JHS Unveils Three Typically Idiosyncratic New Models From Italia Guitars

With their unique tones, eye-catching looks and their out-of-this-world, sparkly charms, Italia guitars have already claimed the likes of Nicky Wire and Chris Rea as devoted fans, and now the Trev Wilkinson-designed range has introduced two new guitars and a bass to its quirky stable.

The Italia Fiorano (£549 UK RRP) continues Trev's love affair with the P90 pickup, featuring a pair of Wilkinson W90 Dog ears. Combining these with hollow mahogany body construction and a spruce top gives the Fiorano a great, rich tone that's full of sustain and sophistication – and is also stunningly versatile. The set neck is maple, with a rosewood fingerboard of 22 frets, and there's lashings of chrome hardware to perfectly set off the two available finishes: Cream or Tobacco Sunburst. If early rock and roll, rock, pop, indie or jazz is your thing, you'll love the Fiorano!

Fiorano specs:

• Top: Spruce
• Body: Mahogany
• Neck: Maple, Set
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Frets: 22, medium jumbo
• Machines: Italia die-cast tuners
• Scale Length: 635mm/25"
• Pickups: 2 x Wilkinson Dog ear
• Bridge: Tune-O-Matic with Italia trapeze tailpiece
• Controls: Volume, Tone, 3-way selector

The Modulo Tipo 3 is an impressive melee of ultra sparkle and pearloid, with its doublecut agathis body (and tolex back with pearloid guitar-shaped back plate, naturally) sporting a soapbar P90-style bridge pickup housed in an arty triangular scratchplate. The Modulo features 22 frets and a super-smooth Wilkinson vibrato bridge for all the bends and wobbles you can handle. Coming in two stunning finishes – Sparkle Red and Sparkle Black (both £449 UK RRP) – you can see where Trev's coming from when he says: “Guitars don't come much wilder than this! Classic double-cutaway layout with styling cues from the planet ZOG!”

Modulo Tipo 3 specs:

• Body: Agathis Tonewood, Tolex back with pearloid guitar-shaped back plate
• Neck: Hardrock Maple, Bolt-On
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Frets: 22, medium jumbo
• Scale Length: 648mm/25.5"
• Machines: Italia locking tuners
• Pickups: Wilkinson WHHS
• Bridge: Wilkinson VS50K-2
• Controls: Volume, 2 x Tone, 5-way selector
• Finishing: Mother of Pearloid back with Sparkle top

One for bass players who think outside the box, the Imola 4 is part 60s, part 21st century. Striking to look at and ergonomic to play, it features a classic pickup layout of two Wilkinson WBJ pickups, giving you access to the most essential bass sounds around, and a little something extra thanks to the Imola's acoustic chambering to its korina body. Available in Black and Tobacco Sunburst finishes (both £569 UK RRP), the Imola really stands out from the crowd, especially in the way its distinctive f-hole takes a bite out of the scratchplate! If you're hungry for a bass you can sink your teeth into, the Imola is certainly worth a try.

Imola 4 specs

• Body: Korina
• Neck: Hardrock Maple, bolt-on, 34” scale
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Frets: 22, medium jumbo
• Inlays: None
• Machines: Wilkinson WJ350
• Bridge: Wilkinson WBBC
• Pickups: Wilkinson WBJ
• Controls: 2 Volume, Master Tone

This trio of new models is in shops now. Italia guitars are distributed exclusively in the UK and Eire by John Hornby Skewes & Co. Ltd. For more information, visit the JHS website.