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Thread: Apitius Mandolins

  1. #1
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    Default Apitius Mandolins

    Anyone know how to contact Oliver Apitius? My email keeps getting kicked back to me from his website. And the number on the website isn’t working for me. Just wanted to ask him a few questions on wait times and pricing to see when I should think about placing an order and how much to save up. Any information is appreciated.

  2. #2
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Apitius Mandolins

    You could try sending him a PM on the Cafe. His username is Oliver A.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
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    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
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  4. #3
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    Default Re: Apitius Mandolins

    Thanks! I’ll try that now

  5. #4

    Default Re: Apitius Mandolins

    Oliver is currently working on my Apitius to be! I'm super excited to get it here in a couple months! You probably saw on his website that his waitlist is closed, but you can contact him about being notified of openings. That's what I did last summer. Total wait time from pre waitlist to finished mando is looking to be close to a year and half. However, I wouldn't be surprised if that has increased. I'll bet Aaron Weinstein's Apitius probably drove up demand. Oliver is incredibly meticulous and his work is absolutely flawless. He only builds 2, maybe 3, instruments at a time, and they take around 5 months to complete, so you can imagine that he's not going to catch up with his demand anytime soon. His pricelist is not published on his website but he locks in price at the time a customer gets on the waitlist/makes a deposit. What model are you considering?

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    Default Re: Apitius Mandolins

    That’s super exciting! I’m sure you’ll love it. I’d love to have a vanguard, they sound so amazing. Thanks for that info! I might wait a year till I try to contact him again. I knew waitlists can be a while but I wasn’t sure about his. What model are you getting?

  7. #6

    Default Re: Apitius Mandolins

    Mine will be a Rosine Loar Spec. His 4 F models and 1 A model differ only in aesthetics (binding, inlay, scroll & points). Sound wise, they will be exactly the same across models with the exception being if you choose the Loar Spec voicing rather than his standard Apitius voicing, both of which are fantastic but suit different preferences. The Rosine model has been his most popular for the Loar Spec voicing as it's an homage to Monroe's F-5 and voiced very much in that vein. If you've listened to David Benedict's playing for the last 5 years, you will be familiar with the Apitius voicing. I liken the Apitius voicing to a Dudenbostel (very modern and full frequency) and the Loar Spec voicing is more similar to a Gilchrist (classic Loar, dry and mid rangey). Just my opinion. Oliver uses the analogy of a grand piano vs an upright. There's only one sample of his Loar Spec voicing on the web, a video of Forrest O'Connor playing his. It was enough to sell me, but I hope to add more once I get settled in with mine. Not that I can play well enough to impress, but simply to give those who may be interested more references for that option.

    Then you have his jazz models, which are a whole different beast.

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    Default Re: Apitius Mandolins

    HI Cobow18
    I have a J Model by Oliver, you will not be sorry waiting for his waitlist. It might seem long but if you dont think
    about the wait it is just a song away. I just had an email convo with Oliver are you sure you have his email correct
    I have oapitius@sympatico.ca hope this helps

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  11. #8
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    Default Re: Apitius Mandolins

    Hi Brad
    glad to see you pulled the trigger with Oliver god he is good.

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  13. #9
    Registered User William Smith's Avatar
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    Default Re: Apitius Mandolins

    I'd recommend trying to get on his list, Oliver is a pleasure to work with, his work is topps and the final results will and should exceed ones expectations. My LS voiced custom I waited maybe a year for after the start date? I have no regrets at all

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  15. #10
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    Default Re: Apitius Mandolins

    Man that description helped me out more than you know, I appreciate that. I really love the way David’s mandolin sounds. That’s where I found out about Apitius. So I would be going for that sound as well I think.

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  17. #11
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    Default Re: Apitius Mandolins

    Thanks all of you for commenting, definitely sounds like it’s worth the wait. I actually got in touch with Oliver on here and I think it may have had something to do with my email, maybe being a student email. I’m not exactly sure but anyway I got in contact with him. Sounds like y’all have some awesome mandolins!

