JACKSON Minion JS1X and SQUIER Mini Precision
Bass Player|Holiday 2020
Small but perfectly formed, these affordable bass guitars bring a touch of fun-sized charm to the table—but can they compete with their full-grown siblings, asks Joel McIver
Joel McIver
JACKSON Minion JS1X and SQUIER Mini Precision

Regular readers will know that in recent years we’ve reviewed increasing numbers of short-scale basses, not just because we think they’re cute but because they represent a very real, practical shift in players’ and manufacturers’ thinking. There’s a large number of emerging young players with small hands; likewise, there is a greater number of female bassists, a welcome—and long-overdue—development in our world; there’s a growing concern about the world’s wood stocks, and there seems to be a growing reluctance among airline check-in staff to allow full-sized bass guitars on planes as carry-on luggage. (I admit this last point is based on anecdotal evidence rather than hard data, so if you happen to own a bass-friendly airline, don’t sue me.)

The next logical step may be for luthiers to invest their time and energy into smaller-bodied bass guitars like the two we have here, sent over for review by Fender. Light of weight and short of scale— significantly so; these both measure up at a mere 28.6”—both are aimed squarely at the new, young, and/or financially challenged bass player. In fact, they’re both so budget-priced that we’re immediately suspicious about their ability to make a decent sound or play without serious effort, so let’s plug them in and see. There’s no point in producing an affordable instrument if it sounds terrible, after all.

Build Quality

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Holiday 2020 من Bass Player.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Holiday 2020 من Bass Player.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

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