NAMM 2026: Squier has announced that a comprehensive refresh of its Sonic Series of beginner electric guitars and basses is incoming, and that means more Fender designs in budget-friendly formats – and it has expanded its range of miniaturised classics with Stratocasters and Precision Basses scaled down to 3/4 size for young players.
These new models have been announced in time for that big old gearapalooza in Anaheim, California, but the dust from NAMM will have settled by July, when these hit stores and online.
The Mini Stratocaster is refreshed in California Blue and Sea Foam Green, both with maple fingerboards, no-fuss hard-tail six-saddle bridges as standard, and are lightweight and accessible with a super-manageable 22.75” scale length.
Otherwise, it’s pretty much business as usual, with a trio of single-coils, a five-way pickup selector switch, with volume and tone controls serving all pickups. These are great guitars for kids.
The Mini Precision Bass does something similar, shortening what would ordinarily be a 34” scale instrument to 28.6”. Players have one split-coil to work with, with volume and tone knobs to dial in a sound. New for this year is the 2-Color Sunburst model with an Indian laurel fingerboard.
These mini models all have very mainstream C profile bolt-on necks and a very reasonable price, with the Mini Strat retailing at £179/$199, and the Mini P Bass a bona-fide cheap bass guitar at just £189/$209.
For beginners looking for a full-sized instrument, the Sonic Series provides all kinds of cheap electric guitars. A lot of these models share key appointments.
They all come with lightweight poplar bodies, bolt on maple necks – again, the profile is a crowd-pleasing C shape, none too thick – and the option of Indian laurel or maple fingerboards, depending on the finish. Chrome hardware comes as standard, with sealed tuners on all models but the Precision Bass, which has open-gear tuners.
The collection offers both traditional and off-menu takes on their Fender forebears. Take the Esquire HH (£189/$249). Esquire takes the Fender story back to the beginning; it could not be more simple, a Telecaster with just one pickup.
But here Squier has given it a contemporary makeover, refinishing it in Olive (a finish we will forever associate with Chris Cornell, and a more muted option compared to the Ultraviolet and Arctic White models in the catalogue) and equipping it with a single high-output ceramic humbucker at the bridge.
Contrast this with the Sonic Telecaster, which besides the Canary Yellow finish, new-to-the-series for 2026, reverts to the established Tele recipe; i.e. dual single-coils, three-way switch, volume and tone knobs mounted on a metal control plate. Like the Esquire, this has a six-saddle string-through-body bridge, and it’s priced the same.
Now, let’s talk Strats. Again, you’ve got options. The Sonic Stratocaster in Sienna Burst presents in the the classic Strat format – three single-coils, five-way switching, tremolo – and gives you a bit of that Fender American Professional II look on a guitar that’s fractions of the price (again, we’re talking £189/$249 for each of these).
The Sonic Stratocaster HT does away with the bar in favour of a six-saddle hard-tail bridge, and is offered in a cool Sea Foam Green with a maple ‘board and white pickguard.
Those looking for some more muscle at the bridge pickup have options, too, like this new maple fingerboard HSS Strat in Midnight Blue with a black pickguard looks the bee’s knees, or the hard-tail Sonic Strat HT H model that kind of does that Tom DeLonge Strat thing with a single ‘bucker at the bridge – because sometimes nothing beats the simplicity of a single-pickup electric guitar.
And there are offsets, too. The Mustang is available with its usual dual single-coils, its Daphne Blue finish all early ‘60s Fender Custom Colour cool, and in black with a pair of humbuckers at the bridge and neck positions.
Finally, there’s a Sonic Precision Bass that – again – reminds us that Midnight Blue is a slept-on Fender colour, and actually looks more classic with that white pickguard complementing it. As per the O.G. electric bass guitar template, there’s a single passive split-coil pickup, volume and tone controls, on a full-scale 34” instrument with an Indian laurel fingerboard.
And, rounding out these 2026 releases – at last for now – there is the short-scale Bronco Bass, refinished in Daphne Blue. The Bronco’s lightweight build and 30” scale makes it a viable option if you can’t decide between between the Mini P Bass and a full-size model.
So yeah, the bad news is you will have to wait for July for these, but then the summer is a pretty good time for anyone to start playing guitar.
Browse the current Squier range at Fender and see the MusicRadar buyer’s guide for the best Squier guitars you can buy today.
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