Wandre Rock Oval Solid Body Electric Guitar (1962)
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Wandre Rock Oval Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1962), made in Cavriago, Italy, red, yellow, cream, and black polyurethane lacquer finish, wood and plastic body, plastic sheathed aluminum neck with rosewood fingerboard, tweed hard shell case.
"What are those guitars -- man, we don't have those in the STATES!" So spoke Bob Dylan in 1965, captured on film looking into the window of an English music store full of Wandre guitars. The guitar Bobby was looking at? None other than a Wandre Rock Oval! These amazingly futuristic and completely original instruments were sold under different brand names in Europe through the early-mid 1960s; this one would have been known as a "Rockette Mod. 604" had it been sold stateside, though the brand never caught on here and American market examples are extremely rare. They have fascinated adventurous electric guitar fans since then, but most players have never seen or handled one. The unmistakable Rock Oval was immediate successor to the Rock'n'Roll, one of Wandre's two earliest 6-string creations and is easily one of the most iconic offerings from Mr. Wandre Pioli's large and varied oeuvre.
While some transitional or prototypical Rock Ovals may have begun trickling out of the ever-experimenting factory earlier, author of the essential text "WANDRE-The Artist Of The Electric Guitar" Marco Ballestri traces its origin to about 1959, just in time for an early extra thinline version to be prominently featured alongside Adriano Celentano in Lucio Fulci's teen satire 'Urlatori alla Sbarra' (also featuring the great Chet Baker, in a bathtub!). Ballestri's research suggests that this guitar's official induction into the Wandre catalogue began with the one special made for the notably surreal and zany Celentano who can be seen singing and playing his Rock Oval at around 1:19 in the video embedded above. This first one bore his own signature on top and a hand-painted portrait of himself on the back, and while the guitar was not named and sold with his likeness otherwise it can be considered one of the earliest Italian celebrity signature instruments.
The Rock Oval's most obvious characteristic is what can only be described as an EXTREME cutaway body, actually extending all the way to the control panel. Beyond its exotic looks, the guitar itself is a rather straightforward instrument, for a Wandre anyway. This example is a slightly later one from 1962, the year before they were removed from the Wandre catalogue in Italy (though it was still sold in very small quantities abroad). It has a thicker hollow body than some of the first few made like Celentano's custom guitar with a slight carved top and a very thick finish. A multicolored red/white/grey smoke pattern gradient adorns this Rock Oval, still completely unique and artful looking straight out of the factory, but there are some with more psychedelic paint jobs and even full on one-of-a-kind paintings.
Besides the unique aesthetics, one of the most trailblazing things about Wandre guitars are the bolt-on aluminum necks. Over a decade before the likes of Travis Bean or Veleno, most of Pioli's instruments featured a thin, rounded aluminum neck attached so the angle is adjustable to the body with an aluminum headstock bolted on. The bound rosewood fingerboard is not exactly flush with the aluminum back, leaving a slight lip that could be covered by a removable, optional plastic sheath; many of these have broken or been lost to time, as is the case with this example. The headstock itself is a thin, flat slice of aluminum with Italian-made 3-in-line tuners and an aluminum nut.
This Rock Oval bears a single Davoli pickups (branded Wandre) situated in the middle/bridge position on a floating metal and plastic assembly attached to the neck and running all the way back to the bridge, which is mounted to the far end of it. The entire assembly is adjustable for height on two legs at the bridge end. The bridge itself is a Hofner-style slotted rosewood piece with 6 fretwire saddles; this is typical of earlier models. Farther back on the face of the body right under the dramatic swoosh of the cutaway is a small metal and plastic control plate holding a volume and tone knob; the jack is mounted to the rim.
One of Wandre Pioli's most eccentric electric children, the Rock Oval is a true original and each finish is unique.
Unconventional indeed, but it plays and sounds fantastic and certainly looks like nothing else. This is a very rare, wonderful and iconic instrument from the most inspired oddball Italian '60s guitar designer, Wandre Pioli, a true artist of the electric guitar.
Overall length is 44 1/4 in. (112.4 cm.), 16 in. (40.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 7/8 in. (4.8 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This is a superb example of an already showstopping guitar in generally well-preserved shape. The unique multicolor gradient finish is original and unaltered with some small dings and scratches here and there; there is only one more notably visible crack in the lacquer (not the instrument) on the upper bass side bout. It is all original with original hardware in tact minus the removable and often misplaced plastic sheath that covers the aluminum neck; a piece of black tape runs down the spine in its stead. The Wandre sticker on the aluminum headstock has begun to peel slightly but remains intact with a smaller logo engraved in the metal just above the original aluminum nut.
The plastic and metal pickguard housing the single Davoli pickup is not cracked or warped and the pickup is strong and clear, never having been altered or seemingly moved from its position. The electronics are original and untampered with, including the knobs and plastic components on the control panel. The pickup position gives this one a brighter, indeed more "Rock" sound than Wandres with it mounted just below the fingerboard.
All other hardware, including the 3-in-line tuners, rosewood bridge and minimalist trapeze tailpiece are present and in good order. Despite its unusually contoured body, the guitar rests quite comfortably in a period tweed hardshell case, which looks like it originally came from Selmer in London. This Rock Oval has a superbly striking color scheme and is a prime specimen for any Wandre aficionado. Overall Excellent - Condition.
