BrittDLD1 says:
10/14/2013 8:33:55 AM

Hi Kaj...

Sorry to burst your bubble. The higher-end BOULDER ODEs, made while Chuck Ogsbury owned the Co. -- DID come in 3 flavors:

The Style D -- Brazilian Rosewood neck (NO carving) and resonatonator, "D-style" inlay, Nickel-plated hardware.

The Style E -- (The rarest of the high-end ODEs) It was Brazilian Rosewood, with carved heel, and also nickel-plated -- with ALL of the metal ENGRAVED.

The Style F -- Was ODE's 'Top-of-the-Line'. It was also Brazilian Rosewood, with carved heel, and GOLD-plated -- with ALL of the metal ENGRAVED.

Your banjo is a typical Baldwin-made Style D, from the late-'70's. (Which is actually GOOD time-period for Baldwins!) It's walnut (NO carving) and gold-plated, with engraved tailpiece and armrest. Baldwin eliminated the Style E, and the Style F, when they bought ODE.

(There were 3 "Baldwin" Style F PROTOTYPES made by Chuck Ogsbury, to show what the high-end Baldwins COULD look like. There was a 5-string, a Plectrum, and a Tenor made. One of the 4-strings eventually burned in a fire. The ONLY original Boulder-made 5-string "Baldwin Style F", is owned by a BHO member.)

You can see an Ogsbury-made ODE Style E 5-string -- which was upgraded with gold plating, and converted to a Plectrum (with a repro 4-string neck) back in the 1970s. The pot assembly was reunited with its ORIGINAL 5-string neck, by BHO member, Scooter MUSE -- who owns it. While it's really an "up-graded gold-plated Style E" -- we like to call it an "ODE Style E/F"

Scooter's BHO Page is:

banjohangout.org/myhangout/hom...?id=23333

You can see photos of the reunited Style E/F in Scooter's Photo album:

banjohangout.org/myhangout/pho...umid=1836

Your banjo is STILL a "Top-of-the-Line" Baldwin -- Enjoy it!

Best-- Ed Britt

Gibson Mastertone RB-800 1980
Linked by june-apple 1 year ago: I have double name Baldwin ode model D!

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