Musikmesse 2017: Italia unveils 3 new guitars and basses, including “the most tonally diverse six-string ever made”

The Italia job

MUSIKMESSE 2017: Italia has dropped a trio of quirky new designs, comprising the Imola Vario, Maranello Cavo bass and ITFJ6 Jeff Foskett Signature six-string.

The ITFJ6 is a six-string version of the 12-string made for Beach Boys guitarist Jeffrey Foskett last year, while the brand is touting the Imola Vario as “possibly the most tonally diverse six-string ever made”.

Read on for the lowdown on each model, and head over to JHS for more info.

Italia Imola Vario

PRESS RELEASE: Possibly the most tonally diverse six-string ever made, the new Imola Vario has some fresh, clean design changes, a redesigned body cavity for better tone as well as weight reduction, and even more tonal variation in the pickup configurations.

Classic-style 3-way switches split the bass and treble sides of all 3 Italia Duplex pickups (or to control the SIX mini pickups). An added 5-position rotary switch allows you to dial every combination imaginable.

With a Wilkinson WV6 vibrato system and Italia locking machine heads for superb return-to-zero performance, the Imola Vario is supplied with a padded gigbag and is available in Satin Yellow and Satin Purple finishes.

Italia Maranello Cavo

PRESS RELEASE: Meanwhile the Maranello Cavo bass features a chambered mahogany body construction with Italia’s signature f-hole design, resulting in a stunningly classic vintage look.

The Cavo’s light weight, and 30” scale length make this a very comfortable instrument. Equipped with a pair of Italia Toaster bass humbuckers with master volume, tone and blend controls the Cavo is ideal for a wide range of styles.

Available in Racing Green or Trans Red finishes, the Cavo comes complete with padded bag.

Italia ITFJ6 Jeff Foskett Signature 6 String

PRESS RELEASE: Finally, following on from the success of his 12-string model last year, Italia are pleased to add the new ITFJ6 Jeff Foskett Signature 6 String.

Developed once again in conjunction with the longtime Beach Boys guitarist, the ITJF6 comes with three Wilkinson mini-humbuckers, with a master volume, tone, blend and separate middle pickup volume controls, for a wide variety of tonal options.

Finished in Pearl White with an Italia trapeze tailpiece, the ITFJ6 looks as stunning as it sounds and comes with padded bag.

Mike has been Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com since 2019, and an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict for far longer. He has a master's degree in journalism from Cardiff University, and 15 years' experience writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as 20 years of recording and live experience in original and function bands. During his career, he has interviewed the likes of John Frusciante, Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Matt Bellamy, Kirk Hammett, Jerry Cantrell, Joe Satriani, Tom DeLonge, Radiohead's Ed O'Brien, Polyphia, Tosin Abasi, Yvette Young and many more. His writing also appears in the The Cambridge Companion to the Electric Guitar. In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock as Maebe.