Customer Reviews

Squier by Fender MINI, Black

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This has the bones of a good instrument, but the designers did not pay attention to the core design problem of a mini guitar--the string length, or scale. Had the mini Strat a typical Strat's vibrato, the total string length would be a couple of inches longer, which would be a dramatic improvement for this guitar. The longer the string from tuning key to stop, the more tension required to raise the string to proper intonation. And the more tension, the better it will play and sound.

The designers used a ridiculously complex tailpiece that has two hex screws to adjust the height of each string. With the relatively low string tension, adjusting the bridge is a delicate process. It is hard to keep the saddles low enough, to not affect playability, because you have to raise them enough to keep the saddles from rattling. A little more string tension would solve that.

If you tune this thing high pitched like a mandolin, it plays much better. In truth, it's accidentally designed to be tuned like that. Tuned normally, it's too twangy. My daughter won't touch it; she prefers my full-scale SG because it sounds so much better. Try heavier than average strings; they help, but that also makes the instrument less playable for small hands.

The pickups are nothing special, but the Mini Strat does have the five-position switch, and the in-between positions produce nice, chunky tones.

This guitar is not meant to be tuned to "E"!!! It's meant to be tuned to "A"!!! Like a normal guitar with a capo on the fifth fret. If you put a clamp on your strings at the fifth fret and tuned to "E", you'd have loose strings too!

I've been playing for over 20 years, and I was really excited when my 7 year old daughter asked for a guitar for Christmas. I bought her a mini strat in red after trying it out a guitar center. It plays amazing for something in this price range! Yes, the strings are a little slack, but that's not bad for a new player with small hands. It's a great size and weight for a small player. She's a 3/4-side person (at just over 4 ft tall), so I figure a 3/4 sized guitar is perfect.

My daughter feels like a total rock star when she puts it on and has been practicing basic chords and scales for the past month. She's really starting to get the hang of it. She'll probably outgrow this guitar in a couple of years, but if she keeps at it she'll be a great player by then.

My first Mini, purchased over a decade ago, was a bad investment. The four neck bolts continually came loose, no amount of tweaking could get the intonation right, the pick-up pole pieces didn't align with the strings, and the finish was uneven. It cost $99 and I figured I got less than what I paid for. It was clearly a toy and I sold it for $25 without regret.

Three or four years ago I extensively played a "Hello Kitty" Mini owned by a friend. It cost her $149 and, after I tweaked the intonation and the string height a bit, it was a playable instrument. I figured she pretty much got what she paid for. A decent little 3/4-sized traveler.

Recently, after reading that Fender had upped the build quality of their oriental Squier guitars, I again purchased a Mini. I couldn't be more pleased. Right out of the box, everything about the instrument was spot-on. The construction was rock solid, the neck was straight, the strings were correctly positioned, the intonation was exact, and the finish was flawless. It was, in two words, masterfully made. I figure I got at least $249 worth of guitar for $99. How cool is that?

The sound of the current Mini is "classic Fender single-coil"...shimmering with bell-like overtones. The pickups are functional, if a bit thin sounding compared to the Seymour Duncans I have on my full-size Strat. The six-in-line enclosed tuners hold the light gauge strings without slipping. The neck is perfectly finished and fast. Because it's a 3/4-sized guitar, the string spacing might be too tight for adult players with large fingers. But for everyone else, including fortunate children, the current Mini is a sweet ride. And at its present "give away" street value, this has to be one of the most fantastic bargains in the musical kingdom! Bravo Fender!

We bought this for our 7 year old son. Perfect size, good sound, and you can't beat the $99 price tag. I would order a nice set of strings and swap out the ones shipped with the guitar. We purchased the Ernie Ball Regular Slinky Strings.

Bought for my daughter who is 8yrs old, and it's great. Just the right size for her to play/learn on. I've had it for a couple of months now and haven't had any problems with it.

The Fender Squier Mini electric guitar is great for children who are just starting out. It is a reduced-sized electric guitar, which helps children reach the frets more easily. It is also not very expensive (relative to what some full-sized guitars cost). So, it is a reasonable investment for a child who may or may not stick with lessons or practice!

It produces reasonably good sound. Obviously, in this price range, you cannot expect top-quality or high-end features or sound. However, remember that this guitar is sized for children (or, I suppose very small-framed adults) who are just beginning. And, it is priced as a beginner guitar with obvious trade-offs in "higher end" quality. For the purpose it is intended to serve (basically a guitar to start your child out on a pretty good instrument until he/she can justify something better), it is great. Once a child reaches the next level or two of progress and/or is clearly committed to pursuing guitar further, then you might upgrade.