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  19. #12

    Default Re: Apitius Mandolins

    I have to mention that we have an Apitius Mandolin Group here that is a bit quiet. I've been posting my progress photos recently.

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  21. #13

    Default Re: Apitius Mandolins

    Was the sympatico email in an above comment the correct one?

  22. #14

    Default Re: Apitius Mandolins

    That is the one I regularly use to communicate with Oliver.

  23. #15
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    Default Re: Apitius Mandolins

    Yes that is the correct email, the problem was something with my email account. I think being a .edu student account.

  24. #16
    Registered User mingusb1's Avatar
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    Default Re: Apitius Mandolins

    Hey, I was lucky enough to get a new Rosine that that Oliver put up on the cafe spring of '20. It's an excellent instrument, I love it. And Oliver is great. I'm not far from Pilot Mountain, just a mile from Lowe Vintage Instruments. Drop me a line and maybe we could meet up sometime.

    Cheers,
    Z
    Member since 2003!

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  26. #17
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    Default Re: Apitius Mandolins

    Quote Originally Posted by mingusb1 View Post
    Hey, I was lucky enough to get a new Rosine that that Oliver put up on the cafe spring of '20. It's an excellent instrument, I love it. And Oliver is great. I'm not far from Pilot Mountain, just a mile from Lowe Vintage Instruments. Drop me a line and maybe we could meet up sometime.

    Cheers,
    Z
    Yeah that would be awesome. I’ll drop you a pm

  27. #18
    Registered User Charles E.'s Avatar
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    Default Re: Apitius Mandolins

    A 2016 Apitius just hit the classifieds....

    https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/177624#177624

    No photos at this point but it might be worth looking into.

    NFI
    Charley

    A bunch of stuff with four strings

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  29. #19
    Registered User Charles E.'s Avatar
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    Default Re: Apitius Mandolins

    And the photo is up.
    Charley

    A bunch of stuff with four strings

  30. #20
    Registered User j4music's Avatar
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    Default Re: Apitius Mandolins

    Does anyone know how that one is voiced.

  31. #21

    Default Re: Apitius Mandolins

    Quote Originally Posted by j4music View Post
    Does anyone know how that one is voiced.
    Oliver only added the "Loar Spec voicing" 2 years ago, so anything prior to that would fall into what he now refers to as the "Apitius voicing" (his standard voicing). From what I've gathered, Oliver's mandolins have always been great but have improved even more since his return to building in the last 10 years. This one doesn't say which model it is, but keep in mind the model only reflects the appointments (binding and inlays). I'd guess it's a Vanguard, Classic, or Grand Classic by that photo based on the body binding (the gold tailpiece could either be an upgrade or a feature of a Grand Classic model), but a picture of the headstock would confirm which. 2016 is the same year as David Benedict's Vanguard, so his many videos might be a good reference for what this one probably sounds like (although I'm not sure what spruce variant David's top is). I do notice that it does not have a scooped fretboard extension.

    I'll add one thing, Apitius mandolins very rarely pop up in the used market, which I believe is a further testament to their exceptional quality.

  32. #22

    Default Re: Apitius Mandolins

    I am fortunate to have one of his 2016 F5 Classic models.
    No regrets, no complaints.
    Beautifully built with rich tonal qualities.
    He's worth getting a hold of - a good, honest man who makes an incredible product for a fair price. You'll be happy.
    (It's my avatar!)

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  34. #23
    Dan Scullin dscullin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Apitius Mandolins

    I have a 1998 Apitius Grand Classic and I love the sound of it. It has rich warm lows and bright but full (not tinny) high notes. Here’s a YouTube clip of a festival we did in2009.
    https://youtu.be/pyhlDVXottc

    The mando solo follows the banjo. P.S. pull the trigger on the one in the classifieds!
    Dan Scullin
    Louisville, KY

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  36. #24

    Default Re: Apitius Mandolins

    I'm surprised it hasn't sold yet. I'd be interested if Oliver wasn't literally putting the finishing touches on mine as we speak.

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  38. #25
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    Default Re: Apitius Mandolins

    I would have already snatch it but oops wrong side

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