The Squier Mini Precision Bass Club

[MakoMan]

I've been playing my Mini P and Nordstrand Acinonyx exclusively as of late. Picked up a "real bass" the other day for the first time in months and was playing everything wrong - almost couldn't play the darn thing. My muscle memory had temporarily evaporated and I had to ask myself....do I really NEED anything longer than a 28"-30" scale?!?!

I know I don't

 

[MakoMan]

Here's an idea for anyone who wishes the Mini P was 30" scale with a maple board and a wider nut: Buy a Bronco and throw some P-Bass pickups in it
I picked up a used Bronco for 80 bucks about a week before I ordered the Mini P. With a little routing and some P-Bass pickups I could turn it into larger version of a Mini P in a couple of hours.
I think as adult bass players we get lost in the fact that Fender maybe was not primarily going for us as the target market when they designed this bass. It's basically a bass for young players and appeals to us adults because of the resemblance to the old Fender Precision Junior. There's a lot of talk about the Mini P among us adult veteran bassists on TB, but I bet the majority of sales of this bass will be to kids. The fact that adults are also snapping it up is just a bonus for Fender.
If Fender did release a larger 30" scale version of the Mini P, it would only cannibalize sales of both the Mini P and the Bronco. Much as I would like to see a Mini P Senior, I think that's unlikely to happen.

 

[macmanlou]

If Fender did release a larger 30" scale version of the Mini P, it would only cannibalize sales of both the Mini P and the Bronco.

...as well as all of Fender's versions of the Mustang.

 

[hangnail]

Has anyone refinished their headstock to match the body, yet ?

I've been thinking about doing mine lately.

 

[pistonrod8]

Not sure why we need to be numbered, but you can crank me up to #11.

you got it!

Volker Kirstein - #1
G19Tony - #2
hangnail - # 3
pcake - # 4
MakoMan - #5
Diver - #6
Bassylocks - #7
FinialBassist - #8
SBassman - #13

 

[pcake]

Not sure why we need to be numbered, but you can crank me up to #11.

it's a tradition on all the talkbass clubs.

you are now turned up all the way to 11!

Volker Kirstein - #1
G19Tony - #2
hangnail - # 3
pcake - # 4
MakoMan - #5
Diver - #6
Bassylocks - #7
FinialBassist - #8
pistonrod8 - #11
SBassman - #13

 

[TK4261]

Here is a little progress pic of my heavily modded Squier Mini P Bass. Got my Zebra Wood pickguard in today so I wired up everything with the Nordstrand Power Blade pickups, Best Bass Gear wiring harnesses and Hipshot vintage bridge with Graphtech saddles.

 

[Diver]

Here is a little progress pic of my heavily modded Squier Mini P Bass. Got my Zebra Wood pickguard in today so I wired up everything with the Nordstrand Power Blade pickups, Best Bass Gear wiring harnesses and Hipshot vintage bridge with Graphtech saddles.

View attachment 4008359

Wow!

 

[TK4261]

Wow!

Thank you! I just need to polish the frets, put the neck on and take it to the Luthier and have a new nut installed and have it setup for D"Addario SS Pro Steels 45-100 and it will be done.

 

[Volker Kirstein]

it's a tradition on all the talkbass clubs.

you are now turned up all the way to 11!

Volker Kirstein - #1
G19Tony - #2
hangnail - # 3
pcake - # 4
MakoMan - #5
Diver - #6
Bassylocks - #7
FinialBassist - #8
pistonrod8 - #11
SBassman - #13

Ummm.... you forgot #9...

and here you go, lucky number 9!

Volker Kirstein - #1
G19Tony - #2
hangnail - # 3
pcake - # 4
MakoMan - #5
Diver - #6
Bassylocks - #7
FinialBassist - #8
WildWes - #9
SBassman - #13

 

[SBassman]

The oickguatd looks great.

