For those who love, own & play Ode Banjos

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ODE Model 21? 'r whut?

From darwinyarwin on 8/20/2013 4:31:58 PM

I posted this on the Yahoo ODE group, so please  'scuse the duplication for some of you:

I just bought that ODE long neck with the broken dowel stick that was on eBay this week. This completes a long search for a replacement for my original 1962 ODE "Harpoon" long neck (#645 IRR).  I wrote Ed Britt a few years ago and burdened him with the sad story of how the neck was destroyed and why I "settled" for replacing it with your basic standard 22 fret 5-string neck. Hell of a player, bright, loud, melodic, but … not a long neck.

The ODE I just bought is about the same age, and was played by the original owner for 50 years until he passed away. It has some history and some mystery too. The family has identified it as a 1962-63 Model 33 Grade 1, Serial # 1741. They say it was purchased at the Boulder factory in '63.  (I think the family just decided it was a Model 33 just because there's a hand-written piece of paper with that written on it, stuck in the pages of the `63 catalog that they had with the banjo. It has hardly any of the characteristics of a Model 33; and has no Serial Number other than that mysterious "53")

Instead, looking at it, it seems to be a '61 or `62 Model 21 C grade. It has that early-style Model 21 "fiddle" headstock that eventually became the "scroll" or harpoon shape, Just like the ones on the first ODE Catalog. (Also, just like the one in the picture on the Group Homebppage here.)  It has a "C" stamped on the headstock under a white ODE name. More mysterious, the broken dowel stick has the standard ODE, BOULDER COLORADO stamped into the wood, plus the number 53. If I was just looking at it without any confusing back story it would be the 53<sup>rd</sup> Ode "C" grade production instrument. (But what do I know? Not as much as Stanger or Britt!) Also, that stamp with the Ode name and the number 53 is on all four sides of the dowel stick! The aluminum pot is exactly the same as my original pot: solid cast aluminum with flat head and no tone ring or drilled sound holes or `sound chamber'. The frosted mylar head has "ODE, Boulder Colorado" stamped upon it, and was apparently a replacement head. The original had a hole punched through it, they tell me. You guys can look at the pictures I've posted in the Yahoo group's photo section  -  "62 or 63 ODE Long Neck C" - and give me your assessments. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Odebanjos/photos/album/55995755/pic/list

Anyway, I aim to restore it to as near original as possible. And that's why I'm posting this long-winded comment. I have two major issues. I need your advice and assistance with both:

 1) Missing hardware. The neck brace attachment and that "L"-shaped bottom chromed brass bracket that anchors the end of the dowel stick to the bottom of the rim are both gone. I can reasonably substitute Stew Mac's Vega-style neck brace for the upper assembly, but that "L" shaped bottom piece is its own breed of part and as rare as anything I ever searched for. The third missing part is of course that elegant ODE inertia tailpiece. (So far I've found just one listed for sale at $125.)  Anybody got any of these parts?  Okay okay, when you quit laughing … does anybody have an idea about a source for the parts?   I've been emailing all the usual suspects.

 2) The broken dowel stick. I propose to replace it with a new walnut stick after I drill the broken tenon-stub out of the neck heel. I intend to put a label on it with the original information and the info about the repair; and keep the original broken stick in the case forever.  BUT …I could drill out the tenon and get some master craftsman to delicately drill a hole down the old stick's axis and fit a new tenon piece inside both the neck's mortise and the dowel stick. Dangerous, maybe not strong enough for a permanent repair.  Or I could attempt that coordinator rod setup that J. Romero uses on his banjos <http://www.romerobanjos.com/coordinatorrod.html> and keep the broken dowel stick on the banjo.

Advice please.

Thanks for your ideas and information,

Tom Warren
Pleasant Hill, OR

PS And speaking of the case, I need a long neck hard case for it. So far the Canadian case Elderly has seems to be the one. Unless you guys …. <g>

5 Comments
	timmib says: 8/20/2013 5:16:55 PM Just a thought, have you contacted the folk at OME? They were very helpful.
	darwinyarwin says: 8/20/2013 5:59:56 PM I sent an email this weekend. No response yet. Thanks!
	timmib says: 8/20/2013 6:51:40 PM It's a small operation. For all I know they are closed for vacations! Try again next Monday if you haven't heard, or call them. They're nice folk.
	darwinyarwin says: 8/21/2013 3:23:03 PM Wow, I just learned something very interesting. When the sent me the banjo, it had a 6-string Elton tailpiece. I thought it was an addition to the banjo from a later period. But looking at the 1961 Catalog, <omebanjos.com/Misc/1961.pdf> you can see that the banjos pictured there have that 6-string tailpiece, and not the 5-string inertia tailpiece that came later! So one of my parts needs has been solved. Woot!
	darwinyarwin says: 9/1/2013 11:15:26 AM Here's the finished restoration: postcivilateum.blogspot.com/20...rade.html
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