Wandre Noble "Powertone" Model Semi-Hollow Body Electric Guitar, c. 1964, made in Cavriago, Italy, serial # 680, red finish, plastic body, plastic sheathed aluminum neck with rosewood fingerboard, black hard shell case.
After some wildly eccentric designs like the extreme cutaway Rock Oval, by 1963-4 Italian guitar artist Wandre Pioli decided to put a few more broadly marketable instruments into production largely at the suggestion of his dealers. This Powertone is an uncommon and only briefly produced Wandre model from between around 1963 and 1964. It features an inexpensive plastic-over-wood body in a form that almost resembles a balloon animal rendering of a Fender Jaguar. The back-painted Noble plastic emblem glued to the front of the headstock denotes this (like most Powertones) was an export model to be sold through the American distributor Don Noble with whom Wandre worked from around 1963 into 1964.
This example is one of the rarest Powertone variations, the four pickup model made towards the end of the model's production run. The four (!) single coil pickups are a type seldom seen elsewhere in the Wandre collection, housed under the molded black plastic pickguard with decorative chrome accents. By this point Pioli had begun to explore cheaper sources of pickups than the trapezoidal Davoli units virtually synonymous with his brand. The controls consist of a single master tone and volume control with individual push buttons to engage the four pickups, offering a wide palette of sonic options. The output jack is a regular 1/4" phone plug style for the American market, mounted to the molded box at the back of the electronics assembly also holding the color-coded black and silver knobs.
Most other parts of this Powertone are standard fittings for Wandre guitars just about halfway through the company's tenure. It features an open slotted metal-framed wood headstock bolted to the neck and side-mounted tuners and the Wandre "W" tailpiece and vibrato. This one also features one of Pioli's more unique inventions: The bridge mounts OVER the strings, with small cradles for them hanging off the underside. It is fully adjustable for height and intonation, if very eccentric in feel. The vibrato assembly is solidly attached to the tail end of the central aluminum neck/body section, with a tubular plastic-tipped arm and a gold "W" logo at the tail.
Besides the unique aesthetics, the most trailblazing aspect of Wandre guitars is the bolt-on aluminum neck. Over a decade before the likes of Travis Bean or Veleno, Pioli's instruments featured a thin, rounded aluminum neck/body centerpiece attached so the angle is adjustable to the body. The rosewood fingerboard has simple large-dot inlays and a zero fret. This example retains the fitted plastic neck sheath which many Wandre players feel contributes greatly to a more traditionally playable feel than the raw aluminum below. Overall, this is another 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 rare and striking red Powertone remains in very nice original condition overall with some signs of wear and age but mostly limited to the cosmetic realm. The eccentric bridge and tailpiece are original as well as the tuners (though they are missing a decorative metal ring around each peg) and all hardware including the oft lost or cracked plastic sheath covering the neck making this a very comfortable to play Wandre.
There are some typical checks and one significant impact spot in the lower treble side bout of the plastic body right by the jack that seems to have been touched up with a big of matching red lacquer. The fragile pickup/pickguard assembly has no cracks or breaks, which are very common on these. The electronics are all original including the matched style but differently color-coded knobs.
The Noble headstock logo plate is original and intact; the hole just underneath is original too, as these headstock blanks were sometimes outfitted with logos from different importers or shops and the Noble crest is simply glued up top. The original serial number placard (also from Noble) is securely on the back of the headstock as well. The original frets have seen some wear and have been crowned down, but are still quite playable. This fun and rare 4-pickup Powertone plays and sounds extremely well, offering new flavors of the completely unique Wandre sound, a delight for connoisseurs of the fretted world of weird. It comes with an older Korean-made hardshell case, functional if not an exact fit. Excellent - Condition.
