is, if you don't mind flatwounds...) Several of us really like them on our MINIs.

I have short scale LaBella LTF's on my small Cat bass. ~Bet they'd sound real good on a Mini...

 

[TomB]

More on strings

Fitted Chromes to my Mini and TBH I'm a bit disappointed. I'd read all the positive reports and hoped for more thud than the trashcan-hitting I got both with neutral EQ and after fiddling with the knobs on my Rumble 100V3.

I'd like something closer to the thud I'm getting from D'Addario black and LaBella white tapes on Ibby MiKros (for the record the LaBellas are smoother and the D'Addarios give a bit more growl). Any suggestions?

Play them a lot. They lose some of that bite - retain the midrange. There are also artificial “break-in” techniques if you can’t wait. They will never sound like Labellas or tapewounds tho if that’s what you’re after.

 

[PDW30]

Play them a lot. They lose some of that bite - retain the midrange. There are also artificial “break-in” techniques if you can’t wait. They will never sound like Labellas or tapewounds tho if that’s what you’re after.

Artificial “break-in” techniques - any pointers as to how to do it? I already know about Chapstick, but I hesitate to try it on £50 strings!

And I've also reminded myself (OK, it was by accident) of the considerable difference in tone depending on where you pluck the strings - deeper tone with less trashcan as you move from the neck to to the bridge.

 

[PDW30]

I have short scale LaBella LTF's on my small Cat bass. ~Bet they'd sound real good on a Mini...

Thanks. I have a J&D sub-scale( 29" jazz bass on the way, and am already thinking about replacement strings. How well do the LTFs work on a sub-scale - intonation, floppiness, clarity of pitch?

 

[TomB]

Artificial “break-in” techniques - any pointers as to how to do it? I already know about Chapstick, but I hesitate to try it on £50 strings!

And I've also reminded myself (OK, it was by accident) of the considerable difference in tone depending on where you pluck the strings - deeper tone with less trashcan as you move from the neck to to the bridge.

I don’t know about Chapstick, but any hand cream applied normally before you play will have pretty quick effect. You can stop at any time without lasting harm, IME. Any flat wound strings will take a while to settle down. Adding another substance hastens what your fingers do naturally. Personally, I prefer to wait it out.

 

[andare]

More on strings

Fitted Chromes to my Mini and TBH I'm a bit disappointed. I'd read all the positive reports and hoped for more thud than the trashcan-hitting I got both with neutral EQ and after fiddling with the knobs on my Rumble 100V3.

I'd like something closer to the thud I'm getting from D'Addario black and LaBella white tapes on Ibby MiKros (for the record the LaBellas are smoother and the D'Addarios give a bit more growl). Any suggestions?

My Mini has 1.5yr old Chromes and they still have high end, massive low end and scooped mids. Just perfect for a mid-heavy P bass. The stock pickup does have a somewhat harsh high end component. I dial down the Tone to 6 and I get fat ass tones. Still doesn't sound anywhere near Labellas or Fender 9050 - the latter are very middy

 

[PDW30]

I don’t know about Chapstick, but any hand cream applied normally before you play will have pretty quick effect. You can stop at any time without lasting harm, IME. Any flat wound strings will take a while to settle down. Adding another substance hastens what your fingers do naturally. Personally, I prefer to wait it out.

What you really mean is 'stop playing with TB and start practicing bass'. <sigh>