my 1966 Gretsch round badge

A

Anthony Amodeo

Guest
I finally made the plunge.
stumbled upon this one locally.
20 , 12, 14 ...Champagne Sparkle
the guy was the original owner who gigged with it in the 60s and got a good job in the early 70s and has had this set up in the very finished basement I pulled it out of this morning since then.

this thing is gorgeous

all original except for the cymbal L arm and the heads
even the Jimmy Pratt kick muffling system is still in tact
the L arm that is on it is an old Slingerland I believe.
I plan to get a nice 60s Gretsch L arm off ebay.
it is also missing the kick drum badge but I just ordered an original bass drum badge that should be here in a few days

I also plan to get all stands from the same era and a kick pedal as well.
the guy who I bought it from also threw in the Ludwig Speed King kick pedal that he used with the kit...but the bearings are a little seized up.

I'll take more pics when she is complete....for now here she is as I bought her

myroundbadge.jpg
 
Last edited:
Holy mackerel. Those drums are taking straight out of a dream. My sincerest congratulations. You are a lucky man.

thank you brother

I definitely feel lucky

I am so excited out this kit

and let me tell you....it sounds unbelievable

I am so excited about slowly getting pieces like a Gretsch kick pedal and hat stand ....and cymbal stand all from the same era .....it is now my little project to get this thing looking as it would in the 60s

I forgot to mention in the OP that this gentlemen threw in the seat that he got with the kit you can see the top in the pic ....so sweet

as I was pulling out of his driveway this morning he stood under his open garage door with the saddest look on his face

I almost felt bad taking it from him
 
Those are superb GVA! Beware installing the kick badge, because modern grommeting tools can be too big and/or too forceful for the job of installing it. Use extreme care, and don't let anyone touch it without you standing next to them. You risk denting or splitting the badge, or even the shell.

It might be a good idea to "pre-cut" the part of the grommet that goes into the shell, so that it can splay out easily. Not sure if metal snippers will do the job though.

No matching snare, huh? Probably a good thing, mine is not as sensitive or as versatile as a modern snare.
 
Those are superb GVA! Beware installing the kick badge, because modern grommeting tools can be too big and/or too forceful for the job of installing it. Use extreme care, and don't let anyone touch it without you standing next to them. You risk denting or splitting the badge, or even the shell.

It might be a good idea to "pre-cut" the part of the grommet that goes into the shell, so that it can splay out easily. Not sure if metal snippers will do the job though.

No matching snare, huh? Probably a good thing, mine is not as sensitive or as versatile as a modern snare.


do you have experience installing the bass drum badge?

the one I bought is an original 60s badge that comes with the factory grommet ...but I have no idea how to install it

....no...no matching snare....I plan to get a nice 60s Gretsch snare to go with it at some point....that will probably be the last piece of the vintage puzzle though
 
Congratulations Anthony! That's a wonderful, wonderful opportunity to have happened.

Enjoy them as much as I know you'll take care of and respect them.

I need to go mop up my drool now...
 
Stunning Anthony. You deserve these. You have earned the privilege to possess these. There's only so many round badge Gretsch kits and you have one. Heartfelt congratulations my man, heartfelt congratulations. I can only imagine how satisfied you must feel.

But the big question is....Are you going to gig them? Well are you?
 
Welcome to the Gretsch RB owners club. Nice tubs. I know exactly how those sound. Sweet, indeed.​
About the badge/grommet thang, I was told that the kicks were only press fit. There's no flange inside the drum. Now, I haven't seen enough RB kicks to say if that's true, or not. Mine's the only one I've seen inside of, and that's the way it is (and it hasn't fallen off, yet).​
Oh, how much did you score those for?​
 
@ uncle Larry - thank you very much sir...I am extremely excited and satisfied about these.
I will be even more satisfied once I gather up enough money to get a flat bottom cymbal stand,and hi hat stand, and snare stand form the very same era ....then eventually a snare.
...and no I won't be gigging with this gem...she will sit in my drum room and get buffed with a diaper :)

@ Harry - thanks for the welcome...proud to be part of the fam.
yeah from the pics I saw of the badge and grommet it looked like it just slid in the hole.
I was thinking of maybe fastening it with a small dab of a gentle glue if it was too loose.
but it is not like the kit will be moving around much .
I scored them for a very reasonable price considering the pristine condition they are in high demand they are in these days
 
What did you do with the tom muffling knobs, take them off? LOL Very nice looking. I think I have seen this somewhere before.
 
What did you do with the tom muffling knobs, take them off? LOL Very nice looking. I think I have seen this somewhere before.

just flipped the tom over.

the guy I bought it from had the tom the other way.

guys like Tony Williams made it fashionable in the 60s to flip the tom over and have the muffling system knobs on the outside ......the guy I bought it from was one who was influenced by all that

so I just flipped the tom back to the way it was intended to be

here is a pick of it flipped the way Tony would sometimes play ...and the way it was in the picture I sent you before I bought it :)

myroundbadge2.jpg
 
do you have experience installing the bass drum badge?

the one I bought is an original 60s badge that comes with the factory grommet ...but I have no idea how to install it

....no...no matching snare....I plan to get a nice 60s Gretsch snare to go with it at some point....that will probably be the last piece of the vintage puzzle though

Yeah, I had to put it in myself. It turned out... okay. I should re-do it!

You'll need a grommeting tool of appropriate size. The end of the grommet that is not rounded over is supposed to split apart in three or four places (like a blooming flower), and the metal "leaves" hold the grommet against the inside of the shell. I borrowed a grommeting tool from the local hardware store, but it was too big, so I "made it work" by taping a large coin over the badge and grommet so I could wail on the other side with the hammer.

See if you or someone at a hardware store can "pre-splay" the inward part of the grommet, so that it splits easily against the inside of the shell as you install it. You won't have to apply as much force, which means less chance of damaging the badge or shell. If you can, make good friends with the cranky old dude at the hardware store who actually knows his s*&t!

If the grommet fails for some reason, you can buy a piece of brass tubing and make your own grommet with a ball peen hammer.

When/if you do get that snare, make sure you play it before handing over the cash. My 60s RB snare has character, and a nice loud crack, but it's actually terrible for jazz. It's just not sensitive enough for subtle comping. The snare throw works fine, but the head fits too tightly around the bearing edge, so it just won't "sing". But maybe you'll get lucky with one that does!
 
Congrats, Gvd! That is a beautiful find. I share your excitement. Enjoy those beauties in good health!

Ya know, this doesn't exactly challenge my theory that you were put on this earth for the sole purpose of making me jealous :)
 
@ 8mile - thats hilarious....you can come play them any time brother

@ brentcn - thanks a ton for the info
 
here are a few of the guys that made it fashionable to flip your rack tom and play with the muffler knobs on the outside

Tony
tonywilliams1965gretsch.jpg


Elvin
elvinjonesgretschp.jpg


Max
maxroachgretsch.jpg
 
Congratulations Anthony! I agree with Larry, you've earned the right to have these in your drum room without feeling in the least bit guilty. They're beautiful, & just like a ageing honey who's kept herself in good condition, she can still show you a trick or two ;)

I'm a bit disappointed that I can't make it to the National drum fair this weekend. I'm so freakin' busy right now. Each time I go there, I marvel at the examples of vintage drum love on display. The effort & attention to detail that some of these guys put into making their classic drums shine beyond their years, is remarkable. I know you will both use respectfully & cherish this gem you've uncovered. After all those years in the basement, it's the kit's time to live again!

Worth clicking through this gallery :) http://www.ukdrumfair.com/Gallery.html
 
Back
Top