ODE Banjos is an American banjo maker founded in Boulder, Colorado in 1960 and building openback banjos today in Gold Hill, at 8,700 feet in the mountains west of Boulder. Banjo Warehouse in Yellow Springs, Ohio is an authorized ODE dealer, and we also buy and sell vintage ODE banjos from every era of the company.
Who makes ODE banjos?
Charles Starr Ogsbury founded ODE in 1960 and built about 2,000 banjos in Boulder before selling to the Baldwin Piano Company in January 1966. He went on to found OME in 1970. In 2021 he passed the ODE name to his son, Zen Ogsbury, who restarted production in that original 1970 OME shop. Zen and his partner Zoe Hatch built the current shop from the ground up between 2021 and 2025 and made more than 250 banjos in that time. Former OME builder Jacob McClure joined them in 2026.
What kind of banjos does ODE build today?
Handcrafted old-time openback banjos, built with select parts and lightweight construction for a warm, woody, clear tone. If you play clawhammer, this is the part of the market ODE has always served best. We can order any current model.
Do you carry vintage ODE banjos?
Yes, and we have handled examples from every period: the original Boulder shop, the Baldwin years in Boulder and Arkansas, the Gretsch-distributed instruments of the 1970s, and the new Ogsbury banjos. Very few dealers can say that.
How do I tell which era my ODE is from?
Start with the rim. Aluminum means 1960 to about 1965. A wood rim means 1965 or later. Then read the peghead, because Baldwin ran the name three different ways over fifteen years. We wrote a full guide: how to identify and date an ODE banjo.
What is the difference between ODE and OME?
Same founder. Baldwin owned the ODE name after 1966, so when Ogsbury started over in 1970 he changed the D to an M. OME built roughly 7,600 banjos before Gold Tone Music Group bought it in December 2023 and moved production to Titusville, Florida. Banjo Warehouse is a dealer for OME as well. See our OME banjos page.
Will you buy my old ODE?
We would like to see it. Boulder-era, Baldwin, and Gretsch-distributed ODEs are all on our want list, along with Baldwin and Gretsch branded instruments from the same period. Geoff Hohwald has been buying and selling vintage banjos since 1980 and will give you an honest assessment. Send photos of the full banjo, the peghead, the inside of the rim, and any paper label. Start on our Sell Your Banjo page or call (404) 218-8580.
Setup and shipping
Every banjo we sell gets a professional setup from our banjo tech Tara before it ships, so it arrives ready to play. Free shipping anywhere in the United States, with a 7 day money back guarantee. Financing is available.
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Questions about an ODE? Call or text (404) 218-8580, or email [email protected]. Banjo Warehouse LLC, Yellow Springs, Ohio.
A 1980 ODE 6505 Style C, serial 3-80-30, a walnut five-string resonator banjo built in Booneville, Arkansas in the final year of ODE production. It has a professionally repaired neck crack near the heel and a non-original clamshell tailpiece, and it comes in its original Gretsch case.
On order from ODE. Our last Magician Fretless sold, and another is on order from ODE's shop in Colorado. Ordering now reserves you the next one to arrive in Yellow Springs, where our banjo tech Tara sets it up before it ships. Lead times vary, so get in touch before you buy and we will tell you where it stands. Your payment is fully refundable at any time before your order ships, for any reason and with no restocking fee.
The ODE Magician Fretless is a 12 inch openback built for clawhammer and old-time: a multi-ply curly maple tone rim, a cherry neck with a fretless ebony fingerboard and a frailing scoop, and a heavy notched brass hoop with 14 brackets. Handcrafted by ODE in the mountains near Boulder, Colorado. Set up by our banjo tech Tara in Yellow Springs before it ships. Padded gig bag included. $1,795 with free shipping.