Fender Squier Mini Strat Suggestions?

maki720

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Hi all,

I've recently become interested in playing electric guitar (although ukulele will always be my first love), and I'm looking into buying the Squier Mini Strat by Fender. Does anyone have any experience with this guitar. My reason of interest in the Mini is because it is about the size of a tenor uke, and it's something that I want to be able to just pick up and play for fun. Is it suitable for learning chords/scales/simple riffs? I don't think I'll be completely switching from ukulele to guitar any time soon, so I'm not really interested in going all out and buying a full size guitar.

Any suggestions?


Thanks in advance!
 
Aloha Maki720,
I had one many years ago, When i got mine it was for $99.00 and I had a $20.00 discount for something(can't remember) anyways got it for $79.00 from Musicins friend..
Sounds good, only thing the fingers are cramped and tight on the fingerboard....if you got small fingers...it's okay then.. I hope it helps, Good Luck!! MM Stan..
 
Aloha, and thanks for the advice mm stan!! Yup, it's still $99. I've read about it having some staying-in-tune problems, but can be remedied by changing the tuning heads. Is this true? Are the frets about the size of a tenor uke?
 
Short Scale

I got one for my son it was a let down and always out of tune.

The tuning problems are more of a scale length issue I stole this off a web site to help understand.

The shorter the scale is, the easier and more payable the guitar is, and the more bendable the strings are. The reason is that on a shorter scale the strings need to be looser to get the same pitch. A longer scale would usually result in a 'tighter' sound (the same effect could be achieved by using thicker strings). The two most common scales lengths for standard size electric guitar is the Gibson scale of 24 & 3/4 inches, and the Fender scale of 25 & 1/2 inches. Smaller guitars would usually, though not necessarily, have shorter scales. Please bear in mind that electric guitars with scales shorter than 21'' usually would need to be tuned up in ordered to get stable pitch and intonation. This is because when the strings get too loose their pitch changes noticeably with the slightest change in tension (which happens everytime you press a fret). Tuning up a fourth (A-D-G-C-E-A instead of the standard E-A-D-G-B-E) is one option. An alternative solution would be so use heavier gauge strings (such as 0.11).
 
Aloha, and thanks for the advice mm stan!! Yup, it's still $99. I've read about it having some staying-in-tune problems, but can be remedied by changing the tuning heads. Is this true? Are the frets about the size of a tenor uke?

Aloha Maki720,
I haven'd experienced that with mine, my friends says it says in tune really good..they
come over and play it and the next week or two they come back and says hey you're
been playing this or what? and I say no why?? because it's still pretty much the same
in tune......a couple of my friends offered me to trade for their accoustics...I hope
it helps...Good Luck!! MM Stan
To me, it's a fun instrument, a slight tuning once a while is not bad either..
If you're trying to compare this with a regular size guitar, which it is not of
course it's not going to sound like one...but for the price and something
different...it was fun to me...
 
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thanks for the advice mm stan and everyone! i'll think about it!!
 
Mine's a nice player, Maki. Here's a photo of mine next to a Kramer Focus Strat, when I first got it:

23320squiremini.jpg


Mine would never tune right, until I adjusted the bridge saddles for action and intonation and the neck for proper relief. Here's a photo I just took of the bridge saddles. Notice how there's no adjustment left on the low E string bbridge saddle. The way I have it adjusted is with a medium low action. None of the strings buzz at any fret anymore. They are accurately the same note as thery are when fretted at the octave (12th fret):

SquireStratMiniBridge.jpg


Setup's a tricky process. It took me about two weeks with this one, first keeping the strings at proper tension and playing it often during the break in period to let the neck settle. Ric
 
thank you so much for the help ric!!!! i'll give it a go!!
 
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