Let's see your Gretsch kits (saved the best for last!)

Thank you Jim. Once I get the money from selling my electronic kit that I don't use anymore I'll see about buying the Cat Birch
 
After a year and a half of playing an electric kit (to keep the noise down in the house) I finally purchased this beast! My first kit, and I love it. Done a couple of gigs with it, everyone's been really impressed, especially the bassist in a jazz trio I play in.
Catalina Club Jazz in Silver Sparkle

18x14
12x8
14x14
14x5 Snare


100_2997.jpg


100_2998.jpg


100_2999.jpg


100_3003.jpg
 
After a year and a half of playing an electric kit (to keep the noise down in the house) I finally purchased this beast! My first kit, and I love it. Done a couple of gigs with it, everyone's been really impressed, especially the bassist in a jazz trio I play in.
Catalina Club Jazz in Silver Sparkle

18x14
12x8
14x14
14x5 Snare


100_2997.jpg



Sweet set up bro!
 
Here is my new gigging kit.

Gretsch Catalina Maple In Honey Amber.

5.5X14 Mapex Black Panther Special Edition Maple/Elm/Walnut Snare

Zildjian Armand Cymbals:
10" Spalsh
14" Hi Hats
16" Med. Thin Crash
18" Med. Thin Crash
21" Ride
17" K China

Evans EC2 Clear on Batter, G1 on Resonant
Evans HD Dry on Snare Batter, Hazy 300 on Resonant
GMAD on Bass Drum Batter, EQ3 on Resonant
 

Attachments

  • 025.JPG
    025.JPG
    181.5 KB · Views: 4,684
  • 026.JPG
    026.JPG
    166.8 KB · Views: 4,559
  • 016.JPG
    016.JPG
    177.6 KB · Views: 4,517
  • 021.JPG
    021.JPG
    180.6 KB · Views: 4,522
This is my little Catty with some modifications (reso floor tom hoop is standard because one of the die-casts was refunded; now the shop has sent me a perfect one)
 

Attachments

  • CIMG0158 bis.jpg
    CIMG0158 bis.jpg
    306 KB · Views: 4,353
  • CIMG0157bis.jpg
    CIMG0157bis.jpg
    304.5 KB · Views: 4,342
  • CIMG0155 bis.jpg
    CIMG0155 bis.jpg
    327.7 KB · Views: 4,482
  • CIMG0151bis.jpg
    CIMG0151bis.jpg
    253.1 KB · Views: 4,457
  • CIMG0150bis.jpg
    CIMG0150bis.jpg
    284.1 KB · Views: 4,468
I just bought a 2010 Catalina Birch kit. Really a nice kit and great value. I like the sound. My first kit I received as a Christmas present in 1960 a gold sparkle Round Badge sits with it. You guys have some beautiful drums. Sodbusterjim.

Really sweet round badge, man. 22" bass drum,isn´t it? A 1000 miles away from the catalina birch. Congratulations.
 
After a year and a half of playing an electric kit (to keep the noise down in the house) I finally purchased this beast! My first kit, and I love it. Done a couple of gigs with it, everyone's been really impressed, especially the bassist in a jazz trio I play in.
Catalina Club Jazz in Silver Sparkle

18x14
12x8
14x14
14x5 Snare


100_2997.jpg


100_2998.jpg


100_2999.jpg


100_3003.jpg

Nice silver sparkle one. Hard to find new in this wrap (discontinued)
 
This is (yeah, yet another...) Catalina Maple Set with Sabian cymbals. The setup is as follows:
10" & 12" mounted toms with Evans EC2 clear batters and stock resos
14" & 16" floor toms with Evans EC2 clear batters and stock resos and Pearl Air-Suspension feet
14" x 6" Snare drum with Remo Fiberskyn 3 batter, Ambassador Snare Side reso, with Pearl Ultrasound snare wires type I.
22" Bass drum with Remo Pinstripe on batter and stock reso (it is a pretty good damn reso, let me tell you)
Moongels only on floor toms and 12" tom.
16" & 18" Sabian AAX-Plosion Crashes
20" Sabian AAX Stage Ride
14" Sabian AAX Stage Hats
2x Tama Stage Master Boom stands
Mapex Straight C550A stand
Mapex S700 Snare stand
Mapex H550 Hi-Hat stand
Generic Twin Pedal
PDP Drum Throne

15ghmb.jpg


161dlau.jpg


ji15qt.jpg


309k8pt.jpg


2i1o3tk.jpg


4hqdnd.jpg


1128v34.jpg


efsd8x.jpg
 
Last edited:
Well, I'm not sure that they are the "best", but here's my offering....
04203656.jpg
 
I have one of these ordered, can't wait for it to come in!

EBONY_DIAMOND_CLUB_JAZZ.jpg
 
Those look like new Catalina Jazz. Beautious.........

I got that kit and the GMS green sparkle for the Ludwig champagne sparkle kit. Then, I promptly traded the GMS for a Ludwig silver sparkle kit. That deal worked out great for me, I now have a great sounding little Gretsch kit and was able to score another vintage Ludwig.
 
Agreed - Pretty sexy looking.

What are the sizes on that kit? It looks pretty little (saying that, if you go back to page 8 and look at my club rock, most kits look small next to it ;) )
 
I've posted my 58 kit here before but I've recently restored a 60's Dixieland 6 lug (5.25X14)snare. I was going to wrap it in the same Red Sparkle but after stripping it down the wood looked too nice to wrap. I played around with some Tung Oil & Clear Gloss Varathane and liked the outcome.

I have it in the mix with my 58 kit for now. I like the it - it's got a metalic tone. That might have something to do with how I finished the inside. I redid the Silver Sealer - a few coats - and added a couple of coats of the Clear Gloss lacquer over that - nice and reflective.

58 DRUMS: 20/12/14
The Parade drum off my hats is used as a tom here - Gretsch 1949 - Restored (cleaned) & finished with Tung Oil (no gloss lacquer) - Hoops were not refinished - cleaned only.

I LOVE PLAYING THIS KIT - I've been waiting decades for these and they came my way quite by chance last Fall....I think I related the story somewhere in one of the threads on this site - maybe this thread.
I have a very short video demoing the 60 snare - just a few hits is all - but you can tell what I mean about the metalic tone. If you're interested I can post a link here.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_6164 (Large).JPG
    IMG_6164 (Large).JPG
    134 KB · Views: 4,159
  • APR 24 OUTSIDE 6LUG.JPG (12) (Large).JPG
    APR 24 OUTSIDE 6LUG.JPG (12) (Large).JPG
    119 KB · Views: 4,164
  • APR 24 OUTSIDE 6LUG.JPG (14) (Large).JPG
    APR 24 OUTSIDE 6LUG.JPG (14) (Large).JPG
    165.6 KB · Views: 4,215
That is a tuning key and I am not sure why Gretsch ever stopped using the feature.
 
Just a teaser. I put a deposit on a new Maple shell pack yesterday. I pick them up on the 28th of this month. I got this shell pack at a price I could not pass up. Happy to be owning Gretsch again!

Gretschcatalina011.jpg


Full kit pix in a couple of weeks.
 
Back
Top