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Thread: Got to play a Gretsch USA kit again tonight

  1. #1

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    Default Got to play a Gretsch USA kit again tonight

    Umm......yeah. Thanks a lot to my good friend and fellow drummer for letting me play his 5pc vintage Gretsch USA kit for our gig tonight. It was a 20/12/13/14FT kit with Remo PS4 heads tuned fairly loose. It sounded fan-freakin-tastic. Now.....I get to obsess about how great it sounded and spend more time tuning my new PDP Maples in a quest to remotely replicate it. Just when I thought I was happy with my current set up, LOL. I feel I played the best I have ever played, and I'm certain it was largely due to the confidence in sound the drums provided. I will also go back to a 5pc again. I guess that's why drumming should be considered a continuous "journey". You just need to be receptive to change.....and spending money.
    -Brian

    "Too many crappy used drum stuff to list"

    Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!

    "I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham

  2. #2

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    Default Re: Got to play a Gretsch USA kit again tonight

    You liked the 14 inch floor tom? I like Gretsch kits but feel 14 inch floor toms are a little small for me. I like deeper sounds.

  3. #3

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    Default Re: Got to play a Gretsch USA kit again tonight

    Quote Originally Posted by 8beat View Post
    You liked the 14 inch floor tom? I like Gretsch kits but feel 14 inch floor toms are a little small for me. I like deeper sounds.
    They also make 16's and 18's

    all the best...

  4. #4

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    Default Re: Got to play a Gretsch USA kit again tonight

    Quote Originally Posted by N2Bluz View Post
    Umm......yeah. Thanks a lot to my good friend and fellow drummer for letting me play his 5pc vintage Gretsch USA kit for our gig tonight. It was a 20/12/13/14FT kit with Remo PS4 heads tuned fairly loose. It sounded fan-freakin-tastic. Now.....I get to obsess about how great it sounded and spend more time tuning my new PDP Maples in a quest to remotely replicate it. Just when I thought I was happy with my current set up, LOL. I feel I played the best I have ever played, and I'm certain it was largely due to the confidence in sound the drums provided. I will also go back to a 5pc again. I guess that's why drumming should be considered a continuous "journey". You just need to be receptive to change.....and spending money.
    My advice. Stop searching and spending hard earned $$. Just buy a set of USA's and w put the "wanting" to bed forever. You, of all people on this board, can justify the initial expense. You have a solid music project going, it by the looks of it, may continue for many more years.

    all the best...

  5. #5

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    Default Re: Got to play a Gretsch USA kit again tonight

    Quote Originally Posted by 8beat View Post
    You liked the 14 inch floor tom? I like Gretsch kits but feel 14 inch floor toms are a little small for me. I like deeper sounds.
    The strange part was having 12/13/14 hanging toms. It was way better than I expected. The 14" was the deepest, tightest, most focused (hanging) floor tom I've ever played. Most 16" I've heard give more of a "controlled rumble". This was deep, but still tight and punchy enough to use extensively in fills. After thinking about it last night, the heads may have had a lot to do with it. It was tuned pretty loose, but didn't have that flappy paper bag sound. He also had studio rings in addition to the pre-muffled heads. I would never think of setting a kit up like that.....but it was magic. Very punchy with nice tone, good projection and medium decay.
    -Brian

    "Too many crappy used drum stuff to list"

    Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!

    "I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham

  6. #6

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    Default Re: Got to play a Gretsch USA kit again tonight

    Quote Originally Posted by kay-gee View Post
    My advice. Stop searching and spending hard earned $$. Just buy a set of USA's and w put the "wanting" to bed forever. You, of all people on this board, can justify the initial expense. You have a solid music project going, it by the looks of it, may continue for many more years.

    all the best...
    I suspect that time will come, sooner than later. It's hard for me to just "buy the sound". It's just my personality. Growing up, my dad built everything himself. He designed and built our house all by himself. He built all our cars, pickups, tractors, etc. out of junk scrap. The Apple didn't fall far from the tree. It's a gift AND a curse, LOL.

