Squier Mini Strat V2 BK IL

First of all, I'm a huge fan of hardtail fender style guitars, especially strats, mustangs and jags. It is not easy to find a hardail strat cause 99% of them are loaded with tremolo. Some time ago I had a bullet mustang, and found some interesting things happening with shorter scale guitars, so I decided to order a mini :)

First impression was - it is so easy to play!! You can bend full chords for 3-4 semi steps like nothing!! I was like OMG this is so playful. It originally came to me with 9s (string), and it was not set-up best, but i did not expect that for 130eur.

So I began with upgrades:

1. install a bone nut
2. install Schaller tuners
3. install high end pots + shielding
4. set up the guitar and put 10-46 string
(only pickups are still original, they will be gone soon for sure)

The end result is - I will never ever sell this guitar!

If you compare mini to a regular strat, it does sound darker and more muddy, but still very interesting warm sound, i suppose because of shorter scale and less tension in strings. Can't wait to put some real pickups in it. 10-46 strings are much more stable than nines, but I have a strong feeling that 11 will be a perfect fit for this little monster.

Overall, this is not a toy for kids, it is a serious guitar. You don't need to change all this parts, but I highly recommend to make a proper set-up at least and put some 10 or 11 gauge strings on it because 9's are super bendy but not very stable.

No matter if you are a beginner or pro, this little monster is 100% rock and roll machine gun, it screams and makes all kind of sounds uniquely, and it's super easy to play.

Bought for my son as a starter guitar and he absolutely loves it. Feels every bit as solid as my old Squier Affinity. As others have pointed out, the smaller size and low-grade stock tuners make this hard to keep in tune at standard E, and the strings jangle a bit when strummed hard due to the lower tension. I plan to upgrade to mini locking tuners and swap out the pickups for those in my Affinity, after which I’m confident that this will be a great instrument that will last my kiddo years until he’s ready for a full-size guitar.