From the Great Lakes Banjo 1975 catalog, I did a couple of quick scans. Looks like the "Bill Keith Special" model, very close.

The general consensus is that this model was not really ever produced as the Bill Keith special because Bill almost immediately began playing the top tension Elite model…

Hmmm...

For an instrument "not really ever produced", this one looks to be very close, right down to the installed Keith tuners.

About the only variation I see from the catalog photos is the inlay at the 12th fret.

So, there looks to be at least two having reached production -- the one in the catalog, and this one...

John: as I wrote, "not really ever produced AS the Bill Keith Special"...I own one myself that conforms more exactly to the catalog specs...It is obviously semantics but the point is that by the time the June 1, 1975 catalog was produced, Great Lakes had already started producing the Elite which was the only Great Lakes model Bill actually ever played (and endorsed).

The last Great Lakes catalog I have is 1975.
Did they rename it to something else in later catalogs?

As Thierry Schoysman explains here ( keithstyle.com/about%20my%20banjo.html ), Bill endorsed and played the "Great Lakes Elite top tension" beginning in 1975 (probably before the brochure was printed if the snapshotsI have of Bill in the Great Lakes workshop are accurately dated). In those pictures from May 1975 he is already playing an Elite Top Tension, and as Thierry explains: "The top tension version did not appear in the Great Lakes catalog." I have found no evidence of Bill with a "Bill Keith Special".

How long did Great Lakes Banjo Company last and how many
Great Lakes banjos were produced?

In Tony Trischka's book "Melodic Banjo", there's a photo of Bill Keith on page 28 in which Bill is holding this very banjo. I'd prefer not to reproduce the photo here to avoid copyright infringement . The instrument Bill is holding is not a top-tension and looks identical to the "Bill Keith Special" shown in an earlier post. Interesting to see him with a "conventional" banjo as he's usually so closely associated with top-tension instruments. In his chapter in "Masters of the 5 String Banjo", Bill's comments about his Great Lakes banjo concern only the top-tension model with no mention of the 'Special'.

quote:

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Originally posted by Karl Smakula

This year I’ve been fortunate enough to be touring as the banjo and pedal steel guitar player in Molly Tuttle’s band. occasionally I can get a little instrument scrounging in on the road, and a few days ago I found this Great Lakes banjo in northern California. Given the missing fifth string and the extremely wrong bridge placement, it hadn’t been played in a long time. This one doesn’t entirely conform to the specs of any model I’ve seen in their catalog. This banjo features Mahogany construction, a no hole flat head tonering, and a serial number that reads 73438. I’m really curious what information anyone can give me about the instrument, especially as to what year of construction and what model this may be. Sorry about the crummy pictures, as I am a couple thousand miles from my photography studio (my front porch on an overcast day)

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Thats awesome Karl! I saw you recently and didnt realize it was you! Mollys amazing and her band is incredible! You sounded great! 

Harry! Sweet find - that's Bill's place in Woodstock and super cool to know this picture is out there!