Brand: ODE Banjos
Instrument Categories: Banjos, SOLD
Here we have an early ODE long neck – 32.25 inch scale! – banjo built by Chuck Ogsbury near Denver, Colorado in the dawning days of the 1960s. This interesting banjo features a cast aluminum pot with integral arch-top tone ring, a design developed for the second or third 100-instrument run of ODE banjos. With a serial number of 556, this banjo
This ODE Long neck banjo is in overall good condition. The cast aluminum pot is complete and undamaged. The neck is Maple with a Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard – extremely common at the time. The stick is Mahogany, and is stamped ‘ODE Boulder Colo. 556’. Fret wear is light, but some frets are fairly flat. A 5th string capo has been installed and the 5th string peg and tailpiece may be replacements. The headstock tuners are original.
The original hard shell case is included. In the early days, OME built their own cases in batches of 25, but by the time of this banjo, cases came from established builders, perhaps Lifton.
One of ODE’s early workers was a fellow named Kix (Creston) Stewart. He made significant contributions to new designs, then left, ultimately forming his own company now known as Stewart-McDonald. In 1966, ODE was purchased by Baldwin, who had also just purchased Gretsch. In the early 1970’s Chuck Ogsbury regained his interest in banjos and launched the OME company, with partners. Within a couple of years he exited the partnership, but took over again in 1978 as other partners left, and in 1988 regained full control. Their history is interesting and can be read here.
- Model: Long Neck
- Year: 1961
- Finish Natural
- Class: Vintage
- Serial Number: 556, built 1961 in Boulder, Colorado
- Country of Origin: USA
- Condition: Good
- Date Posted: 13/10/2023
- This instrument has been sold
- Consignment Item
- Including original Hard case
- Instrument Weight: 7.172lbs 3.26kg
- Scale Length: 32.25in 819mm
- Nut Width: 1.344in 34.12mm
