Duff, Apitius or Clark

[AndrewF5]

Good morning, this is my first post on this amazing forum. I am doing a serious upgrade from my longtime Eastman and am considering the following three f5 mandolins:

2015 Apitius Rosine f5
2003 Duff f5
2010 Clark f5

All three are french polish varnish, tone bar braced and based off the early loar tone. All are in the same 6k price range.

Does anyone have any experience comparing any of these models? In that price range, are any of them a no-brainer? Should I be considering anything else/better in this range?

I play mostly bluegrass, but do like to play fiddle tunes and some solo pieces as well.

Thanks in advance.

Drew

[pops1]

These are all respected builders and the only difference I could think of would be sound. If you can play or listen to each that would help. Sound preference is subjective and personal. What I like you may not. I have called and had them played into the phone before and used speaker phone or earphones to hear better. Not the best sound, but you will be comparing them all in a similar way. If you can drive to play them that is much preferable. Any instrument can be made to play well so I would go more on sound than setup. Enjoy either should be a great mandolin.

[John Soper]

I doubt you'd be a looser with any of these mandolins- all are professional grade instruments. They will each have a different feel and tonal characteristics, so I echo the advice to try before you buy- especially when laying out serious cash. I have a Duff that I love, but YMMV.

[colorado_al]

I was in Boise for work a few weeks ago and was able to stop by Austin Clark's workshop and play several of his mandolins. First off, Austin Clark is a great guy! He was happy to take time away from his busy instrument building and repair work, to show me his shop and to show me his mandolins. I've been reading about Clark mandolins for a while on this site, and the praise for them is well deserved! I played 3 F5 style and one A5. All were superb! The build quality and finish is top notch and the ease of play is also excellent! I wish I had some audio to share of our mini jam session. Austin is a great swing jazz/gypsy player. It was really fun. If I had the money, I would have bought the A5 on the spot. All 3 F5 mandolins were also great. 1 was built with torrefied wood and it had a deep resonant, old timey sound. The other 2 were more punctuated and all of them were really great to play.
If you have a line on a used Clark, I would grab it. Hopefully, wherever you buy, you'll have a 48-72 hour trial. Let us know what you decide on!
Best, Al

[CES]

Of the 3, I've only played a Duff, and I really liked it. I'm hoping to be able to swing some trades and maybe buy it in the next few weeks, so I'm not telling you where I played it . That said, all 3 are excellent builders with outstanding reputations. I really don't feel like you could go wrong with any of them, assuming similar conditions with no impending repairs/maintenance (ie, refret, neck re-set) on the older ones. Have fun choosing!

[AlanN]

Not just sound, but overall feel/heft/presence/vibe all play a role in how a particular instrument sits with me. Short of spending some time with each, I suppose photos, sound clips, detailed descriptions will have to do. Good luck.

[bootinz]

i love my 2008 Duff

[Atlanta Mando Mike]

All quality makers. I've played mandolins I've liked from each and mandolins I haven't liked from each. If I were going to rank them as makers (because without playing, you can't rank the mandolins themselves) I'd put Duff on the top of the list-that's my personal opinion from my on anecdotal experience. I've played many of his mandolins, I've liked quite a few and he has been building for a long time. They are all high level makers and on name alone, there's no way to judge which mandolin you will like the best of the three. I'll also throw in that I think the Apitius Rosine model at the Music Emporium sounds great in the videos posted. To make your life more difficult, I'll throw in a list of others I would consider in that price range.

Steve Andersen (not anderson but andersen) not as well known now but was a major contender in the early 90's. Great mandolins for a really good deal. may be less liquid than others because they aren't well know anymore.
Daley- Mandmutt has one for a great price. These tend to be really good bluegrass mandolins.
Elkhorn- Good mandolins-little more modern in sound - to me anyway.
Gibson Fern from the 2000's -You know the story.
Skip Kelley-His mandolins sound fantastic. Modern and big sounding to my ears
Randy Wood - I personally think his mandolins from the 90's are his best.

no financial interest. Feel free to message me if you want more color.

[Josh Levine]

I have a 17 Duff that is fantastic. He is a great builder. Monster tone and volume, very focused and mid-rangey. Don't have much experience in the others. This is a good interview with Paul Duff posted by cafer Verb4us https://issuu.com/minnesotabluegrass...egrassjune2015 it starts on page 15. One thing to consider is that he retooled the tone bars in 06/07 to get closer to the Loar tone, so the 03 may be different from what he is putting out today. I am far from an expert on the topic, though.

