Chubby Possum Piccolo Banjo

/ / Published in Banjos

This was one of my favorite custom projects of 2020. Made for talented hands Grace Van’t Hof of Sinner Friends and Chris Jones & the Night Drivers. This banjo started its life 100 years ago as a W.A. Cole mandolin banjo. Like many of these banjos, the neck was unsalvageable so it made a perfect candidate for a conversion banjo. When Grace approached me with a desire for a little 5 string banjo she could play like a ukulele but also as a 5 string banjo this rim was everything we needed to make that happen. Being a talented artist and graphic designer, Grace also had a really fun vision for the inlays. The inlays she came up with are based around classic style inlays of the turn of the century when the mandolin banjo was originally made. She took the classic Fairbanks “Chubby Dragon” inlay design and replaced it with a “Chubby Possum”. Complete with little possum babies on her back. A very fun whimsical design with a heavy nod to the classic banjo design we both love.

  • 19″ Scale Length
  • 8-5/8″ Spunover W.A. Cole Rim with Original Dowel Stick
  • Mahogany Neck
  • Ebony Fingerboard and Peghead Overlay
  • Cole Boat Heel
  • Nylgut Classic Banjo Strings
  • Classic Style Banjo Bridge
  • Gotoh Tuners
  • Hand Engraved Mother of Pearl Inlays