The Squier Mini Precision Bass Club

[Rsteady]

This is how stresses these regular scale strings are on mine. It wasn't easy putting the E string into the post, then bending it. I feel mine are secure, but that's the spot the strings could start unraveling eventually. As you all have said.

 

[PDW30]

View attachment 4814994This is how stresses these regular scale strings are on mine. It wasn't easy putting the E string into the post, then bending it. I feel mine are secure, but that's the spot the strings could start unraveling eventually. As you all have said.

I've been fine so far - hope you continue to get the same positive result.

 

[Mountain Mike]

I haven't ever played on flats or tapes.

I've got a new set of D'Addario EXL170S rounds "Regular Light Gauge" short scales I picked up for some reason.

I'm not sure if I picked them up for the Mini or the Bronco. I'm pretty sure I ordered them based on something I read on here but do not remember.

 

[PDW30]

I haven't ever played on flats or tapes.

I've got a new set of D'Addario EXL170S rounds "Regular Light Gauge" short scales I picked up for some reason.

I'm not sure if I picked them up for the Mini or the Bronco. I'm pretty sure I ordered them based on something I read on here but do not remember.

Usual solution - look up a bass they go well with and buy one.

 

[andare]

It's not an issue with short scale Chromes. The only reason I used long scale Chromes at first is because I had them on hand and I was dumb. I wasted a good set of strings. Live and learn.

 

[Mountain Mike]

Usual solution - look up a bass they go well with and buy one.

Brilliant!
The pink Bronco is for sale on CME again...

 

[eyvindwa]

Today I ordered a mini P for my daughter - she is 15, and has been showing an interest in playing bass, but my Warwicks are a bit heavy and hard to play for her. I hope this will do the trick!

 

[andare]

Today I ordered a mini P for my daughter - she is 15, and has been showing an interest in playing bass, but my Warwicks are a bit heavy and hard to play for her. I hope this will do the trick!

A friend of mine did the same and she's rocking in her own band with it. They're both over the moon.

 

[TK4261]

Been playing the Mini all day on my day off...Love this P!

 

[EatS1stBassist]

Been playing the Mini all day on my day off...Love this P!

Very cool! Love mine as well!

 

[J Posega]

Did some minor modification to my trusty Pusheen bass.

Large cat + small bass = hilarious perspective.

The Mini previously had an underwhelming (but better than stock) blade style P pickup in it.

I recently put this EMG GZR P in a different bass but really disliked the J pickup that was paired with it. So, the other bass is getting new Wilde pickups next week and since I had a little time on my hands, I decided to try the EMG GZR and solderless electronics in this little guy.

I thought it was just OK in my other bass, but it really works in the Mini. With these La Bella flats getting nicely worn in, the GZR brings some great flavor to this bass. All stock besides the pickup/electronics and pickguard.

 

[PDW30]

Large cat + small bass = hilarious perspective.
View attachment 4823369

Forget 34", 30", 28.6" ... From now on we need to measure scale length in cats!

 

[OLD-PLAYER]

I asked about the electronics and asked you to correct me if I'm wrong and instead you talk about bridges and nuts...


I have no experience with different bridges on the same instrument. Nuts have never changed the tone for me, certainly not on fretted notes. Obviously they must be cut properly.
I've changed necks on one bass and the sound improved but I have no recordings to prove it so I just might be psychoacoustics.

I never said I believed in tone woods btw.

OK. As to the electronics/wiring/pots. On paper they may "say" they have the same specs, but in real-life selecting high-quality pots, cloth wrapped wiring, and Switchcraft switches will usually give you the cleanest, most reliable signal/connection. (with less signal loss) Those factory Indonesian electronics are hit & miss when it comes to actual specs. That's why the entire harness for an Indonesian bass costs $3-$5 on Alibaba, and a hand-wired "brand name" Precision harness runs between $50-$100 (depending on where you buy it).

 

[EatS1stBassist]

OK. As to the electronics/wiring/pots. On paper they may "say" they have the same specs, but in real-life selecting high-quality pots, cloth wrapped wiring, and Switchcraft switches will usually give you the cleanest, most reliable signal/connection. (with less signal loss) Those factory Indonesian electronics are hit & miss when it comes to actual specs. That's why the entire harness for an Indonesian bass costs $3-$5 on Alibaba, and a hand-wired "brand name" Precision harness runs between $50-$100 (depending on where you buy it).

So True!

 

[andare]

OK. As to the electronics/wiring/pots. On paper they may "say" they have the same specs, but in real-life selecting high-quality pots, cloth wrapped wiring, and Switchcraft switches will usually give you the cleanest, most reliable signal/connection. (with less signal loss) Those factory Indonesian electronics are hit & miss when it comes to actual specs. That's why the entire harness for an Indonesian bass costs $3-$5 on Alibaba, and a hand-wired "brand name" Precision harness runs between $50-$100 (depending on where you buy it).

