The Squier Mini Strat electric guitar is a surprisingly well-made and comfortable piece of equipment. While it is on the low-end of the price scale and certainly far from the best travel electric guitar out there, its quality genuinely out-performs what you'd expect from the price.

The sound quality of this particular mini electric guitar tends to be very good for what it is, although it may help to have some slight adjustments made to lower the action slightly. While this is possible, it is also something of a hassle and can take considerable time to get just right.Another flaw of the Fender Mini Strat is in the tuning pegs. They seem to be of somewhat lower quality than the rest of the guitar (which is fairly well made for the most part) and do not hold tuning like an experienced guitarist would expect.

The other complaint a guitarist would be likely to have about this guitar is simply the fret size. While many travel electric guitars boast a full size fret board with a compact head and body, the Squier Mini electric guitar actually has a smaller scale and more compact fret board.

The smaller scale also contributes to the issue with keeping this guitar in tune as the shorter length of strings also requires less tension to achieve the same sound, meaning more bending and more frequent tuning. Changing to higher quality tuning pegs will help but you cannot expect the issue to be entirely resolved by this.

The other effect of this more compact frets is that, if you are used to playing a full size guitar or even other travel electric guitars with full size frets, you will likely feel somewhat cramped. This can be a hassle and many experienced players will not appreciate the compact space but, for players with smaller hands and children (for whom, with its economic price, this guitar is perfect) the smaller area can be a blessing.

Likewise, however, experienced guitarists can also appreciate the Fender Squier Mini. Despite its small stature, this mini electric guitar is comfortable to hold and play. Like its larger counterpart, it fits comfortably in your lap or across your body when using a strap. Although the materials are far from perfect, it's generally sturdy and well made. While not the first choice for a serious musician, the Squier Mini Strat is a perfect travel guitar for a person on a budget or a young person just starting to play and lives up well to the Stratocaster name in sound and playability, if on a comparably smaller scale.

Features

• Small-scale neck
• (22-3/4")
• Three single-coil electronic pickups
• Master volume and tone controls
• Maple C-shaped neck
• Rosewood fretboard
• 20 medium frets
• Hard-tail 6-saddle bridge

I received the Fender Squier Mini Player for a birthday present from my girlfriend.   She wanted to buy me something that I was passionate about but she knew she couldn't afford to buy above the two full size electric guitars I already own.  Solution:  go practical.

I admit, at first I thought it was a joke or something until she explained why she bought it.  So many times we travel places or just end up in a situation where I would like to play a guitar but I either

A.) didn't bring it because of space and storage issues
B.)  don't feel like hauling it out and setting up
or
C.)  just don't find it practical

Whats great about this little guitar is that the amplifier, speaker and distortion are all built into the guitar.  You have two separate knobs for volume and distortion to tune it just how you want it.  There's  no cords, no boxes, just pick it up and play.  It also provides a headphone jack for those situations where you need a silent practice.

So what does it sound like?  Surprisingly, and I wasn't expecting much, it sounds really good.  You get really decent clean tones out of this guitar but don't expect the neighbor to call the cops on account of you playing to loud.  It has only the one humbucking pickup.  I really wish it was a little louder but when playing without a preamp the volume is pretty low.  Turning up the distortion helps and it does sound pretty cool.   If I need more volume I noticed there's a 1/4" jack that allows you to hook up your favorite amp and really rock out.

As far as playing it goes, well, this is where you realize your playing a fender and not just some toy.  It has a nice maple neck and rosewood fret board with 20 medium jumbo frets.  The body is lamenated hardwood and the hardware is all chrome.  It feels pretty sturdy, like it could take some serious abuse.  Even though its a smaller guitar it doesn't feel awkward at all like some small travel guitars are notorious for.  It pretty much feels just like a normal guitar so playability isn't a issue.

Overall, I would recommend the Fender Squier Mini Player to anyone who likes to travel, the portablity is just awesome.  Yes, there are smaller electric travel guitars but they do not offer a built in amp and speaker.  Whats interesting is I find myself picking up this guitar over my other guitars even when I'm just messing around at home.  Why?  Because I can just pick it up and start playing.  I really like having it around and I owe it all to by wonderfully smart girlfriend.

What about kids? Well we don't have any together yet but  this guitar would be perfect for a kid.  A lot of times people buy their kid a guitar for 40 bucks at Walmart to see if they are going to stick with it.  The problem with this is that the guitar sucks and it rarely stays in tune if you can even get it in tune.  Of Course they give up.  This guitar is relatively inexpensive, a quality instrument (not a toy), and its small stature fits perfectly into the arms of a child.

Fender Squier Mini Player Features:

• Series: Affinity Series
• Scale length: 22.75" (575mm)
• Colors: Black (polyurethane finish)
• Body: Laminated hardwood
• Neck: Maple, C-shaped, (polyurethane finish)
• Fingerboard: Rosewood, 9.5" radius (241 mm)
• Frets: 20 medium jumbo
• Pickups: 1 humbucking pickup
• Controls: Volume, Gain
• Pickup switching: None
• Bridge: Hard-tail 6-Saddle Bridge
• Machine Heads: Covered tuners
• Hardware: Chrome
• Pickguard: None
• Width at nut: 1.61" (41 mm)
• Unique features: Built-In amplifier and speaker system, Volume and Gain Controls, easy access 9V battery compartment (battery included), Headphone jack for Silent practice, 1/4" Input, 9V DC adaptor Input, Black silkscreen Logo, White dot position inlays
• Strings: Fender Super 250L, (.009 to .042) Nickel Plated Steel p/n 073-0250-003