JACKSON Minion JS1X and SQUIER Mini Precision

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

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