Gretsch Drums Discussion

[mkennedy]

Seeing how there's a thread to pretty much every other manufacturer I thought it would be only right to have one for Gretsch. Besides, I had to beat Pastor Bob to the punch!

[drummer]

You go boy!

[pastor_bob]

Great thread addition Mkennedy! I wish I could discuss the higher end kits, but for now, I can only discuss the merits of the Catalina series drums. Of course they are solid contenders, so there is a lot to say here.

[shabutie2113]

i wanna a gretsch cattalina club 4 piece really bad but ive always had 3 toms is it alot diffrent with just to or not really at all ?

[mkennedy]

Originally Posted by shabutie2113

i wanna a gretsch cattalina club 4 piece really bad but ive always had 3 toms is it alot diffrent with just to or not really at all ?

Shabutie,
My kit came with 10/12/14/16 toms and right now I'm not using the 10. Often times I'll strip my kit down to a basic 4 piece with one tom tom, one floor tom, snare, bass drum, hi hat and one cymbal just to get back to basics. I suggest you try cutting your kit back to a four piece setup like you'd have with the Club Mod kit and see if it is something would work for you. To be honest though, if I were you I'd look at the Catalina Maples over the Club Mod. Better sounding kit in my opinion and I find the Club Mod too 'trendy'. I think the finishes on the Cat Maples are pretty timeless. Or you could look at a Mapex Pro M or M Birch. Those will be selling for cheap now that Mapex has introduced their replacement.

[shabutie2113]

oh ok thanks for the advice i was thinking about removing a tom for more cymbal room cause i have a kinda weird cymbal configuration in stead of having the ride closest to me i have a crash and a splash and another crash next to my hihat and now buy trying this i cantry setting up my cymbals differently the only thing im kinda nervous about is a few of my fills requre 3 toms but im gonna try it for sure thanks for the advice

[pastor_bob]

Shabutie, some people really like the club kits. I on the other hand, figure that I can always take away a few drums from a 6 piece kit to make a smaller kit, but if you have a 4 piece kit to start with, it's hard to make it a 6 piece kit. The Catalina series drums are not that much more, so I would agree with Mkennedy that this is probably a better way to go. Just my opinion.

[shabutie2113]

yeah i agree i jus went in my garage and took off one of my toms and i did the fills perficatlly with - 1 drum it was jus a little more delayed then normal but right now i like my ludwig in march when i get my tax return i wanna get an electronic set because i start college and theres always those neibors that cant apreciate music and if i have enoug left ill get a gretsch or a mapex pro m for gigs

[pastor_bob]

Sounds like a solid plan to me Shabutie.

[shabutie2113]

yep pastor bob were would i go on here to ask for sheet music or a tab of The Cure's song Wrong Number ?

[pastor_bob]

Shabutie, sheet music or tabs for drums are very hard to find. Most of the time, it's about listening to the song, and copying the rhythms. This question comes up a lot.

[shabutie2113]

oh ok i can play a few songs by ear but not perfectly but ill keep trying

[Olly]

i think my next drum kit is going to be a gretsch. Whitch is the top of the range gretsch model? And can you order this kit with a rack system? No tom holes on bass drum...

[kay-gee]

I love all things Gretsch. I have two sets of drums (American made) and a Gretsch electric guitar. Someday a Gretsch amplifier maybe but way to pricey for me!

Gretsch is an old family company dating back to 1883. I believe when you buy a Gretsch instrument you are buying some history, same as a Martin guitar or a Harley Davidson! In the years to come they will hold their value and be highly collectable.

These brands such as Pearl, Tama etc...although they are very good drums no doubt, are kinda like the Hondas and Toyotas of Drums. I doubt that there will be a high collectability factor with them simply because there are so dang many of them out there. I've seen music shops with a dozen or so Pearl sets and not one Gretsch. Owning a set of Gretsch sets you apart in my opinion. The "great Gretsch sound" is legendary. At one time anybody that was somebody in the jazz world played them. Many drummers of all genres love to play them but have endorsement $$ from other companies so only use those brands in public. Gretsch has never been overly generous in endorsement money, choosing instead to re-invest it in the quality of their products.