 

[DavesnothereCA]

Here's an idea for anyone who wishes the Mini P was 30" scale with a maple board and a wider nut: Buy a Bronco and throw some P-Bass pickups in it

I picked up a used Bronco for 80 bucks about a week before I ordered the Mini P. With a little routing and some P-Bass pickups I could turn it into larger version of a Mini P in a couple of hours.

I think as adult bass players we get lost in the fact that Fender maybe was not primarily going for us as the target market when they designed this bass. It's basically a bass for young players and appeals to us adults because of the resemblance to the old Fender Precision Junior.

There's a lot of talk about the Mini P among us adult veteran bassists on TB, but I bet the majority of sales of this bass will be to kids. The fact that adults are also snapping it up is just a bonus for Fender.

If Fender did release a larger 30" scale version of the Mini P, it would only cannibalize sales of both the Mini P and the Bronco. Much as I would like to see a Mini P Senior, I think that's unlikely to happen.

~
I too have been thinking about modding a Squier Bronco [needs a better bridge too], or trying to put its neck onto a Squier Mini-P.

When were Precision Juniors built, and were they 30" scale ?
~

 

[MakoMan]

~
I too have been thinking about modding a Squier Bronco [needs a better bridge too], or trying to put its neck onto a Squier Mini-P.

When were Precision Juniors built, and were they 30" scale ?
~

The P-Bass Jr. was late 90s and early 2000s. They were 28.6" scale... same as the Mini P, but used a string thru bridge.
I sincerely doubt that putting a Bronco neck on a Mini P would work. I suppose it could be done, but I think it would be a lot of work and result in significant neck dive.

 

[DavesnothereCA]

Here is a little progress pic of my heavily modded Squier Mini P Bass. Got my Zebra Wood pickguard in today so I wired up everything with the Nordstrand Power Blade pickups, Best Bass Gear wiring harnesses and Hipshot vintage bridge with Graphtech saddles.

View attachment 4008359

~
So those pickups did surface !

Gotta look into that brand again....

I'm not a fan of black instruments, but a PG such as that one could make me reconsider.

Say, if you have not bolted the neck back on by the time you read this, might I trouble you to make a few measurements for me ?

I'm thinking about what other necks might fit a Mini-P.

The neck pocket size is what I would like to confirm, and whether it is same as a standard Strat or Tele [as Volker speculated], or is it some other size ?

Please, possibly you could measure the neck AND the body to get the best answer.

Apparently there is a thickness dimension to the pocket as well, according to how Warmoth explains things here :

Invalid Link Removed

Thanks.
~

 

[DavesnothereCA]

...as well as all of Fender's versions of the Mustang.

~
According to my recent research [at the websites of Fender and Sweetwater], some of the current Mustangs might have a 1 5/8" nut width [Precision-ish], but others are 1 1/2" [Jazz-like], and with a variety of pickup configurations.

All seem to remain 30" scale, and all weigh more than a Mini-P.
~

 

[TK4261]

~
So those pickups did surface !

Gotta look into that brand again....

I'm not a fan of black instruments, but a PG such as that one could make me reconsider.

Say, if you have not bolted the neck back on by the time you read this, might I trouble you to make a few measurements for me ?

I'm thinking about what other necks might fit a Mini-P.

The neck pocket size is what I would like to confirm, and whether it is same as a standard Strat or Tele, or is it some other size ?

Please, possibly you could measure the neck AND the body to get the best answer.

Apparently there is a thickness dimension to the pocket as well, according to how Warmoth explains things here :

Invalid Link Removed

Thanks.
~

I'll do my best to get it measured correctly for you this afternoon..Gonna work on the Bass today after work

 

[Diver]

~
According to my recent research [at the websites of Fender and Sweetwater], some of the current Mustangs might have a 1 5/8" nut width [Precision-ish], but others are 1 1/2" [Jazz-like], and with a variety of pickup configurations.

