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Guitar Interactive Issue 60 Italia Maranello Classic MKII Originally designed in collaboration with famed guitar designer Trev Wilkinson, and inspired by an early 1960s Hagström model, Dan Le Gresley reviews the Maranello Classic MkII – The second generation of the Italia original classic design, now lighter weight with the same amazing tone. REVIEWS_GUITAR REVIEW he Italia brand turns 19 years old this year, the UK based guitar maker has stood the test of time and their retro-inspired designs still delight and di- vide guitarists today. The Trevor Wilkinson designed guitars hark back to a time of the original Supro’s, Hagstrom’s, Silverstone’s, Corals, Harmony’s and Teisco’s. Indeed Supro’s resurgence in this market highlights how popular these guitars still are. On the stand, today is the Maranello Classic MKII in Red Sparkle. Based on the Hager- stom P46 Deluxe, its Les Paul shape has a longer scale length than the LP at 635mm, a wider waist and reduced horn makes the Maranello look distinctive. The red sparkle finish only adds to the character and let’s be honest, it’s not a guitar for a shrinking violet. The MkII features a solid American alder body and maple neck with the back, sides and neck dressed in a thick white Pearloid finish and a top adorned in a thick red spar- kled resin, res-o-glass pickguard and cream binding. The finish is solid, the frets are clean, the binding is error free and feels well put together. This comes as a surprise, as on looks alone you may fear a toy like quality, thankfully looks can be deceiving. The maple neck has a comfortable and shal- low C shape and feels pleasant in the hand, the 22 fret solid rosewood fingerboard is flat, with block inlays and well-dressed frets. It feels very comfortable and playable, not a shredder but she’s got some soul. The flat fingerboard feels a bit strange at first but my playing adapts quickly and somewhere in that struggle lies the tone. » "Not a shredder but she’s got some soul..." T

REVIEWS GUITAR REVIEW THE REVIEWS Italia Maranello Classic ... · REVIEWS_ GUITAR REVIEW THE REVIEWS ITALIA MARANELLO CLASSIC MKII he Italia brand turns 19 years old this year, the

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Guitar Interactive Issue 60

Italia Maranello Classic MKII y an early 1960’s

on of the Italia originalOriginally designed in collaboration with famed guitar designer Trev Wilkinson, and inspired by an early 1960s Hagström model, Dan Le Gresley reviews the Maranello Classic MkII – The second generation of the Italia original classic design, now lighter weight with the same amazing tone.

Italia Maranello Classic MKII

REVIEWS_GUITAR REVIEW THE REVIEWS ITALIA MARANELLO CLASSIC MKII

he Italia brand turns 19 years old this year, the UK based guitar maker has stood the test of time and their

retro-inspired designs still delight and di-vide guitarists today. The Trevor Wilkinson designed guitars hark back to a time of the original Supro’s, Hagstrom’s, Silverstone’s, Corals, Harmony’s and Teisco’s. Indeed Supro’s resurgence in this market highlights how popular these guitars still are.

On the stand, today is the Maranello Classic MKII in Red Sparkle. Based on the Hager-stom P46 Deluxe, its Les Paul shape has a longer scale length than the LP at 635mm, a wider waist and reduced horn makes the Maranello look distinctive. The red sparkle fi nish only adds to the character and let’s be honest, it’s not a guitar for a shrinking violet.

The MkII features a solid American alder body and maple neck with the back, sides and neck dressed in a thick white Pearloid fi nish and a top adorned in a thick red spar-kled resin, res-o-glass pickguard and cream binding. The fi nish is solid, the frets are clean, the binding is error free and feels well put together. This comes as a surprise, as on looks alone you may fear a toy like quality, thankfully looks can be deceiving.

The maple neck has a comfortable and shal-low C shape and feels pleasant in the hand, the 22 fret solid rosewood fi ngerboard is fl at, with block inlays and well-dressed frets. It feels very comfortable and playable, not a shredder but she’s got some soul. The fl at fi ngerboard feels a bit strange at fi rst but my playing adapts quickly and somewhere in that struggle lies the tone. »

"Not a shredder but she’s got some soul..."

T

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com

Italia Maranello Classic MKII STAR RATING

PROS » Great Pickups

» Sweet blues tones built in.

» Comfortable neck

CONS

» The look may not be foreveryone

» Body to neck weightdistribution takes a bit ofgetting used to

Italia Maranello Classic MKII

American Alder Body Bolt on Hardrock Maple Neck Rosewood Fingerboard Tune-O-Matic Bridge Italia ITV-6 Humbucker pickups

For more information, please visit: https://www.jhs.co.uk/brands/italia/italia-guitars/italia-maranello-classic-mkii-red-sparkle

Originally designed in collaboration with famed guitar designer Trev Wilkinson, and inspHagström model, Dan Le Gresley reviews the Maranello Classic MkII – The second generclassic design, now lighter weight with the same amazing tone.

THE REVIEWS ITALIA MARANELLO CLASSIC MKII

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com

THE REVIEWS

Check THE SPEC

Guitar Interactive Issue 60

The Maranello features Tune-O-Matic Bridge with an Italia Stop Tailpiece, plus two ITV-6 humbuckers, a single volume and tone pots and standard three-way pickup switch, standard fare. The only notable vari-ant is the upside down input jack that should help avoid any unnecessary stage embarrass-ment. The ITV-6 Humbuckers pickups are designed by Trevor Wilkinson and feature a ceramic magnet, which coupled with more turns of wire reduces some of the unwanted highs whilst retaining the earthy warmth of ceramics. The pickups are housed in a re-movable res-o-glass cover that allows for easy access to the electronics, beneath which the body has been routed to a depth of 25mm.

This cavity allows a huge amount of air to resonate within, which should lighten the tone. The other benefi t of this cavity is a lowering of the neck profi le and reduced distance between the Humbuckers and the strings, this gives more output to those ITV-6’s

Strap the Maranello on and she feels a touch neck heavy, the Italia tunning heads, extra scale length and plastic fi nish are too much for the deeply routed body. Unplugged you can hear the cavity, there is almost a hollow bodied tone, she sounds resonant. That’s generally a good sign. »

Italia Maranello Classic MKII

REVIEWS_GUITAR REVIEW THE REVIEWS ITALIA MARANELLO CLASSIC MKII

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