That's my 2 cents!

all the best...

[Olly]

can a gretsch catalina maple that comes as a 6 piece drum kit to upgrade it by adding an 8 inch tom?

[drum fusion]

i'm sure you can order extra drum sizes from just about all the major drum companies, including gretsch.

[pastor_bob]

Originally Posted by Olly

can a gretsch catalina maple that comes as a 6 piece drum kit to upgrade it by adding an 8 inch tom?

I like your style Olly! Unfortunately, I asked the Gretsch customer service that very question. The answer was no. The Catalina Birch came as a 6 piece with 3 up and 1 down, while the Catalina Maple came as a 2 up ans 2 down configuration. These drums are made in an Asian factory, and because Gretsch could not guarantee a good finish match with add-on drums, they decided not to provide add-on toms.

[Olly]

Originally Posted by pastor_bob

I like your style Olly! Unfortunately, I asked the Gretsch customer service that very question. The answer was no. The Catalina Birch came as a 6 piece with 3 up and 1 down, while the Catalina Maple came as a 2 up ans 2 down configuration. These drums are made in an Asian factory, and because Gretsch could not guarantee a good finish match with add-on drums, they decided not to provide add-on toms.

Thanks a lot pb...but whitch gretsch model comes as a 7 piece kit? Is this model one of their best?

[shabutie2113]

some one told me its better to have ur snare and toms parralel to you is this true ?

[pastor_bob]

Shabutie, I'm not sure what you mean by "parallel" to you. The snare should be sitting right between your legs, and the toms traditionally wrap around you.

[pastor_bob]

Olly, here is a list of the 2008 Gretsch line-up (with top quality at the top of the list):

125th Anniversary Models (5 piece with 1 up and 2 down)
USA Custom (this is where you could get a 7 piece because you can special order the kit)
Signature Series
Vinnie Colaiuta
Steve Ferrone
Limited Edition Walnut
Renown
Burbinga
Maple
Catalina Series
Maple
Birch (was still available, but not officially a 2008 offering)
Ash
Catalina Club (4 piece Catalina)
Blackhawk

[audiotech]

Originally Posted by shabutie2113

some one told me its better to have ur snare and toms parralel to you is this true ?

I actually have my snare tipping slightly away from me and my tom tipping slightly towards me. The snare drum for me is a given as taught to me by my dad 48 years ago, but the toms have everything to do with the size of my bass drums (diameter), the positioning of the rack toms and height of the throne. As long as I have enough room to work the toms and not experience rim shots with them, the tilt works. I never tip my toms more than absolutely necessary.





Dennis

[mkennedy]

Here's how my kit is set up nowadays. The 10" tom is on hiatus for now. Just not fitting with my current style. When I bought my Cat Maples I installed Evans EC2 clears on the toms and a EC Power Center Reverse Dot on the snare. Didn't work. After a couple of weeks I was unhappy with how the kit was sounding and decided to go to coated Emperors on the toms and an Aquarian Texture Coated Single Ply on the snare. BINGO!!! The toms are singing with that great Gretsch sound. Warm, thick tone with a smooth decay and I'm really loving the ring off the toms(It's a good ring by the way, not something you'd generally try to muffle). The snare was giving me fits with the EC Power Center Reverse Dot. Now matter how I tuned it - loose over tight, tight over loose, medium over medium - it just didn't sound good. As soon as I installed the Aquarian I fell in love. Now my snare is sounding gorgeous. Thick, throaty crack with just the right amount of ring.

[pastor_bob]

Originally Posted by audiotech

I actually have my snare tipping slightly away from me and my tom tipping slightly towards me. The snare drum for me is a given as taught to me by my dad 48 years ago, but the toms have everything to do with the size of my bass drums (diameter), the positioning of the rack toms and height of the throne. As long as I have enough room to work the toms and not experience rim shots with them, the tilt works. I never tip my toms more than absolutely necessary.

Thanks for getting in on this Dennis. I totally misunderstood the whole point of Shabutie's post. It makes a lot more sense now.

My snare is a Catalina Club Rock. Sounds very rock-ish. Here's what it looks like: