Ricardo, I think you will need more than a hour for MDS.
I have business in Savannah so I have planned a road trip that seconds as a drum tour.
Day one :
Memphis Drum Shop
WOW...........excellent from all angles.............cymbal vault...........vintage room............rooms and rooms of great kits & snares............all under impressive stage lighting............sticks, bags, all the hand-held stuff...........impressive inventory.
If you find yourself in Memphis, schedule an extra hour to go to this place.
Gretsch USA & Zildjian(What Else Would I Ever Need ?)
Ricardo, I think you will need more than a hour for MDS.
Tour day 2, 3 & 4 I have business.
I'll report back Tuesday -- immediately after my tour of the Gretsch facility at Ridgeland, S.C.
Gretsch USA & Zildjian(What Else Would I Ever Need ?)
Day 5..............tour of the Gretsch Drum factory at Ridgeland, SC..........a very personalized tour from the plant manager, Mr. Paul Cooper, himself.
Mr. Cooper graciously took an entire hour of his work day in order to show me (and my wife) the entire place with all the details........remarkable.
A lot of great Gretsch history up close !
Not what I thought it would be..............but even better.
We got some great photos and when I return home, I will be posting all of them in a new thread.
We are on the road all day tomorrow..........probably 10 hours.
I will report back on day 7 after we visit Fork's Drum Closet -- Nashville, TN.
Gretsch USA & Zildjian(What Else Would I Ever Need ?)
that drum shop is seriously ridiculous. Like dying and going to drum heaven
I'm curious if the DW buy was ever mentioned...and if so, how the gretsch people in the trenches are reacting. Also, if any insight was given in terms of the future of Gretsch. It would be a very good sign (and indicator) if the Gretsch people were excited about their future and direction with DW at the helm.
-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
Since you asked.....................YES.
Mr. Cooper is well-versed on the history of Gretsch. He described dealing with Baldwin, Fender, and even in a minor relationship involving Slingerland.
He and the employees are THRILLED that DW is their new partner.........he made multiple comments on how great it is that the relationship has already proven to be an improvement. The morale among the shop employees is excellent. I was happy to hear this.
Mr. Cooper is very impressed with the business ethic and the business intellect of DW.............he also mentioned the incredible knowledge of wood and it's possibilities attributed to Mr. Good.
I asked about the business relationship.............in other words, what is the exact agreement (since there has been some confusion here at the forum)......I was told that this is the arrangement :
Fred Gretsch retains the name and is provided royalties accordingly. DW has purchased the operations...............including the manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of all Gretsch lines.
DW will maintain the long-traditional manufacturing process of Gretsch USA Customs and (now) Brooklyn (which means all hand-made in America)...........nothing changes with the top-line product.
It appears the future and direction of Gretsch will be very good.
Gretsch USA & Zildjian(What Else Would I Ever Need ?)
Last edited by late8; 07-23-2015 at 02:41 PM.
Yes............Paul Cooper, far right.
The lady with the big afro has been there 23 years and told me she loves her job. She gets all the drums ready for final inspection before shipping...........this includes any final assembly (heads & snares applied, etc.) and last minute cleaning and buffing............while I was talking to her, she and her helper were finishing a rack full of Brooklyn metal snare drums........2 mill thick and very heavy.
The guy far left with the beard and ball cap was the guy that did all the wet sanding on the outer finishes..........he makes everything shiny and pretty.
I was told the lacquer takes three weeks to dry.
The African-American girl left of center is the lady that does all the lacquer spray booth work...........she is a wonder with a spray gun.
You are welcome for all the information I could get............I would have loved to stay there all day. Paul Cooper was an exceptionally nice guy to welcome us for the visit.............he was the first to bring up the DW question............I got the impression that being operated by KMC/Fender was OK...........they were described as a "big company".
Again, if there was one thing that I was surprised about during this visit, it is this :
So much of what is done for the build of Gretsch USA Customs is done by hand.............very personal and very impressive.
And Rich...........I had to ask...........the flaws in the USA set, as you received it, were described by Mr. Cooper as one in one thousand.
Last edited by Ricardo; 07-23-2015 at 03:51 PM.
Gretsch USA & Zildjian(What Else Would I Ever Need ?)
Day Seven : Fork's Drum Closet -- Nashville, TN
Why is it called a closet ?
Right next door is a business called CORNER MUSIC.
Gary Fork was previously allowed to operate a business at Corner Music out of a closet at which he sold sticks and heads.
He now operates a fantastic drum shop next door to Corner Music.
Corner Music now deals in all aspects of music except percussion.
Paul Cooper, of the Gretsch Drum Factory, told me that Fork's Drum Closet is the number one outlet for Gretsch USA Customs in the United States.
I counted 27 Gretsch kits on the floor ready to sell...........one was a Catalina, a few were Renowns.........I'm betting about 21 of them were USA Customs...........mostly the conventional 3-pc. shell pack.........some had matching snares.
I also saw a set of Ludwig Legacy shells that were truly breathtaking.......they looked like a natural mahogany satin.
Also............a set of Tama Starclassic in a deep red sparkle.........gorgeous.
Fork's Drum Closet is a great percussion shop/dealer.............when you walk into the front door, the first thing you notice is 100 vintage Slingerland snare drums in the entry foyer..............nice !
They have a snare room, a cymbal room, and a "hallway" of mallets...........I found a pair of Vic Firth "soft" tympani mallets that I use for cymbal swells............the pair of Zildjian mallets I now use are 30 years old and are about to fall apart.
I looked for the "phospher bronze" snare drum from Gretsch USA........not there and also not at the Memphis drum shop............Mr. Cooper told me that specific drum is the heaviest Gretsch snare drum available...........another reason it sounds terrific............only about $1200.
I will post photos soon.
Last edited by Ricardo; 07-23-2015 at 04:59 PM.
Gretsch USA & Zildjian(What Else Would I Ever Need ?)
Wow, excellent job. It's like we have our own DC travelling correspondent, LOL. It's spectacular to hear Gretsch is so pumped about being under DW direction. Those people you met ARE Gretsch. They are some of the best drum craftsmen in the world and are irreplaceable. The fact that so much is done by hand enforces that. If their not happy, the brand is doomed. If they ARE happy (or even happier than they were before), then things will only get better for Gretsch. That speaks volumes about DW as a company. I know what it's like to work for both a small private company focused on quality and a big corporation responsible to share holders. This could prove to be a monumental moment for Gretsch.
-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
Almost forgot the most important part;
Did they give you any free swag? A hat? Shirt? Ball point pens?
-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
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