1960s Wandré Spazial Vintage Aluminum Neck Bass, Candle Smoke Finish w/ Case, Italy

Up for sale, a 1960s Wandré Spazial short scale bass in excellent condition and in perfect working order. The arguable pinnacle of outlandish Mid Century Italian guitar design, Wandré guitars were the brainchild of self-described “artist of life” Antoni Vandré Pioli. The son of an Italian violin luthier, Pioli (also known himself as Wandré) produced his utterly unique instruments in Cavriago, Reggio Emilia, Italy, from roughly 1958-69. Pioli himself cuts just as fascinating a figure as his guitars; he fought in the resistance during World War II, later becoming an engineer and building a round factory in his hometown of Cavriago where he began to produce instruments. His guitars and basses featured wonderfully weird, eye-catching shapes and finishes, and utilized pioneering construction techniques. Perhaps most notable of all Pioli’s innovations was his usage of aluminum necks, which predated the introduction of the Travis Bean by more than a decade. The electronics were designed with and produced by Pioli’s friend, fellow engineer Athos Davoli, who had his own line of amplifiers, PA systems, and microphones. This particular example was apparently intended for shipment to markets outside Italy (despite Wandré’s relative difficulties in getting his gear into international markets), as indicated by the “Export” inlay at the 15th fret.It’s rumored that the choice to use an aluminum neck was inspired by Pioli’s love of motorcycles; the neck floats above the body, with the pickups mounted directly to the neck and making no contact with the body. Naturally, the aluminum provides a great deal of stability, and the design also significantly increases sustain. The very slender, contoured hollow body delivers a unique natural resonance, crafted from several thin plies of a maple composite. The Davoli-made single coil pickups are punchy and warm, with a certain immediacy and articulation accentuated by a fresh set of 45-100 roundwound strings. The neck pickup is full and round, with a midrange-forward cut and almost Hofner-esque thump, and the bridge pickup has a more focused treble-forward growl. Featherweight at just 4lbs 15oz, this Wandré Spazial bass has been professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar with easy-playing action and accurate intonation.The neck shape is unique, and the fretboard extends beyond the edges of the aluminum rod. While unconventional, the shape is surprisingly comfortable and more easy-playing than the neck depth measurements may imply, given the complete lack of “shoulder” on the neck shape. The profile measures 1.030” deep at the 1st fret and 1.085” at the 12th. The bound rosewood fretboard has a 16” radius, and there are unique inlays at each position marker, including a Wandré logo, “Mod Spazial” text, and “Export” text. The medium jumbo fretwire benefits from a level and crown, exhibiting no wear, and this bass plays cleanly in all registers up the arrow-straight neck. The scale length is notably short at just 25”, and the fretboard width at the zero fret measures just a hair wider than 1.650” (42mm), forward of the aluminum nut. The slotted headstock features a central piece of rosewood, with a subtly engraved Wandré logo, and the original open-gear tuning machines function as intended. Three of four original translucent plastic tuner buttons are intact, with one replacement, and the original label is present on the back of the headstock, with an illustration of Pioli’s round factory.The electronics all function reliably, with the pickups governed by a three-way selector switch and Master Volume and Tone controls. The control plate is also crafted from aluminum, and the original knobs are present. The bridge is essentially identical to Hofner, and the tailpiece is welded directly to the neck. The cream plastic pickguard is molded to include the pickup surrounds and also encompasses the bridge, with the strings threaded through the plastic. The trapezoidal pickup covers are embossed with “Made Italy Davoli.”The distinct pale yellowish-green burst finish was achieved through the usage of candle smoke, essentially smoked directly into the base coat. There is broad finish checking across the body, and cosmetic wear includes some finish chipping along the body perimeter through to the maple composite, a spot of shallow impact central to the back (not structural given the construction), light buckle rash on the lower bout, and a handful of minor nicks and finish scratches on the body as a whole.A modern Gator-brand hardshell case is included.