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Squier Mini Strat

rbh32

rbh32

Squier-Nut
Feb 12, 2018
541
Valley, AL
Barely... I made it work by filing the bottom edge of the high e bridge saddle to clear the body screw and got longer intonation screws for half of them. But a regular Tele bridge would be a lot easier with just a few longer intonation screws, or it may not need them at all.
 
Robb

Robb

Doctor Squior
Silver Supporting Member
Jan 13, 2011
6,507
Chertsey
Man , I cant wait to see that. Coool
Bob123 said:
Hi there, I've got a Squier Mini [PR755] exactly like your picture, well it is now, but not for much longer..
It's getting a full sized scale neck upgrade, and I'm replacing the 1 watt amp [which is very tame] with the guts from an Orange Micro Crush 3W amp. [anything else requires major chopping about to fit] So it's some minor chopping about, and
I know I should have taken photos but as it's halfway through, your pic can be the before.. and I'll post the after pic. [If I succeed that is].
Click to expand...
 
Bob123

Bob123

Squier Talker
Aug 13, 2019
24
New Zealand
Bob123 said:
Hi there, I've got a Squier Mini [PR755] exactly like your picture, well it is now, but not for much longer..
It's getting a full sized scale neck upgrade, and I'm replacing the 1 watt amp [which is very tame] with the guts from an Orange Micro Crush 3W amp. [anything else requires major chopping about to fit] So it's some minor chopping about, and
I know I should have taken photos but as it's halfway through, your pic can be the before.. and I'll post the after pic. [If I succeed that is].
Click to expand...
IMG_E5453[1].JPG

Here it is at 95% completed :)

So, it's got a Stagg full-sized strat type neck I had lying around [easy bolt-on and intonation almost bang on], it's got a 3watt Orange Micro Crush amp. I swapped out the stock Pup for a Seymour Duncan Distortion Humbucker just for fun, and even managed to retain one of the original Pot holes. So I have two volume Pots [one on the amp] and a push-pull coil split.
This whole thing works really well, better than expected.
The feedback on full overdrive is a bit screechy but easy to tame by winding the tone back until it stops.
To finish the job I'm going to have two 1/4" jack outputs, one from the volume/push-pull pot for direct to external amp, and the other as a hot jumper/patch from the pot to orange onboard amp [that's the messy curly pig-tail lead you can see]. Without going mad and de-soldering stuff I didn't want to it seemed to be the easiest option to get the guitar output into the amp.

Give me a few more days, and it will be complete and look sharp!
Cheers!
 
howserx

howserx

Squier-holic
Apr 20, 2017
1,071
Winnipeg Canada
I bought one for my son, who doesn't play it anymore. I haul it out once in awhile. I think it sounds great, I hate to say it but it might sound more straty than my strat. My only gripe would be the tuners. they are pretty rough but they work and the guitar stays in tune so not that big of a deal really.
 
Bob123

Bob123

Squier Talker
Aug 13, 2019
24
New Zealand
Robb said:
Make my day.... only 5% to go.
Click to expand...

To whet your appetite Robb :)

I picked up 2 x 90 degree 1/4" plugs and 2 x 1/4" sockets this morning..
Next is to fashion a plate to take them both in the existing output cutout on the body.. they're a tight fit and here I'll measure 3 times and cut once..
The original Squier [and Stagg] tuners are junk and can't hold tune so... a new set I think..

Coupla days and counting..
 
JohnnyMac

JohnnyMac

Squier-holic
Mar 5, 2018
2,729
Front range Colorado
Minis are fun to play when properly set up. And of better quality than you would expect. Especially the necks. This one had no sharp fret ends has a somewhat rounded fretboard edge. It was black and pretty beat up when I got it.

I put in new controls and some pickups from a Squire SE, which may or may not be an upgrade, but it sounds pretty good to me. It's strung with 11s but I still have a tendency to over bend some notes.

