Yesterday my neighbor gave me an ODE 5-string banjo that he has had for years and never learned to play. Being a long time guitar player, and recent mandolin student, I had to admit I know not the first bit of beans about banjos. So, anyway, I looked the thing up and it appears to be a very early, Boulder-made original ODE. It has a Pete Seger-type 25 fret long scale (32") neck, an aluminum "body" (not sure what you call it on a banjo), a three piece mahogany neck (with thin light colored wood laminated between the sections of mahogany), a gorgeous Brazilian rosewood fingerboard, Grover rotomatic tuning machines and a few other details. The "ODE" name is pressed is into the peghead and there are no serial numbers or model numbers anywhere to be found.

I'm in process of cleaning it up but wondered if anyone knew anything about it. It only has three strings on it now and none of the music stores have been open for me to grab some 5-string banjo strings, so (I've contented myself with just cleaning it up and playing a bit on the strings that are there. The friggin' thing is LOUD!

Any info is appreciated.