I've tested many CTS post and their tolerance is often worse than Alpha. Alpha pots are used in every commercial pedal out there.

I don't know how cloth wiring affects tone but I doubt cloth makes an audible difference in a guitar circuit.

I do know that the type and brand of the tone cap doesn't affect the sound because all it does is bleed high end to ground, only the value decides how dark it gets.

Commercial harnesses cost $50-$100 because there's a sucker born every minute.
Two CTS pots, 1 Switchcraft jack, 1 sturdy film capacitor and some wire should set you back much less than that. Buying a harness doesn't eliminate the need to solder so you might as well have a tech get the parts and install them for you if you can't do the job yourself.

 

[OLD-PLAYER]

I've tested many CTS post and their tolerance is often worse than Alpha. Alpha pots are used in every commercial pedal out there.

I don't know how cloth wiring affects tone but I doubt cloth makes an audible difference in a guitar circuit.

I do know that the type and brand of the tone cap doesn't affect the sound because all it does is bleed high end to ground, only the value decides how dark it gets.

Commercial harnesses cost $50-$100 because there's a sucker born every minute.
Two CTS pots, 1 Switchcraft jack, 1 sturdy film capacitor and some wire should set you back much less than that. Buying a harness doesn't eliminate the need to solder so you might as well have a tech get the parts and install them for you if you can't do the job yourself.

I use matched BOURNS pots (I live in Riverside, 2 mi from their Corporate Headquarters), good quality cloth wrapped wire (instead of cheap import wire) a quality orange cap, and switchcraft switches and jacks (which I solder myself because I've been a guitar tech for 50 years). Properly maintained, good quality harnesses can last decades and only require cleaning and cap replacement periodically. They are also much more dependable for us "suckers". I mentioned $50-$100 for people who don't know how to solder, and who want to order them pre-built to drop-in. Of course, you can build it yourself, and the cost for using quality components is considerably less than $50, for a Precision style Bass harness. By the way thicker "cloth wrapped wiring" doesn't add anything special. It usually transfers a cleaner signal, as does using higher quality components.

 

[mellobud]

I've tested many CTS post and their tolerance is often worse than Alpha. Alpha pots are used in every commercial pedal out there.

I don't know how cloth wiring affects tone but I doubt cloth makes an audible difference in a guitar circuit.

I do know that the type and brand of the tone cap doesn't affect the sound because all it does is bleed high end to ground, only the value decides how dark it gets.

Commercial harnesses cost $50-$100 because there's a sucker born every minute.
Two CTS pots, 1 Switchcraft jack, 1 sturdy film capacitor and some wire should set you back much less than that. Buying a harness doesn't eliminate the need to solder so you might as well have a tech get the parts and install them for you if you can't do the job yourself.

I just don't bring up pots, jacks, or wiring anymore. If people want to rip out perfectly serviceable pots/wiring and pay to do it, by all means.
I've upgraded things like that in the past to chase better tone and now I don't unless they break or stop working.

Any perceived gains are lost down the line at every connection the signal will go through, cheap pedal/amp components/cords.

As always, everyone has there opinion and this is mine.

Flame away if it suits you.

 

[PDW30]

... cap replacement periodically

How often? I have a 1990s Ibby and the tone knob does nothing.

 

[J Posega]

Commercial harnesses cost $50-$100 because there's a sucker born every minute.
Two CTS pots, 1 Switchcraft jack, 1 sturdy film capacitor and some wire should set you back much less than that. Buying a harness doesn't eliminate the need to solder so you might as well have a tech get the parts and install them for you if you can't do the job yourself.

Some folks don't live close to a good tech. Some folks may have impediments that would make soldering difficult or impossible. Some folks are happy to support others that are trying to make a living.

If I buy a soldered wiring harness, I buy a one with solderless pickup connections so I can stick the pickup wires into the screw terminals, and part of that's because I like to try out different pickups in my builds. I've never had an issues with any solderless connections.

 

[Mountain Mike]

I don't know how cloth wiring affects tone but I doubt cloth makes an audible difference in a guitar circuit.

BUT THE TOAN!

I use off the shelf wires with silicone insulation because that's what I have and like to use. They're not all stiff like cheap PVC insulated ones and are much easier to manage.
It makes ZERO sense to pay more for cloth as the insulation has f#*k all to do with sound.
The only reason cloth insulation was used back in the day was because cloth insulation was used back in the day. That is what was available at the time.
Then it eveolved into rubber insulation and later synthetics.

Too often people get all caught up in the past, at what was "chosen for sound".
When the truth was usually "what's the cheapest", or "what can I get my hands on the quickest".