GEAR REVIEW
EASTWOOD WANDRE SOLOIST 2P | Bruce Adolph
back of the pawn shop. Very few were made
KEY FEATURES
of this particular model and the current vintage
• Tone Chambered Mahogany Body
resale value is through the roof.
• Truly Unique Look
• Les Trem Tremolo System
• Wide Fretboard
What I like most about this electric guitar made
by Eastwood is that they have taken to heart
Wandre story Premier Guitar Rig Rundown
the story of iconic Americana music artist and
producer Buddy Miller’s ‘pawn shop find’ story Enter Eastwood Guitars. Michael Robinson of
and brought it to life for the everyday man. Eastwood is a student of vintage instruments,
Which is exactly what Buddy Miller is – a humble actually more like a professor of electric guitars
everyday man, who happens to also have from the 60’s and 70’s.
contributed quite a lot to the musical landscape
that we enjoy in Americana music. The electric He has brought back to life many of the
guitar that Buddy has accomplished this with older imported brands who have gone by the
has been largely the Wandre. Which is exactly wayside over the years since the huge electric
what this Wandre Soloist 2P is styled after. guitar boom of that time period.
First a brief history on that pawn shop guitar. Here is how Michael explains this Wandre
Wikipedia reports that Wandre Guitars was Soloist 2P guitar, “Perhaps our most requested
an electric guitar brand started by the Italian model ever has been the "Buddy Miller
guitar manufacturer Antonio Vandrè Pioli. Guitar". What is that you might ask? Well it
These guitars are famous for their original is one of many variations on a theme by the
shapes, aluminum necks
switches.
The
guitars
and
were
unique talented Antonio Vandrè Pioli in the 1960's
originally called the Wandre Soloist. We are not out
designed and manufactured from 1957 to to "replicate" it. After all, the original had an
1968 by Pioli in Cavriago, Italy. Very small aluminum neck, custom molded plastic pickup
productions were made, which makes these plate and a control mounting panel. If you want
guitars very sought-after in the vintage guitar that, go find an original and be ready to take
market. Some guitars by Pioli have out a mortgage! But if you want the vibe of the
appeared under other brand names original in a modern, professional instrument,
such as Framez, Davoli, Dallas,
here it is”.
Avalon, Noble, and Lipsky.
Now that you have the backdrop set – let’s
106
Buddy Miller wandered into a Pawn look at this guitar in hand. Everything about
Shop in Colorado in 1976. He saw this guitar is uniquely different than what you
the uniquely shaped guitar in the see on most worship band platforms. And that
window. They were asking $85.00 is exactly what draws me to it. The body is
for it and Buddy bought it for $50.00. tone chambered and made out of Mahogany.
Later, he contacted them and bought a The Les Trem tremolo is quite different than
few more of them that they still had in the a Bigsby and I loved using it. The nut width
January 2020
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