Baldwin Ode Banjo Serial Numbers

Vintage Baldwin style D banjo. Extremely rare, walnut 5 string banjo, built in Boulder Colorado in 1966. Serial number 277, *which is the earliest Style D in the Baldwin/Ode database. Incredible original condition. Features original friction 5th string tuning peg, single coordinator rod, gold plating, and the famous 'propellar' inlay at the 22nd fret. Original Lifton case.

The Style D was the preferred banjo of melodic players like Bobby Thompson and Larry McNeely. Price reduced to $5700. I’ll ship it anywhere in the continental US for $100. Seven zero 6. 483 eight three seven two.

This item is sold As-Described This item is sold As-Described and cannot be returned unless it arrives in a condition different from how it was described or photographed. Items must be returned in original, as-shipped condition with all original packaging.

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Product Specs Condition: Brand Model Finish Categories Year Listed via the Reverb App.

Posted -: 16:20:11 First you should check out this long thread about ODEs.its been running for a couple of years. Second - unless he beats you to this, look on my page and see STANGER -- he and Ed Britt will know everything right down to what the guy at the factory was snacking on when that number was stamped on it. Relux tunnel crack. But, it was probably made in 1980. My student (and she is on my front page AMANDA GOOCH) has a 6500 made in 1979. You can see her photos on her page. And there is an ODE banjo group on YAHOO if you are interested in joining that.

Lots of info and photos on there as well. Scooter Muse. Posted -: 17:32:24 Hi, Ray.

I think you have one set of numbers out of order. I'll bet its 10-80-62. There's a possibility that this number may have been written out of order- I've seen some labels where the person who numbered the label showed some number dyslexia. At the end of a busy day, this can hit most folks once in a while. Either way, I'm with Scooter- your D was probably made in Oct. This numbering code started in the early 1970's, after Baldwin moved the Ode banjo works to Arkansas from Colorado. There were several earlier numbering systems used before the buyout and the move.

This one made the most sense by far. The first 2 numbers are the month, second 2 are the year, and the third 2 numbers are the individual piece. The last numbers are an accumulation of all the banjos made during that month in all configurations and styles. So far, it's impossible to say just how many of one model were made during a particular year, or how many of one model was made in total. The current databases being compiled are very incomplete. I'm sure there were original documents that detailed all of this info, but they're long gone now.

Regards, Stanger The pen is mightier than the pigs. Edited by - stanger on 17:36:29.

Posted -: 14:21:34 quote: Originally posted by BanjoLink MIke - there is an old Ode (6500 model, I think - same as Ray's)) on Ebay that has a photo of the following serial number on the label (11-63-80). Would that indicate that the serial number Ray posted is probably correct? It just means that the SAME NEW-GUY wrote the label for banjo #62 and in October, and #63 in November, of 1980. Thanks for pointing that out -- there's an interesting 'pair'. It *might* show someone was mixed-up for a while, on the order of the numbers. Quantum leap spaces. I've seen a couple others with the numbers swapped.