Description
Review of the Squier Mini Precision Bass in Black with Laurel Fingerboard
This is a reduced-size four-string electric bass in black, built on the Precision Bass template with a split single-coil pickup, a slim neck and a hardtail bridge. It is aimed at younger players, players with smaller hands or shorter reach, and anyone who wants a bass that travels easily without dropping to a novelty instrument.
Pros & Cons
- The reduced size solves a real problem. A standard bass puts the first fret a long way from the body, and for a child or a shorter-armed adult that reach is the single biggest barrier to playing comfortably. Shrinking the instrument removes it.
- A split single-coil pickup is the classic Precision arrangement. The two halves are wired out of phase with each other, which cancels hum while retaining the thick, round tone that defines this style of bass on decades of recordings.
- The slim “C” shaped neck profile suits small hands. A shallow rounded back keeps the thumb behind the neck rather than forcing it round the shoulder, which matters most when the hand is still building strength.
- Chrome die-cast tuners and a hardtail bridge keep things simple. Sealed housings keep grime out of the gears so the turn stays consistent, and with nothing floating there are no springs to balance and string changes are straightforward.
- The body timber is recorded three different ways. The description says a thin basswood body, the body attribute says poplar, the back attribute says basswood and the top attribute says maple and poplar. Four statements, three answers, and the published data does not resolve which timber the body actually is.
- The warranty text describes the wrong instrument. The listing states that “Fender warrants this Fender acoustic guitar to be free from defects”, on a page selling an electric bass. The two-year term is presumably correct, but the wording has been copied from an unrelated product.
- The scale length is never published. On a bass this is the most important single number, and calling the instrument “reduced-size” or “3/4 size” is not the same as stating a measurement. Without it the string tension and the reach at the first fret cannot be predicted.
- The description refers to a pack that does not exist here. One bullet reads “the Mini Precision bass guitar featured in this pack”, but the listing includes only the bass. There is no pack.
- The listed 10 pound weight is a shipping figure. A short-scale bass with a thin body does not weigh that on a strap; the number covers the carton.
Detailed Product Description
The instrument is built on the Precision Bass outline, the design that established what an electric bass sounds like. The body is thin by design, which the seller states reduces weight and improves comfort, and that combination of a thin body and a reduced scale is what makes this a genuinely manageable bass for a smaller player.
The neck is maple with an Indian laurel fingerboard. Maple is stiff enough to hold against the considerable pull of bass strings without needing a thick profile, which is what allows the slim “C” shape. Laurel is a dense mid-brown timber used widely as a rosewood substitute; it feels slightly drier under the fingers than rosewood and takes fingerboard oil well.
The pickup is a split single coil sitting under the strings around the middle of the body. Splitting it into two halves, each covering two strings and wound in opposite directions, cancels the hum a single coil would otherwise produce while keeping the tone.
Strings are nickel steel, the standard bass string material, warmer than stainless and easier on the frets. The bridge is a hardtail, so strings anchor to a fixed plate. Choosing between a shortened and a full-length bass is the central decision here, and the short scale and full scale bass comparison sets out what each choice costs and gains.
What Comes with the Product
The listing states the purchase includes one Squier Mini Precision four-string bass guitar. Nothing else is described as included.
Not included, and not claimed: an amplifier, a cable, a gig bag or case, a strap, a tuner, spare strings or setup tools. A bass with no amplifier is very quiet played acoustically, so an amplifier or a headphone practice device is required rather than optional. A gig bag is the other early purchase, since a bass leaning against furniture is easy to knock over.
Who It Suits
This suits a child or younger teenager starting bass, an adult with shorter arms or smaller hands, or a guitarist who wants a bass for home recording and finds a full-scale neck unfamiliar. It also suits a travelling player who wants something that fits into a car boot alongside luggage.
It suits less well a taller adult intending to play in a band, where a full-length instrument gives more string tension and a deeper fundamental, or a complete beginner buying with a fixed budget, since nothing is included. Alternatives sit in bass guitars and kids and junior guitars.
How to Maintain
Wipe the strings after every session. Bass strings are expensive to replace and it is trapped sweat in the windings that kills their brightness.
Keep the instrument in a stable room away from radiators and out of direct sun. Check the neck relief a few weeks after arrival once the strings have been pulling on it, and again at seasonal changes. Oil the laurel fingerboard once or twice a year if it looks grey and dry. Check the output jack nut periodically, since a loose jack causes crackling that is easily mistaken for a pickup fault.
Tips and Recommendations
Expect a setup on arrival. Basses ship with a high action so nothing rattles in transit, and lowering it makes a large difference to how easy the instrument is to play, particularly for the small hands this bass is aimed at.
Fret with the fingertips just behind the fret rather than pressing in the middle of the space, which reduces the force needed considerably. Practise through headphones or a small amplifier at low volume; bass travels through walls more than any other instrument. Consider a set of flatwound strings if a warmer, thumpier tone is wanted, since they suit this design and are gentler on the fingers than roundwounds. A short instrument still benefits from a proper strap rather than being played only seated.
Warranty & Support Information
The listing states a two-year limited warranty against defects in materials and workmanship. The warranty wording as published refers to a Fender acoustic guitar rather than to this bass, which appears to be copied text; the two-year term is the figure stated.
Product FAQ
What is the body made of? The description says basswood, the body attribute says poplar, the back says basswood and the top says maple and poplar. The published data does not agree with itself.
What is the scale length? Not published. The listing describes it as reduced-size and 3/4 size but gives no measurement.
Does it come with an amplifier? No. The listing includes only the bass, with no amplifier, cable, bag or strap.
What comparable basses are there? Alternatives include the Squier Debut Series Precision Bass, the Ibanez GSR200 bass and the Davison full-size bass kit with a 15 watt amp.
