Unconventional vintage guitar used in Italy's Eurovision entry sparks global attention, due to its unique creation method involving a chicken walking on its surface.
A Fascinating Glimpse into the Wandrè Rock Oval: Italy's Unconventional Electric Guitar
Eurovision 2022 audiences couldn't help but notice the quirky, old-school guitar strummed by the captivating Lucio Corsi, a talented Italian singer-songwriter. But, how did this guitar come to be?
Unearthing the roots of this elusive electric guitar led us to legendary luthier Antonio Vandrè Pioli, renowned as Wandrè. Between 1957 and 1968, Wandrè fashioned enigmatic, psych-infused guitars that caught the eye of artists like Bob Dylan, Frank Zappa, and Ace Frehley.
The model Corsi played is the remarkable Rock Oval – a tribute, as Marco Ballestri, Wandrè enthusiast and biographer, reveals, to the alluring world of science fiction. This genre was a significant source of inspiration for Wandrè, who lost himself in UFO lore, inspired by the Roswell incident and the debut of science fiction films in post-WWII Italy.
Ballestri recalls meeting Lucio Corsi at an Ivan Graziani tribute concert, where he discovered Corsi's fondness for the glam aesthetic and fascination with psychedelic art. Upon stumbling upon Wandrè's guitars, Corsi was smitten, as they suited his unique stage production perfectly.
With Corsi eager to showcase his Wandrè Rock Oval at the popular Sanremo Music Festival, the Partigiani di Wandrè – a collective of fans dedicated to celebrating the luthier's legacy – enthusiastically complied. They felt it was a remarkable opportunity to bring these intriguing instruments to a wider audience.
Known for tactful, collaborative finishes and avant-garde techniques, Wandrè guitars exhibit vibrant hues derived from collaborations with other artists. According to painter Gianfranco Borghi, a Wandrè collaborator, a particularly unorthodox method involved getting a chicken to walk on varnish to create distinctive footprints on the guitar's body.
Other notable features included aluminum necks, adopting the material long before Travis Bean made it popular. These necks added durability to the guitar while enhancing its resistance to high humidity, making it perfect for heavy use.
Some fascinating engineering achievements honored Wandrè, such as an innovative bridge that suspended strings via a system of slots, prolonging their vibration, and an early tremolo system employing a motorcycle spring.
According to Ballestri, while American manufacturers like Fender grew to become giants, Wandrè's guitars were exclusive to a niche market, requiring specialized expertise. He concludes, "Wandrè's guitars are not merely 'instruments,' but 'sonic sculptures subservient to music.'"
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- Lucio Corsi, the Italian singer-songwriter captivating Eurovision 2022 audiences, plays a Wandrè Rock Oval electric guitar, a model inspired by science fiction.
- groundbreaking techniques and innovations, such as an aluminum neck and a motorcycle spring tremolo system, are featured in Wandrè guitars.
- The Wandrè Rock Oval, strummed by Lucio Corsi, is a unique electric guitar that was fashioned by the legendary luthier Antonio Vandrè Pioli, also known as Wandrè.
- Wandrè guitars, including the Rock Oval, are renowned for their vibrant colors, derived from collaborations with artists, and their unconventional methods, such as using a chicken's footprints for varnish textures.
- contributing to the niche market, Wandrè's guitars, while less mainstream compared to brands like Fender and Gibson, are considered "sonic sculptures subservient to music."
- Keep informed about the latest news, interviews, and reviews on vintage electric guitars like the Wandrè Rock Oval – sign up for our newsletter to stay updated on the general-news and entertainment sector of music technology and gadgets.
