Has anyone played or seen an Italia Mondial II (or woody)?

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 2:35 am

So I'm pretty set on selling off some stuff and getting one of these soon after the holidays...however no store around here carries them. Either way I found a place online that is selling them for $649 free HSC, no tax or shipping, but was wondering if anyone's seen one in a shop yet to maybe get more of a hands on opinion of it.

BobArsecake · Post by **BobArsecake** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 3:24 am

I've seen them, but not played. There was a point about a year ago where every guitar shop in Manchester had at least 3 Italias, I've not seen any for a while, though :/ The shop that shut down (Sound Control) had a massive display with loads of them.

More Cowbell · Post by **More Cowbell** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 3:35 am

Arsecake and I went to a shop in Atlanta called "earth shaking music" and they carried alot of italia stuff. Try them online and see what they has, I will help you anyway I can.

Reece · Post by **Reece** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 3:52 am

For some reason my brain mixed that sentence up and I read "arse shaking music".

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 5:12 am

More Cowbell wrote:Arsecake and I went to a shop in Atlanta called "earth shaking music" and they carried alot of italia stuff. Try them online and see what they has, I will help you anyway I can.

They have it listed but none in stock. Thanks though.

othomas2 · Post by **othomas2** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 11:41 am

The shop I work for stocks Italias... anythin' particularly you want to know ?

I'm not sure we have this model though...

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 12:05 pm

Well, considering how different it is from the other mondials they make, my questions pertain to this one specifically. Mainly I'd like to know if the feel and quality is that of an affordable "nice" guitar or a nice "cheap" guitar if you know what I mean. Also the neck shape, how the pickups sound, and maybe a ballpark of the fretboard radius and weight.

I know the look and features are going to suit me, I'm just trying to figure out if I'll find out about anything I can't stand about it later on after I just order one blindly.

robert(original) · Post by **robert(original)** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 12:20 pm

i have only ever played an itiallia bass, it was set up like balls(used, came thru the music store)
the fretting was fine. the neck felt huge becuz of the action, and i didn't get a chance to plug it in, or play it normally.
i just remember the fretting seemed pretty decent.

More Cowbell · Post by **More Cowbell** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 12:36 pm

I played a couple of italia guitars when Arsecake was here and they played nice, the neck felt great...but they guitar felt like it was made of plastic. They play very loud unplugged like a dano. I didn't plug one in, but if I were to be interested in one I'd buy one after hearing what the pickups sound like on youtube or somewhere?

Jackackack · Post by **Jackackack** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 5:00 pm

I tried the rickalike and it was lovely, actually.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Thu Nov 20, 2008 12:31 am

More Cowbell wrote:I played a couple of italia guitars when Arsecake was here and they played nice, the neck felt great...but they guitar felt like it was made of plastic. They play very loud unplugged like a dano. I didn't plug one in, but if I were to be interested in one I'd buy one after hearing what the pickups sound like on youtube or somewhere?

You probably played one of these:

. Those have a plasticy top like danos and those old kent/hagstroms. They also have a bolt on neck, from what I remember was only 2 or 3 bolt.

The one I'm looking at is a mahogany body with a set neck, fully routed on both sides of the center block with a solid maple top. It has the same piezo bridge that the plastic model has, and I think the same pickups as well.

More Cowbell · Post by **More Cowbell** » Thu Nov 20, 2008 2:41 pm

I don't think you'd be disapointed in the playability/sound/feel of the italia you want to buy. You should just go for it, and order it from somewhere that has a return policy online, just incase it sucks when you get it, you can return it. MF does that, too bad they don't sell italia. After playing the few italias that day, if I were to find one online I wanted, I'd feel comfortable buying it, knowing that it will not be shit, I'd just find out what the nut width is and see if its the same as a guitar I already play.

ekwatts · Post by **ekwatts** » Thu Nov 20, 2008 4:24 pm

I thought the plastic one was pretty fucking good. It's a two bolt neck, but I don't see why that's a problem.

DanHeron · Post by **DanHeron** » Thu Nov 20, 2008 4:49 pm

The one thing I didn't like about that italia Mondiall was the plasticky body, but now its gone it looks amazing. You're looking at the Mondiall Woody, I read it was the same in specs as the Mondiall Classic but with mahogony body, set neck. So, I point you to this really good review of the Mondiall Classic :

http://www.imuso.co.uk/directory/review ... ondial.htm

has some nice features like a piezo pickup under the bridge and 2 output jacks - one for hums the other for the piezo pickup.

Also it the new Mondiall Woody comes in cherry burst aswell:

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Fri Nov 21, 2008 12:41 am

Well as far as sonds go it sounds like what I'm looking for, and the fact that it's got a gibsonish neck should make me feel at home.

Although I never really saw a "good" picture of the cherry burst before...now I'm completely torn. I think I'm still going for the tobacco burst though, it matches my ovation and has a more old school look....if only the yellow in the cherry burst was a little lighter, kinda like Rickenbacker's fireglo.

Wilbur · Post by **Wilbur** » Fri Nov 21, 2008 3:30 am

Looks cool but to much $ to buy just for looks...

More Cowbell · Post by **More Cowbell** » Fri Nov 21, 2008 3:51 am

That cherry burst screams "I rock!" and the sunburst shouts "hey your dad rocks!"