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Thread: How many different F5’s does Dave Apollon play in these Vitaphone

  1. #1
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    Default How many different F5’s does Dave Apollon play in these Vitaphone

    Here is a fun exercise:

    How many different F5’s and other stringed instruments can you identify in these seven Vitaphone film shorts?

    https://youtu.be/epcEd3qeHAQ

    Vitaphone films have the soundtrack on a phonograph disc as opposed to on the film so things are not always perfectly synchronized.

    How does he play standing without a strap?

    Check out the short at about 1:15:00 where he is playing a 1930’s F5 with the block inlays. He plays many different F5’s throughout these films and even a Lyon and Healy mandolin or mandola with the scroll peghead and two points.

    Have fun and list your discoveries below!

    Mark
    Last edited by MarkELynch; Jan-10-2022 at 11:22am.
    Mark Lynch

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    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
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    Default Re: How many different F5’s does Dave Apollon play in these Vitap

    Quote Originally Posted by MarkELynch View Post

    How does he play standing without a strap?
    Easy, if you grew up doing that with a bowlback.

    And he's not edging out a 5 string banjo on full throttle to the single microphone..

    Great player! as we all know

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    Default Re: How many different F5’s does Dave Apollon play in these Vitap

    My favorite of all time because he could play pieces from nearly genre of music.

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    Default Re: How many different F5’s does Dave Apollon play in these Vitap

    Quote Originally Posted by rickbella View Post
    My favorite of all time because he could play pieces from nearly genre of music.
    Not just that, but play them with great style and finesse - and he was an entertainment act.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Apollon

    "after taking a fervent interest in an old bowl back mandolin his father kept in the house"

    https://fromthevaults-boppinbob.blog...uary-1897.html

    "When he was 13 he met a renowned italian mandolinist who was touring Russia, and Dave managed to persuade the man to help him. He taught Dave how to hold the pick and a few other “tricks” that would later serve him well. "

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    harvester of clams Bill McCall's Avatar
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    Default Re: How many different F5’s does Dave Apollon play in these Vitap

    Quote Originally Posted by rickbella View Post
    My favorite of all time because he could play pieces from nearly genre of music.
    Like Evan Marshall
    Not all the clams are at the beach

    Arrow Manouche
    Arrow Jazzbo
    Arrow G
    Clark 2 point
    Gibson F5L
    Gibson A-4
    Ratliff CountryBoy A

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    Default Re: How many different F5’s does Dave Apollon play in these Vitap

    Here are a few fuzzy screen captures for those that don’t want to sit through the hour long movie. What do you call those 16-string instruments?

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    Mark Lynch

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    Default Re: How many different F5’s does Dave Apollon play in these Vitap

    Quote Originally Posted by MarkELynch View Post
    What do you call those 16-string instruments?
    Bandurrias

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandur...ish%20colonies.

    I think his band used the Filipino versions.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rondalla

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    Joe B mandopops's Avatar
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    Default Re: How many different F5’s does Dave Apollon play in these Vitap

    Apollon fits nicely into one genre, Pop music. Dave played the hits of the day & well known tunes from around the world. You can talk about his Classical polish & Jazz improvisations, but in the end, as David said, he was an entertainer.
    I think that could be said of Jethro. He & Homer played the hits of the day. Yes, they would fracture them, but I never thought they were doing it as a put down. His Jazz recordings were made up largely of the Great American songbook tunes. Jethro, too, was an entertainer.
    They had one other thing in common, they could play the hell out of the Mandolin.

    Joe B
    A Splendid Time is Guaranteed for All

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    Default Re: How many different F5’s does Dave Apollon play in these Vitap

    Quote Originally Posted by mandopops View Post
    ....but in the end, as David said, he was an entertainer.
    I think that could be said of Jethro. He & Homer played the hits of the day. Yes, they would fracture them, but I never thought they were doing it as a put down. His Jazz recordings were made up largely of the Great American songbook tunes. Jethro, too, was an entertainer.
    They had one other thing in common, they could play the hell out of the Mandolin.

    Joe B
    My buddy, you always prove that "clowns" are wise men.

    And clowns are entertainers.!

    All the best!

    uh, for those that do not know, Joe was a student of Jethro, and it shows when he plays.

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    Default Re: How many different F5’s does Dave Apollon play in these Vitap

    David, thanks for the information and links about Bandurrias.

    No one has yet taken up the challenge to identify the F5’s in the Vitaphone films but we know the fate of at least one of his mandolins as described in this article by Dave Grisman. Apparently the mandolin he had with him his entire life was cremated along with him at his request. Let’s hope it wasn’t one of his F5’s.

    Some interesting reading.

    https://www.mandozine.com/media/articles/apollon.html

    Mark
    Mark Lynch

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    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
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    Default Re: How many different F5’s does Dave Apollon play in these Vitap

    Bernunzio here in Rochester sold a Gibson mandola supposedly owned and played by Apollon.
    Allen Hopkins
    Gibsn: '54 F5 3pt F2 A-N Custm K1 m'cello
    Natl Triolian Dobro mando
    Victoria b-back Merrill alumnm b-back
    H-O mandolinetto
    Stradolin Vega banjolin
    Sobell'dola Washburn b-back'dola
    Eastmn: 615'dola 805 m'cello
    Flatiron 3K OM

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    Default Re: How many different F5’s does Dave Apollon play in these Vitap

    Quote Originally Posted by MarkELynch View Post
    .... but we know the fate of at least one of his mandolins as described in this article by Dave Grisman. Apparently the mandolin he had with him his entire life was cremated along with him at his request. Let’s hope it wasn’t one of his F5’s.

    Some interesting reading.

    https://www.mandozine.com/media/articles/apollon.html

    Mark
    If I recall it was his original bowlback that was buried with Apollon.

    BTW, that article is interesting but may have a couple of factual errors in it, such as the claim that the Dinicu piece was written for mandolin - it was originally for violin.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hora_staccato

    "Dinicu wrote it for his graduation in 1906 from the Bucharest Conservatory, and performed it at the ceremony."

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grigora%C8%99_Dinicu

    "most famous for his often-played virtuoso violin showpiece "Hora staccato" (1906) "

    "Hora staccato dates from the beginning of this period; he wrote it as a graduation exercise. "

  23. #13

    Default Re: How many different F5’s does Dave Apollon play in these Vitap

    I have an F style mandolin made by Dick Knight nearly 40 years ago. Back in 1930 Dave Apollon came and played the London Palladium for a two week engagement and Dick saw him on one of the first nights and even got backstage after the performance and talked to Dave, as very few had attended the show. Word got around that he was a sensation and I seem to recall he stayed for 26 weeks due to public demand. Dick told me about Dave- who I had never heard of- and later on gave me a photocopy of a page in Frets magazine about him. Of course, had I known then what I know now, I would have asked plenty of questions but now with the internet, all these amazing films of Dave are accessible and we can really appreciate his artistry- and zany humour!

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