William Esperance Boucher, Jr. of Baltimore, Martland, is regarded as one of the first significant banjo makers in the U.S.  Prior to Boucher, most banjos that have been found were probably one-off pieces made by or for a particular player.  Boucher, in contrast, made banjos for a living, and about 20 of his banjos have come to light.  He is sometimes credited with being the first to use drum-type pull down hooks to tighten the head, though he didn’t patent that idea.

          This banjo was a prototype made by OME banjos in Boulder Colorado in the early 1990’s paterned closely from an original and is the only one OME ever made.

           It has a  faux-rosewood finish, 12″ X 5/16″ thick curly maple rim, eight  holdown clamps, aged brass hardware, ebony tailpiece and tuning pegs, and a beautifully made neck with Bouchers characteristic “beehive” decoration on the peghead.

To purchase or for more information contact:

Call: 720-480-2066 or email: [email protected]