Little Hawk, I can't speak to the saddle, but the tailpiece is definitely important both from a structural and a sound point of view. 12 strings put a lot of pressure on a guitar body, and to quote Nick, "The tailpiece removes tension from the bridge allowing for more responsive bracing." Another little feature - on which scholars may differ from an aesthetic point of view - is the little bar on the bridge that presses down on the strings. That helps the strings ring more true - since Nick retro-fitted my 12 with that little feature it has sang even more beautifully.

As for questions of visual aesthetics - different strokes for different folks. I personally think dreadnoughts are ugly, but they are one of the most popular guitar shapes in the world. I even own one. For finish, some people like a hard, high gloss finish, which is fine - but be aware that it may constrict the sound of the instrument a bit. Plain old lacquer is good too, and allows for a better sound, I think - but it is soft and will need touch up more frequently through the years. I have no idea what the finish is on this one; probably something between those two.

Unfortunately Nick doesn't have a video studio in house to make demonstration videos, but if you're wondering what an Apollonio 12 sounds like, you can listen to various recordings:

Here's one of mine (song by Si Kahn): Dan Schatz - What Will I Leave

But to hear someone who REALLY knows how to play it, listen to this: Gordon Bok - Driveway Reel    

I'd say the 12 being talked about here combines the subtlety of tone of Gordon's 12 with the clarity and responsiveness of mine.

Dan