010.JPG
 
Last edited:
Bob123

Bob123

Squier Talker
Aug 13, 2019
24
New Zealand
Bob123 said:
View attachment 139431

Here it is at 95% completed :)

So, it's got a Stagg full-sized strat type neck I had lying around [easy bolt-on and intonation almost bang on], it's got a 3watt Orange Micro Crush amp. I swapped out the stock Pup for a Seymour Duncan Distortion Humbucker just for fun, and even managed to retain one of the original Pot holes. So I have two volume Pots [one on the amp] and a push-pull coil split.
This whole thing works really well, better than expected.
The feedback on full overdrive is a bit screechy but easy to tame by winding the tone back until it stops.
To finish the job I'm going to have two 1/4" jack outputs, one from the volume/push-pull pot for direct to external amp, and the other as a hot jumper/patch from the pot to orange onboard amp [that's the messy curly pig-tail lead you can see]. Without going mad and de-soldering stuff I didn't want to it seemed to be the easiest option to get the guitar output into the amp.

Give me a few more days, and it will be complete and look sharp!
Cheers!
Click to expand...


And... It's Finished!

It was a bit fluid in the end.. I changed my mind several times what I was going to do about the onboard input and external amp output. Having 2 x 1/4" sockets side-by-side was fiddly and I didn't want to have to bore out the cavity any more, so I opted for a small hole to take a cable to the onboard amp via 1/4" plug, and cut up the Micro Crush back plate to take the 1/4" Amp out socket as per the pic.
It's very functional.
The main volume feeds the mini amp and coil split adds some additional versatility.
I have both volumes on 5-ish as a mid point.
They work like a volume and gain pair. Increase the main for gain, the amp one for distortion.
The tone works fine until you hit the overdrive then it becomes a feedback/squeal control.
Overdrive is massive for such a wee amp, I mean 3 watts simply blows away the 1 watt squier mini one..
Won't dwell on feedback but it's about the same as a Pignose PG200, you have to be onto it and mute or adjust as you play.
I did notice the coil split is more noticeable on an external amp.
All in all, very pleased with the result.
I nearly forgot about the Orange Badge... had to put that on..

Next project.. I've got a 5W Blackstar doing nothing...and a couple of Gats in bits... IMG_5461.jpg IMG_5462.jpg IMG_5463.jpg IMG_5461.jpg IMG_5462.jpg IMG_5463.jpg IMG_5461.jpg IMG_5462.jpg
 
Bob123

Bob123

Squier Talker
Aug 13, 2019
24
New Zealand
Robb said:
I'll keep on waiting bro :)
Click to expand...
Hey Robb, did you see the finished article?

It's all-but finished. yet to replace the tuners.. one string bend and it's out of tune.. who sold those sh1tty tuners to Squier..?

Consider it complete.
Loving how it plays, gonna give it to my son for Christmas.

Apologies for all the pics, my PC wouldn't post initally.. then it went mad..
If I knew how to get rid of the duplicates I would.
I'm better with a soldering Iron than a laptop.
 
Robb

Robb

Doctor Squior
Silver Supporting Member
Jan 13, 2011
6,507
Chertsey
Man , YOU are incredible, this was a great project, I feel like I should do the same with mine.
Thank`s again for this thread Bob.
 
tuner sandwich

tuner sandwich

Squier Talker
Jul 27, 2019
92
SC, US
Squier minis are great guitars. I got two for my kids. A pink and a red. They don't play them much, but I do on occasion. Only thing I changed was the tuners.
 
Rat cam 68

Rat cam 68

Squier-Nut
Mar 12, 2018
541
Mooresville,In
I bought 1 for my daughter about 10 years ago ,just in case she wanted to learn guitar. I had a set of pickups that I bought for another project sitting around. The pickups I found on Amazon,took a chance on a 35 dollar set of alnico 5 pickups that turned out to be really good.As it turns out I also had a set of Fender vintage tuners sitting around why not...........
 
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