For children who just need to learn the basics, and for whom you do not want to "break the bank" on a guitar purchase, I think this is a great starter electric guitar! Also, recall that for children who you know need a reduced-sized electric guitar, there are not that many options in the first place. You may find some choices at big-box mass-market consumer retail stores (Wal-M or "Tarjay", for example) but those will be closer to "toys" than this Fender mini Squier. This Fender mini Squier is better quality than the "toy" electric guitars, but not by very much!

I will say that the tuners appear rather cheap. This guitar does need tuning more often that I'd like to see. That being said, a new guitar player also benefits from learning how to properly tune a guitar. So, if there is a "silver lining" to the tuning issues, I guess that would be it! :)

Remember to buy a decent beginner amp to go with this guitar, and your young beginner guitarist will be all set. I recommend this: Fender Starcaster 15-watt Electric Guitar Amplifier

In summary -- For children who just need something that is pretty durable, easy to handle, and cost-effective for just starting out, this is a great option!

This Guitar is pretty cool and will serve its purpose for entertaining my 6 year old son. It looks cool and has the shape of a genuine Strat. The neck is small so he will also be able to play it quite easily. You can also adjust the lighter strings to a pretty low height for ease of play for a child. Here is what I don't like: 1) When setting the intonation on the guitar, not all strings were within range of adjustment (high E string). The Bass E string had to be set pretty high to prevent buzzing (When tuned to G - That's how it came - it buzzed when I tried to lower the action.) It isn't as bad when tuned to A. A lot of the Frets were also not flush with the rosewood. Tuners are also not the greatest. Finish also had some problems.

Many say that this was supposed to be tuned to A. Yes you can but here are the advantages to tuning to G. The strings are easier to hold down for a 6 year old and more responsive. It will also make the same chords as a regular guitar.

A Squire mini is not the same quality as a full size Squire Strat.

Yes you do get what you pay for but being a Fender backed product, I did wrongfully expect something better.

Some tips right of the bat: DO NOT BUY THIS FROM AMAZON. Mine had imperfections that I'm sure are the result of poor storage. I bought it here and it shipped straight from Amazon's facility. As you'll soon find out, they very obviously do not know how to store a guitar. Also, I was guaranteed one day shipping, and paid to get it the next day. They chose to go with a cheaper option, at my expense, but wound up refunding every cent of my shipping when I explained the problem. I do much of my shopping through Amazon, and it's uneventful. This was a pain though. This shipping issue has nothing to do with the product; I'm just advising that you go elsewhere for this item.

Straight out of the box here's what I had to work with:
Pros:
-Well built
-Very sturdy
-Decent hardware (might replace the tuners)
-Awesome tone

Cons:
-Garbage strings (to be expected)
-Rusted pickups (never encountered this before)
-Rusted screws (never seen this either)
-Fret Sprout (common, but easily remedied with the right tools)

Basically I took a lot of it apart and took some steel wool to the rusted spots. This wasn't necessary, but I don't want rust on a brand new guitar. I restrung it and set up the action with the included pair of allen wrenches. I need to file down the fret sprout (sharp frets due to fret board shrinkage). That's going to be the hardest part.

At the end of the day you get a guitar that needs some work, hopefully work that doesn't involve scrubbing rust off the metal parts... You'll need to set up the action, adjust the intonation, and maybe tweak the truss rod a little bit. It's all worth it though because this thing really does rock. The tone is excellent and when all is said and done it should play like a top notch instrument. You'll also need to put heavier strings on it. I put high tension drop tuning strings (10s) made by DR and it still needed to be tuned up to G to get rid of the slack.

I teach professionally and I would highly recommend this to my younger students if they had access to someone who could do the proper work on it for them. 100 bucks isn't bad for a good guitar and any guitar, high end or low end, needs to be set up anyway. If you can work on this instrument yourself or you know someone who can, then go for it and you'll have an awesome piece. If you don't, then this is not the guitar for you.

I was very impressed by this little guitar. The build quality seemed good and toggle and pods were noiseless.
The only complaints I have is E string breaks often, which is a direct result of constant tuning fatiguing the strings.
I feel the tuners are just not strong enough and the ratio is no adequate to keep in tune.
Still a great guitar for a 5 to 10 year old.