The Unique Guitar Blog: Nikos (Nick) Apollonio - Master Luthier

Nikos (Nick) Appollonio

I originally wrote this article in 2009. This was years before I stumbled upon Nikos Apollonio on Facebook. We have since become Facebook friends and I discovered that Nick not just to be an excellent luthier, but a wonderful guy. He is about my age, and has a great sense of humor. He loves a good pun and speaks his mind.

Nick with His Bell Cittern

Though he is of Greek heritage I believe that in his heart he is most definitely an Irishman. Nick enjoys playing Celtic music with his friends on his fiddle or his homebuilt hardanger fiddle and Irish bouzouki.

Nick and Friends
Castlebay Concert

Nick began his career as a ship builder, but transferred his woodworking skills to build some of the finest Celtic stringed instruments ever. He lives in Belfast Maine where he builds his wonderful instruments in a small shop at his home. His brand name is Apollo Stringed Instruments..

Back in 2009 I was curious about the unusual 12 string instrument that Noel (Paul) Stookey used on the Wedding Song video and his album, "Paul And..."

It was around the time that I stumbled across Mr. Apollonio selling a similar instrument to the one he made for Noel Paul Stookey back in 1968. Regarding this guitar/cittern Nick stated;

Sebastian

"This odd looking guitar was custom made for Noel Paul Stookey in 1968 after a chance meeting in Camden, Maine. It was only my 15th guitar and at the time was rather crude and basic, due to my inexperience.

It did not hold up to string stresses, although it had a very stellar career with one of the most popular performers in America at the time."

Its delicate and haunting sound, though not as deep and powerful as a full size regular shape guitar, inspired Paul to write The Wedding Song on it, for his lifetime friend Peter Yarrow's upcoming wedding. Over the decades the song has been the crowning music of nuptials for countless thousands of people who still write about it.

Gordon Bok

Noel Paul Stookey wrote on his original webpage (no longer available) how "He and his wife Betty were attending a Rinctum that was held at the home of folk singer Gordon Bok in Maine. Stookey is a Maine resident. A Rinctum is a gathering of musicians for the purpose of sharing songs with each other. Betty has a brother named Bob Bannard who is a friend of Gordon Bok. Bob was instrumental in getting Gordon together with Noel to produce Bok's first album.

Ironically, Nick tells me that during his college days he ran across Gordon Bok's album in a record bin and became a fan of the 12 string guitar after hearing Bok's version of "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man", and he realized that he knew Gordon Bok.

Bok with 12 string
Made by Apollonio

When Nick first knew Gordon he was playing a Harmony or Stella 12 string guitar. A fellow named Sam Tibbets built Bok's first 12 string. Sam was a co-worker with Nick at Camden Shipbuilding. After seeing the instrument that Gordon was playing, Nick built five similar versions for him including one Laud, which was a six course instrument with pairs of two unison strings, tuned in fourths. (Gordon Bok composed and used this instrument on the song, "Bay Saint Marie".

Nick Appollonio in
his shop

Betty’s brother Denny was there and he had brought with him a boxy looking twelve string guitar and began to play songs from the Hebrides Islands. Noel described how fascinated he was at the beautiful sound of this instrument. He described it sound being by similar to a harpsichord. He became hypnotized by the sound.

He mentioned this to a fellow that was sitting nearby. To his surprise this man said, “I made that guitar.” Noel was astounded. The man introduced himself as Nick Apollonio and said that he made guitars and stringed instruments for a living.

Noel immediately ask if he could build a guitar for him. Mr. Apollonio said yes, but it would take him several months.

Noel went on to say there was a period in the career of Peter, Paul and Mary were there was a lull in their performances. He was just enjoying life in his home when one morning he woke up at 10 AM, which is early for most musicians, and went down to his kitchen.

Lyrics to "Sebastian"

He was alone in the house and he spotted a large cardboard package standing in a corner. His first thought was that his wife had done some shopping and had something delivered by parcel post. On closer examination he saw the package was from Maine and addressed to him . He realized it was the instrument he had ordered. He had almost forgotten.

He took it to his home studio. The walls in the studio were all painted black. The carpeting was red. Stookey cut the twine the held the package together. There was no case. It was tightly packed in newspaper.

He lifted the unusual shaped instrument out of the box and there was a note slipped between the strings which read, "This is Sebastian, treat him with love and care for that is how he came to be built."

(please click the above link for Stookey's song about this 12 string instrument)

In Noel’s own words he said “I looked once again at this strange flat sided twelve string and think how inauspiciously he arrived." I returned to reading the next several pages of the note which suggest brand and tension of string to use and a bit about the wood and a brief history of the casket style.

