Pickin' and a-swimmin': a country music fan builds his ultimate fantasy pool—in the shape of a banjo

Pool & Spa News, June 20, 2003 by William Frankhauser

Most people get a gold watch when they retire. Bob Underwood got a banjo-shaped swimming pool.

Underwood, founder of Aqua-Blue Aquatech Pools & Spas in Melbourne Fla., asked that the pool be built when he retired from the company in 1989.

His pool, a 1-to-24-scale replica of a vintage 1951 Baldwin banjo, was completed in 1990. Constructed during weekends with the help of approximately 40 workers, the pool took about a year to complete.

Measurements were taken directly from the Baldwin banjo, item-by-item, and converted to the 1-to-24 scale. The headstock of the banjo pool is a custom-made spa and the diving board doubles as a string holder.

To come as close as possible to the look of the original, 25 different varieties of color penny tiles were hand-cut and used to imitate the details of the banjo itself.

Black tile with white inlay was used to emulate the mother-of-pearl-inlaid neck of the banjo. Twenty-four-karat gold tiles adorn the perimeter of the pool, mimicking the banjo's gold trim.

The design won the 1991 Special Judges' Award for Technical Engineering Achievement from NSPI. The pool has been featured in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition; the National Enquirer; and Nickelodeon, a children's magazine.

"The greatest challenge was constructing and shaping the scum gutters in a way that would not ruin the banjo design," says Theresa Underwood, Bob's granddaughter.

But why a banjo shape?

According to Theresa Underwood, the 1951 Baldwin banjo is her grandfather's favorite, "so it was only natural that he wanted his dream pool to be built in its image."

His deep-rooted ties with the banjo have something to do with his love for bluegrass and country music. Underwood plays the banjo and, says Theresa, "[having grown] up in Tennessee, he has always been a country music fan."

In the early '70's, Underwood even founded Banjo Man's Old Time Pickin' Parlor next door to his pool construction business. The establishment offers bluegrass and country music lessons and a performance stage.

The stage has been graced by legends such as the "Father Of Bluegrass," Bill Monroe, Jim & Jesse, and The Lewis Family gospel group.

"Nearly every holiday, we are able to enjoy the pool together," says Theresa, who adds that the family also invites church youth groups over every now and then.

Let's see you try to do all that with a retirement watch.