In the mid-60s, a time when music was as much about image as it was about sound, bass players had a pretty tight selection of gear to choose from. The Fender Precision was around, sure, but it wasn’t exactly everywhere, and not everyone was into its brighter sound that leaned more towards a guitar’s tone. A lot of folks were after something that had the deeper, more resonant vibe of a double bass. That led many to go for semi-acoustic models like the Höfner President with its two pickups, the Gibson EB2, or maybe even something a bit more unusual from Italian makers like Eko, Valco, or Davoli.
This mix of styles and sounds from that era is exactly where the Korean brand Italia got their ideas for the Torino bass. They’ve thrown in a bit of everything: the body shape’s a nod to Höfner, the pickups and hardware tip their hat to Gibson, and there’s a whole lot of 60s Italian flair in there too.
The body of the Torino is what you’d expect from a semi-acoustic instrument, made from laminated spruce on top with maple for the back and sides. It’s got a solid block in the middle to fix the pickups and bridge onto, which is pretty standard for this type of bass.
It’s got a couple of f-holes on the front, but with a bit of a twist in their design – they call it the ‘flying dagger’ look, which is a fresh take on the traditional shape. The finish is this cool light blue with an aged-cream binding around the body and neck, which really stands out.
The neck itself is glued in place and meets the body at the 16th fret, shaped in a comfortable C-profile. Despite the paint job, it feels familiar in the hands, especially if you’re used to playing something like a Precision Bass. The scale length is a bit shorter though, sitting at 30″ compared to the usual 34″.
The fretboard is a highlight, crafted from quality rosewood with a deep, rich color and a tight grain. The pearloid block inlays are precisely cut, and there’s not a hint of filler in sight. The frets are just as well done, smoothly polished with clean edges right where they meet the binding.
When it comes to hardware, the Torino takes its cues from classic Gibson models. The pickups, designed by Trevor Wilkinson, are modern but have a vintage feel – the front one’s a big square chrome piece, and the bridge pickup’s got a cream plastic surround that fits the bass’s look perfectly. Each pickup has its own set of tone and volume controls, so tweaking your sound is pretty straightforward without any confusing switches.
The tailpiece and bridge mix up some vintage Höfner and Gibson vibes, with a trapezoid shape and a Tune-O-Matic-style bridge. It’s not just for looks either – it makes adjusting the action and intonation a lot easier than on some retro basses. They’ve even thrown in a graphite nut, which isn’t something you’d see back in the 60s but is definitely a plus for keeping your tuning stable. The tuning pegs are these M4-style die-cast chrome ones that do their job well.
Plugging the Torino in, the first thing you’ll notice is how bright it sounds, which could be partly thanks to the new strings. Dialing back the bridge pickup evens things out a bit, bringing some warmth to the lower mids. This setting really shines when you’re playing with a bit of palm muting and a heavy pick – it’s got that authentic rock and roll tone from back in the day. Dialing back the bridge pickup all the way gives you a fuller, punchier sound with a nice woody character. If you switch things up and go full on the back pickup with the neck pickup turned off, it might get a bit too sharp for some tastes, but tweaking your amp can round out the sound.
Short-scale basses like this can sometimes come off a bit weak or muddy, but the Torino doesn’t have that problem. Its sound definitely leans more towards the higher and middle frequencies, but it’s not a bad thing – just something to note. The lighter string tension, which is common with shorter scales, isn’t much of an issue here, but you might want to try out heavier strings or adjust the action if you prefer a bit more resistance.
So, Italia’s done a solid job with the Torino, making a bass that’s got a foot in the past with its design but doesn’t skimp on modern playability. Whether it’s your style or not is up for debate – it’s got a look that might not be for everyone. But if you’re in the market for a vintage-style semi-acoustic bass and want to steer clear of the potential pitfalls of an actual vintage instrument, the Torino is definitely worth checking out.
