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Due to their comfortable fretboard navigation, lighter string tension, or general feeling against the body, short-scale basses are the instruments of choice for many professionals and amateurs. Paul McCartney, Stanley Clarke, and Jack Bruce favored short-scale basses, and that tradition continues with modern masters like Matt Garrison and Owen Biddle. In turn, plenty of bass manufacturers have lent their vision to these playable powerhouses, which brings us to Italia Guitars—a company known for designs that are heavily influenced by classic styling. Their latest bass, the Maranello Cavo, packs a ton of vintage vibe into a 30"-scale semi-hollowbody frame. And while it’s true that Maranello, Italy, is also the home of Ferrari, players will be pleased to know that the Cavo is priced to suit more sensible budgets.

At first glance, it’s easy to assume that the Maranello Cavo was crafted by hip Italian builders who were influenced by trends of the ’50s and ’60s. The smooth single-cut shape is enhanced by white binding and a stunning racing-green finish that sparkled delightfully in the light and shifted to opaque hues (almost black) in darker settings. As its name implies, the Cavo (Italian for “hollow”) utilizes a semi-hollow mahogany body. The split f-hole sweeping across the body is a cool take on a classic shape and a beautiful way to reveal the chambered interior. Italia also constructed the neck out of mahogany and topped it with a bound-rosewood fretboard.

Classic aesthetics continue through the hardware and electronics. A Tune-o-matic-style bridge paired with an Italia-branded stop tailpiece preserves the intended aesthetics while transferring string vibrations. The passive Toaster humbucker pickups are Italia’s take on the toaster-style design, and are wired to a 3-knob configuration for volume, blend, and tone.

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