It seems that long voyages on the sea made for a certain kind of musical vacuum and when the desires of the crew ran beyond shanties and the little squeeze concertina, several planks from an empty packing case could be fashioned together into a box and joined with a long sturdy neck (made perhaps from a split oar) to produce a fair replica of a guitar without of course the tonality that results from shapely curves of steamed, pressed and clamped hardwood."

Stookey with Sebastian 1986

Any musician, from serious composer to jazz virtuoso, knows the extent to which coincidence often creates a new set of melodic options. I could be wrong but it seems to me that most musical 'accidents' just challenge the status quo; the 'established' way of presenting the inversion of a chord.

This coincidence often creates a new set of melodic options. It seems to me that most musical 'accidents' just challenge the status quo; the 'established way'.”

In his first encounter with Sebastian, Noel had hit upon the first chord for the beautiful song he wrote about his guitar. It was this is the same instrument he used to write and play The Wedding Song.

Nick on the right

As time went on, Nick wrote, "After 41 years and many hundreds of instruments, I decided it was time to rebuild and update; to make it even better than new, with all the features that keep my 12's user friendly and more playable than most any other."

Nick went on to tell me that he has since built five 12 string bell shaped guitars for Stookey. One being a custom Spanish laúd ( 6 unison string pairs tuned F>f in 4th intervals) on which he composed one of my (Nicks) favorite tunes of all time, 'Bay Ste. Marie'.

Carl Sandberg's Guitar

Since his first build Nick has made several design changes. He states his current Bell shaped instruments are based on the bell shaped Washburn and Healy (model 5270) that was owned by poet Carl Sandburg.

This guitar dates from 1926 to 1928 and was a top of the line model. It was strung with steel strings and had a spruce top with mahogany back and sides. The body joined the neck at the twelfth fret, and it has a slotted headstock. The guitars body originally had a floral design decaled on the instruments top. Lyon and Healy was a very large instrument manufacturer and distributor during this era. They currently build and sell high end concert harps. George Lyon's middle name was Washburn.

Carl Sandburg's Guitar

This unusual guitar was a gift to Sandburg from his wife.

Appollonio Bell Citterns

Nick Apollonio's unique bell shaped instruments. and all of the instruments he builds include a neck designed for optimal playing. The bell shaped models have a short scale for extremely easy playing, It comes with a user friendly exterior adjustment at the neck heel for optimum action adjustments in any climate, plus a bridge calibrated for exact intonation of each string. The unique tailpiece on the instruments heel removes forward tension on the bridge allowing for lighter (though stronger) bracing, to boost sound.

Glen Heggie with "Moby"

Materials are: AAA western red cedar top with a compass point inlay around the sound hole. Native solid woods from a supplier in British Columbia, a neck of dark walnut aged 60+ years with a neck scarf cut and glued with a substance stronger than the wood. An ebony fretboard and bridge with pearl position dots and brass side markers. Nick's instruments use solid inner linings that are Not kerfed, which he states adversely effect the instrument's sound

The headstock has a pale abolone "A" for Apollo logo inlaid at the top. The tuning is set up for 2 frets low with medium strings or concert pitch with light gauge strings.

The body length is 19"; width is 13 3/4; depth is 4". The instruments scale is 24 7/8th."

Appollonio Bell 12 String

The neck is heelless. This 12 string comes with a padded gig bag and a K&K or LR Baggs pickup.

The video below is Barbara Schultz playing a Apollonio 10 string cittern.

Appollonio 6 & 12 string

Nick custom builds a variety of stringed instruments including six and twelve string guitars and jumbo bodied guitars.

Irish Bouzouki

He also builds Irish Bouzoukis,

English Mandotenor Guitar

Nick builds fabulous English bodied 'mandotenor' guitars.,

12 String Bell Cittern

Of course he offer; his own creation, the 12 string Bell Cittern. (note the easy neck adjustment feature on the neck heel)

Bell Trichordo

He has also developed the six string Trichordo (tuned three courses of C, G, C). This is an easy playing instrument of his own design.

Considering he builds custom, handmade instruments his prices are quite reasonable, ranging from $2200 to $3500. A factory built Martin or Taylor guitar, built in the United States would retail for much more.

If you are considering purchasing a quality hand crafted guitar or Celtic instrument I encourage you to contact Nick Apollonio. Please check out Nikos Apollonio's web page.

Click on the links under the pictures for sources

Click on the links in the text for further information