    As far as my band goes, we really nailed the gig. The guys were all on top of their game. They interacted with the crowd and had them all up dancing, singing along and cheering. It was a brand new bar and our first gig there. The bar owner told me after the show to come in this week and book as many gigs as we want.
    -Brian

    "Too many crappy used drum stuff to list"

    Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!

    "I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham

  7. #7

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    Default Re: Got to play a Gretsch USA kit again tonight

    Quote Originally Posted by kay-gee View Post
    They also make 16's and 18's

    all the best...
    I have two kits - my Rogers has a 14" tom and an 18" floor tom. My PDP has a 14" floor tom...they both sound so different. I can get my 14" floor tom to sound sooo deep. But man, that 18" is a freakin' beast. Thunders like Thor.
    I think it just comes down to having versatility

  8. #8

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    Default Re: Got to play a Gretsch USA kit again tonight

    Quote Originally Posted by Cdeleone View Post
    I have two kits - my Rogers has a 14" tom and an 18" floor tom. My PDP has a 14" floor tom...they both sound so different. I can get my 14" floor tom to sound sooo deep. But man, that 18" is a freakin' beast. Thunders like Thor.
    I think it just comes down to having versatility
    I couldn't quite get into the 18" sound so I converted it into a kick. As NZ says, the 16's seem to have a controlled rumble to them. Nice for rock. The 14"... a rounder melodic sound, at least to me. I have all 3 in Gretsch USA.

    all the best...

  9. #9

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    Default Re: Got to play a Gretsch USA kit again tonight

    Quote Originally Posted by N2Bluz View Post
    Thanks a lot to my good friend and fellow drummer for letting me play his 5pc vintage Gretsch USA kit for our gig tonight. It sounded fan-freakin-tastic. Just when I thought I was happy with my current set up, LOL.
    I know where two wonderful vintage USA kits are right now.
    One is a 1977 (same vintage as mine) and the other is a 1979...........both are from the "first stop sign badge" era. One kit is NEVER played and the other is played by a 10-year old kid (with no idea of respect).
    Both of these kits have a natural finish..........not wrapped. Also...........both kits have conventional 14X22 inch bass drums.
    If I can ever get either owner to part with their drums, I'll let you know.
    Gretsch USA & Zildjian
    (What Else Would I Ever Need ?)


  10. #10

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    Default Re: Got to play a Gretsch USA kit again tonight

    Quote Originally Posted by Cdeleone View Post
    I have two kits - my Rogers has a 14" tom and an 18" floor tom. My PDP has a 14" floor tom...they both sound so different. I can get my 14" floor tom to sound sooo deep. But man, that 18" is a freakin' beast. Thunders like Thor.
    I think it just comes down to having versatility
    Quote Originally Posted by kay-gee View Post
    I couldn't quite get into the 18" sound so I converted it into a kick. As NZ says, the 16's seem to have a controlled rumble to them. Nice for rock. The 14"... a rounder melodic sound, at least to me. I have all 3 in Gretsch USA.

    all the best...
    I found myself using the 14" FT way more in fills, just because it fit in so well with the other rack toms. It sounded like a shotgun blast. I have to think I could get my 16" to sound similar with the right heads and tuning. The 16"FT on my Pearl Maxwins actually sounds very similar, but I installed custom made re-rings in it. I believe that definitely added some "focus" to it. I also REALLY liked the 20" bass drum. It had a very nice punch, great feel but still had some low end. Maybe I should have just bought a 12/14/20 jazz kit, LOL.
    -Brian

    "Too many crappy used drum stuff to list"

    Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!

    "I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham

  11. #11

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    Default Re: Got to play a Gretsch USA kit again tonight

    What is it about those old Gretsches. The wood sounds better as they get older. I played a mid 70's Gretsch set w/a 20x14 bass drum, small set as I remember and I tell you it sounded sooooo good! The whole set sounded great!

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