"What are those guitars -- man, we don't have those in the STATES!" So spoke Bob Dylan in 1965, captured on film looking into the window of an English music store full of Wandre guitars. The guitar Bobby was looking at? None other than a Wandre Rock Oval! These amazingly futuristic and completely original instruments were sold under different brand names in Europe through the early-mid 1960s; this one would have been known as a "Rockette Mod. 604" had it been sold stateside, though the brand never caught on here and American market examples are extremely rare. They have fascinated adventurous electric guitar fans since then, but most players have never seen or handled one. The unmistakable Rock Oval was immediate successor to the Rock'n'Roll, one of Wandre's two earliest 6-string creations and is easily one of the most iconic offerings from Mr. Wandre Pioli's large and varied oeuvre.
While some transitional or prototypical Rock Ovals may have begun trickling out of the ever-experimenting factory earlier, author of the essential text "WANDRE-The Artist Of The Electric Guitar" Marco Ballestri traces its origin to about 1959, just in time for an early extra thinline version to be prominently featured alongside Adriano Celentano in Lucio Fulci's teen satire 'Urlatori alla Sbarra' (also featuring the great Chet Baker, in a bathtub!). Ballestri's research suggests that this guitar's official induction into the Wandre catalogue began with the one special made for the notably surreal and zany Celentano who can be seen singing and playing his Rock Oval at around 1:19 in the video embedded above. This first one bore his own signature on top and a hand-painted portrait of himself on the back, and while the guitar was not named and sold with his likeness otherwise it can be considered one of the earliest Italian celebrity signature instruments.
The Rock Oval's most obvious characteristic is what can only be described as an EXTREME cutaway body, actually extending all the way to the control panel. Beyond its exotic looks, the guitar itself is a rather straightforward instrument, for a Wandre anyway. This example is a slightly later one from 1962, the year before they were removed from the Wandre catalogue in Italy (though it was still sold in very small quantities abroad). It has a thicker hollow body than some of the first few made like Celentano's custom guitar with a slight carved top and a very thick finish. A multicolored red/white/grey smoke pattern gradient adorns this Rock Oval, still completely unique and artful looking straight out of the factory, but there are some with more psychedelic paint jobs and even full on one-of-a-kind paintings.
Besides the unique aesthetics, one of the most trailblazing things about Wandre guitars are the bolt-on aluminum necks. Over a decade before the likes of Travis Bean or Veleno, most of Pioli's instruments featured a thin, rounded aluminum neck attached so the angle is adjustable to the body with an aluminum headstock bolted on. The bound rosewood fingerboard is not exactly flush with the aluminum back, leaving a slight lip that could be covered by a removable, optional plastic sheath; many of these have broken or been lost to time, as is the case with this example. The headstock itself is a thin, flat slice of aluminum with Italian-made 3-in-line tuners and an aluminum nut.
This Rock Oval bears a single Davoli pickups (branded Wandre) situated in the middle/bridge position on a floating metal and plastic assembly attached to the neck and running all the way back to the bridge, which is mounted to the far end of it. The entire assembly is adjustable for height on two legs at the bridge end. The bridge itself is a Hofner-style slotted rosewood piece with 6 fretwire saddles; this is typical of earlier models. Farther back on the face of the body right under the dramatic swoosh of the cutaway is a small metal and plastic control plate holding a volume and tone knob; the jack is mounted to the rim.
One of Wandre Pioli's most eccentric electric children, the Rock Oval is a true original and each finish is unique.
Unconventional indeed, but it plays and sounds fantastic and certainly looks like nothing else. This is a very rare, wonderful and iconic instrument from the most inspired oddball Italian '60s guitar designer, Wandre Pioli, a true artist of the electric guitar.
Overall length is 44 1/4 in. (112.4 cm.), 16 in. (40.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 7/8 in. (4.8 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This is a superb example of an already showstopping guitar in generally well-preserved shape. The unique multicolor gradient finish is original and unaltered with some small dings and scratches here and there; there is only one more notably visible crack in the lacquer (not the instrument) on the upper bass side bout. It is all original with original hardware in tact minus the removable and often misplaced plastic sheath that covers the aluminum neck; a piece of black tape runs down the spine in its stead. The Wandre sticker on the aluminum headstock has begun to peel slightly but remains intact with a smaller logo engraved in the metal just above the original aluminum nut.
The plastic and metal pickguard housing the single Davoli pickup is not cracked or warped and the pickup is strong and clear, never having been altered or seemingly moved from its position. The electronics are original and untampered with, including the knobs and plastic components on the control panel. The pickup position gives this one a brighter, indeed more "Rock" sound than Wandres with it mounted just below the fingerboard.
All other hardware, including the 3-in-line tuners, rosewood bridge and minimalist trapeze tailpiece are present and in good order. Despite its unusually contoured body, the guitar rests quite comfortably in a period tweed hardshell case, which looks like it originally came from Selmer in London. This Rock Oval has a superbly striking color scheme and is a prime specimen for any Wandre aficionado. Overall Excellent - Condition.