All seem to remain 30" scale, and all weigh more than a Mini-P.
~

 

[DavesnothereCA]

Ummm.... you forgot #9...

~
Saving it for ME ?
~

 

[Frank Vozak]

Pardon my ignorance, why are there fewer choices flat wound strings than with round wound I look at things from finger comfort and flat wounds are significantly less hard on the left hand than round wound. I have recently owned 3 new Squires and a new Fender and the round wound strings on all four were like little knives. I am keeping round wounds on the three I own since I don*t want to spend the money for new strings right now.
As I have noted before, I am very happy with how my Mini plays and sounds, much more so than with the P/J configuration on my previous Precision and my current SS Jaguar, right out of the box from Brasswinds Woodwinds where I got mine for $149 using a price comparison that appeared on this site (Guitar Center quoted a $149 price). As I mentioned before, the guitar is great but I have to get use to how the bass looks when I hold it-------it looks like what it is a 3/4 body and a 28.6 neck.For my own size and finger / wrist issues this bass is perfect but I keep thinking kid's bass not a real one (my neurosis, the bass sounds every bit as good or actually a bit better than previously owned 34, 32 and 30 inch neck basses that I have owned or played on.). Even at $179 and Indonesian production, I don't get how Fender can make this bass and make a profit. Every other Fender/Squier product that I haver purchased in the last year or two has required a luthier set up---this one was dead on spec. A fellow bass player who like me also has a SS Squier Jaguar has expressed concern for the hazard of neck warpage given the shorter neck so I am guessing this why all of Fender's under 34 inch neck basses come with lighter guage strings.

 

[DavesnothereCA]

Pardon my ignorance, why are there fewer choices flat wound strings than with round wound ?

I look at things from finger comfort and flat wounds are significantly less hard on the left hand than round wound. I have recently owned 3 new Squires and a new Fender and the round wound strings on all four were like little knives. I am keeping round wounds on the three I own since I don*t want to spend the money for new strings right now.
As I have noted before, I am very happy with how my Mini plays and sounds, much more so than with the P/J configuration on my previous Precision and my current SS Jaguar, right out of the box from Brasswinds Woodwinds where I got mine for $149 using a price comparison that appeared on this site (Guitar Center quoted a $149 price). As I mentioned before, the guitar is great but I have to get use to how the bass looks when I hold it-------it looks like what it is a 3/4 body and a 28.6 neck.For my own size and finger / wrist issues this bass is perfect but I keep thinking kid's bass not a real one (my neurosis, the bass sounds every bit as good or actually a bit better than previously owned 34, 32 and 30 inch neck basses that I have owned or played on.). Even at $179 and Indonesian production, I don't get how Fender can make this bass and make a profit. Every other Fender/Squier product that I have purchased in the last year or two has required a luthier set up---this one was dead on spec. A fellow bass player who like me also has a SS Squier Jaguar has expressed concern for the hazard of neck warpage given the shorter neck so I am guessing this why all of Fender's under 34 inch neck basses come with lighter guage strings.

~
I think that it is at least partially due them costing more to make, so they do not sell as well to players.

Of course we could argue 'chicken and egg' on that observation, but the process to make flats IS more complicated and takes longer, so I would suggest it to be somewhat true.

The economies of scale [of making rounds vs flats] may not as much be a factor, because as I understand it, it is harder if not impossible to get a machine to make the final wrap on a flatwound string and to polish it, without at least some human interaction, according to multiple string makers which brag about their flats being hand-polished.

Then, makers of basses exacerbate matters by choosing the lowest priced string which they can for almost all new basses [so roundwounds], and rock players have grown to like rounds anyway over the years.

So everything which I have mentioned contributes to your initial thought.

BTW, add to this that there are fewer players of short and medium scale basses [let alone extra-short scales like the Squier Mini-P], and it yields a perfect storm' as to why players of those basses can find fewer choices of bass strings in general.

It all comes back to money, at some level.
~