[Givson]

I own both a Duff F5 (2003, x-braced, Red spruce) and an Apitius F5 (1993, tone bars, Euro spruce). Though both are excellent instruments, they are vastly different in sound and in neck feel. If at all possible, I would advise you to play each mando before buying to determine what sounds/feels best to you.

[Denny Gies]

I've played a Clark. Outstanding workmanship, fit and finish. I thought the sound was a bit thin. Best of luck. I agree with Pops; if you can, play some stuff prior to a purchase.

[William Smith]

All are pretty good, but if it was me go Duff! He is right there with Gilchrist in my opinion, I've never played one but would buy one if I found the right one like tone bars, radiused board, wouldn't care one bit if it was beat looking. I don't go in for pristine! Sound is whats important to me!

[Bill McCall]

I'd play them all if I could. I've played a couple Duffs, both A and F, and each were very nice. Never held an Apitius.

But I love my Clark, a 2 point. Big, ringing sound. Beautiful, with all the goodies.

[Phil Goodson]

I've owned 2 Duffs (A & F). My Duff has been my primary instrument for the past 4 years and has made MAS 'almost' go away. But play before choosing if possible.

The only Clark I've played was about 6 years ago and just for a few minutes, but my recollection of it is that it was very good.

[Josh Levine]

I'd play them all if I could. I've played a couple Duffs, both A and F, and each were very nice. Never held an Apitius.

But I love my Clark, a 2 point. Big, ringing sound. Beautiful, with all the goodies.

When do I get to check this out?

[Jim Garber]

Good morning, this is my first post on this amazing forum. I am doing a serious upgrade from my longtime Eastman and am considering the following three f5 mandolins:

2015 Apitius Rosine f5
2003 Duff f5
2010 Clark f5

This Apitius Rosine F5 at Music Emporium certainly has a great sound in this video:

[Austin Bob]

Here's my opinion - everyone's got one.

The three makers you mention all have great reputations and have all produced great sounding mandolins. However just because build number xxx sounds fantastic from one maker, doesn't always mean that number yyy will sound the same.

Most retailers and private sellers have a return period. Nothing beats playing the mandolin in a private setting. You don't have to worry about other people listening, and there's no perceived pressure from a salesperson standing by. Yep, you will usually have to pay return shipping and insurance, but it's usually worth it.

Pick the one that sounds the best from the information/sound clips that are available, and go for it.

BTW - I have an Apitius on order, should get it in two months or so. I'm that impressed from the videos I've seen. Check out Mandolin Mondays on the homepage and look for David Benedict's entries, they are excellent.

[Jim Garber]

I have only played one Apitius and that particular one had a very thin neck, not the width but the depth of the neck. It was a nice sounding F-5 but I did recall that feature which, for me, would have been a deal breaker. I doubt that all of his instruments have that kind of neck but I would check dimensions etc and other pertinent details with the dealer/seller with the instrument in hand and over the phone (assuming you cannot be there in person). And I second the thought that it would be worth it to take advantage of 48 hour approval period for mandolins of this caliber and cost.

I am sorry to say that I have never played a Duff or a Clark. BTW I did play a Stanley F-5 mandolin a few years ago and was very impressed with that one.

[Marcus CA]

I am doing a serious upgrade from my longtime Eastman and am considering the following three f5 mandolins:

2015 Apitius Rosine f5
2003 Duff f5
2010 Clark f5

All three are french polish varnish, tone bar braced and based off the early loar tone. All are in the same 6k price range.

Since builders usually get better over time, would that give a tiebreaking edge to the Apitius?

[Bill McCall]

How'd that work for Gibson?

[Austin Bob]

How'd that work for Gibson?

Yes, they had a very long dark period, but most everyone agrees they are making some of the best mandolins ever right now. Have you played a Dave Harvey signed model?

[Mark Wilson]

All are pretty good, but if it was me go Duff! He is right there with Gilchrist in my opinion, I've never played one but would buy one if I found the right one

[AndrewF5]

Thanks everyone for your recommendations and input. I really appreciate the time people took to respond. I'm also looking at an Ellis f5, which I know is an entirely different direction and price tier.

[Marcus CA]

How'd that work for Gibson?

I think of Gibson as a company, rather than a builder.

[Mike Snyder]

How'd that work for Gibson?

At five words, that might be the shortest Gibson bash in cafe history.