This banjo is a Great Lakes Elite top tension. The top tension version did not appear in the Great Lakes catalog.
Bill played his Great Lakes from 1975 until the early 1990s, when he endorsed a Rich & Taylor Bill Keith model. Personally, I never liked that Rich & Taylor too much, but Bill played it for the rest of his life. Bill's Great Lakes has always been my favorite banjo.
Very few of this model were made. Bill acquired two of these around 1975 and sold one in France. The new owner took it apart to make other banjos.
Every time I would come over to IBMA, Bill would bring me the Great Lakes to play. In 1995(?), another owner of a Great Lakes Elite top tension decided to sell it. At the music store where he offered it for sale, someone recognized the model and called Bill.
As Bill knew I really wanted one, he called me. and a few weeks later Bill brought it to Belgium. To me, it was as if the quest for the Holy Grail had ended. The original owner had hardly touched it, so it was as new when I got it.
Bill played his Great Lakes from 1975 until the early 1990s, when he endorsed a Rich & Taylor Bill Keith model. Personally, I never liked that Rich & Taylor too much, but Bill played it for the rest of his life. Bill's Great Lakes has always been my favorite banjo.
Very few of this model were made. Bill acquired two of these around 1975 and sold one in France. The new owner took it apart to make other banjos.
Every time I would come over to IBMA, Bill would bring me the Great Lakes to play. In 1995(?), another owner of a Great Lakes Elite top tension decided to sell it. At the music store where he offered it for sale, someone recognized the model and called Bill.
As Bill knew I really wanted one, he called me. and a few weeks later Bill brought it to Belgium. To me, it was as if the quest for the Holy Grail had ended. The original owner had hardly touched it, so it was as new when I got it.