Gretsch Renown Maple or Yamaha Stage Custom ?

bachim

Junior Member
Hi,

I´m considering buying a new drumkit, which one would you reccomend, the Gretsch Renown Maple or the Yamaha Stage Custom ?

Is the Gretsch Renown in a higher class ?
 
I play a Yamaha Stage Custom weekly at my church gig. I think they're a great value for the dollar and they sound good with the right heads on them.

I think the SC's compete nicely with with the Gretsch Catalina's.

However I believe the Gretsch Renowns are a significant step up. The price tag for them reflect that.

If you can afford the Renowns I'd go for them.

BTW: I own a set of each brand but they are higher in quality level than either of the lines mentioned (and yes I paid more). Both brands have great products.

One other thing to note is that you'll probably want a different snare with the SC's. The Renowns might have a snare you like. I've read that some are happy with their Renown snare. Personally I'd get a different snare for either set.

Jim
 
Both are excellent kits and excellent values. Though I'd give the upper hand to the Renowns. If you hustle you may still be about to catch a Renown 57 series 5 piece for $1000. I have the small bop set and wow. The snare actually is the best part of the kit. Super classic sounding. No way I'd be swapping that out for another snare. I agree though that the Stage Custom snare might be just so-so. Good luck. Keep us updated.

p.s. Ebay listing $949 free shipping and quality throne. Can beat this at all. Go for it :)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Gretsch...529?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a27fb17f9
 
If you hustle you may still be about to catch a Renown 57 series 5 piece for $1000. I have the small bop set and wow. The snare actually is the best part of the kit. Super classic sounding. No way I'd be swapping that out for another snare
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Gretsch...529?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a27fb17f9

I also just bought that Renown57 snare , 6.5 x 14. Its a great snare adn costed me only $200.

Both are great kits but I think the Renown would be my choice.
 
I own the Yamaha Stage Customs and I think thay are one of the best bang-for-your buck kits on the market. That being said, if the Renowns were in my budget I'd go for them.
 
The Yamaha hardware would be the big advantage of getting the Stage Customs. The drums themselves do sound great, but the Renown shells would win the sound battle if u compared them side by side. Really warm and responsive drums.
 
Ok thanks guys :)
I have been searching youtube quite alot for some videos that let me hear the sound of the Renowns in good quality but i haven´t been able to find any.
Still i think i´ll go with the Gretch Renowns :)
 
the '57 Renowns, are they much different from the Renowns maple ? maybe just the different look ?
 
The Renowns are going to have a rounder and longer sustaining tone. Especially if you use straight heads. Played by themselves, you might think you want damped heads or moongels on them compared to the Yamahas. A lot of that goes away with the competing noise of a band. The Yamahas might sound cleaner and tighter, especially at home in a den or basement. I do record my Renowns open, but I use a Glyn Johns minimalist mic set up are going for a more open roomy sound. I would either put moon gel on them or have something like the Yamahas for recording if I were after a tighter more produced sound.

I had this conversation with the owner of the Jasper Gretschs I've posted pics of elsewhere. Sitting there alone with the drums, he loves the sound of 3 ply Ludwigs. But those Gretschs sound right to him when there is a band playing at the same time. What is "best" is what is most musically consonant with the situation.
 
The choice really depends on what wood sound you prefer...if you like the maple sound, you're going to prefer the Gretsch kit (i.e., warm, more round resonant sound)... If birch is your sound, you'll prefer the Yamaha's (i.e., more punch/attack, focused sound)...
 
If you have a shop near by go and test both out and let your ears decide. We can give you opinions all day but in the end you have to like the sound of the kit
 
The Gretsch Renown drums are a significant step up in drum value. I have nothing against the Yamaha Stage Customs, but I would reach for the Renowns any day of the week. In fact I have. These are about three years old and sound terrific. The Renowns are maple shells where the newer Yamaha Stage Customs are birch, it all depends on what you like. The Renowns have die cast hoops where the Stage Customs have 1.6mm triple flange, again whatever you desire. The Renown drums sound very similar to Gretsch's top of the line USA Custom drums when played side by side.

DSC_0243-1.jpg


Dennis
 
A closer comparison, in regards to price would probably be the Renowns and Yamaha Oaks.
The Oaks are a little higher priced than the Renowns, but the gap between those two isn't as big as that of the Renowns and Stage Customs.

I got my last new Stage Custom Birch 5 piece shell pack for $550.

Here's the Renowns and Oaks from a couple stores - prices seem to be typical on-line:

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Gretsch...hell-Pack-with-Free-8--Tom-498717-i1440195.gc

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/drum...mf565608.180&gclid=COnz7s6F7LQCFexAMgodEjoAhQ

Of course, you can do a lot better priced used on any of those.
 
As far as I know, that's the only difference, correct? Why pay $1,000 more? Just get the 57s.

I agree - works for me. But those have a really unique look about them. Seems to be a love it or hate it type thing.
I'd hate to see people get them and them modify them because they don't like the looks. Better for those drums to go to the 'love it' types.
 
There are some threads here where people have stripped the '57s. The white part is apparently just a sticker and easily removed leaving a solid red, blue, black or whatever shell.

I confess that I like the stained wood look much better. Mine are amber fade, similar to the cherry fade Dennis has. Sparkle finishes aren't my thing, I like drums to look like wood, but the lacquer sparkle finishes on some of the Renowns I've seen has it all over most wraps IMHO.

They Yamaha oaks are a different beast altogether. Probably the loudest drums I've ever played. Much more attack and focused sound than the Renowns. The Renowns are pretty resonant and fairly loud. They are louder than the PDP Cx maples I replaced with them, or the Pearl Masters Custom Maple I had before that. And louder than the Stage Customs. But they can't keep up with the Oaks for sheer volume. Depends on what you want to do with them.
 
Hi,

I´m considering buying a new drumkit, which one would you reccomend, the Gretsch Renown Maple or the Yamaha Stage Custom ?

Is the Gretsch Renown in a higher class ?

The Renown is Maple and slightly more expensive versus the Stage Custom which is birch. Both excellent sounding and build quality.
 
The Gretsch Renown drums are a significant step up in drum value. I have nothing against the Yamaha Stage Customs, but I would reach for the Renowns any day of the week. In fact I have. These are about three years old and sound terrific. The Renowns are maple shells where the newer Yamaha Stage Customs are birch, it all depends on what you like. The Renowns have die cast hoops where the Stage Customs have 1.6mm triple flange, again whatever you desire. The Renown drums sound very similar to Gretsch's top of the line USA Custom drums when played side by side.

DSC_0243-1.jpg


Dennis

Since almost everyone i asked said i should bet on the Renowns, so that´s what i did.
I bought a used Renown in the same color as your kit Dennis (Cherry fade) and i love it.
The sizes are 22",10",12",14" and included was a 14" yamaha maple custom snare.
This kit is 2007 model, is it any different to the ones that are being made i 2012-2013 ?
I would love to add a 16" floor tom.
 
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