Im looking for info on my kit can you help.

ShaneR

New Member
I bought a Gretsch renown maple sparkle silver a few years back including a pearl rack , clamps and cymbals. Ive tried reasearching this kit and have had few results. What im wondering is , is it a rare paticular series. Maybee even the value of it. I know by far the value to.me is priceless. Out of 4 kits ive owned in my 33 years of playing, this one is my dude !. Its great fun and sounds awsome. If you know anything about these kits please let me know. I appreciate it kindly
 

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First generation renown w maple shells, die cast hoops. They’re not rare in the sense that they’re valuable or collectors drums, but they are fantastic sounding drums. IMO, they’re 90% of the sound and feel of the Gretsch USA drums for a whole lot less money. As far as value…I think $700-$900 depending on where you’re located.
 
First generation renown w maple shells, die cast hoops. They’re not rare in the sense that they’re valuable or collectors drums, but they are fantastic sounding drums. IMO, they’re 90% of the sound and feel of the Gretsch USA drums for a whole lot less money. As far as value…I think $700-$900 depending on where you’re located.
You're mostly right, but technically they're not the very 1st generation. Those had chrome/silver badges, but I can just barely make out a black badge on the 12" tom and floor tom in the first pic. So that would make this the next iteration, which was very similar. I have a black badge Renown kit, and it really is great. Following that were the more recent RN1s (I believe in 2012) and RN2s (somewhere around 2016).

Also, I'm pretty sure they didn't offer that finish with the chrome badges, but I know they did with the black badges.
 
Thank you guys for the response. Im deffinatly currious in my kit. I may have to sell them. But i sure am trying not to. These drums are something special to me. As far as the badge goes. I. Not sure. Even though ive been in percussion the last 33 years,unfortunately im not very educated into the logistics. I was practically self taught as a lefty playing in a right handed world open handed. Challenging ide say.
 
You're mostly right, but technically they're not the very 1st generation. Those had chrome/silver badges, but I can just barely make out a black badge on the 12" tom and floor tom in the first pic. So that would make this the next iteration, which was very similar. I have a black badge Renown kit, and it really is great. Following that were the more recent RN1s (I believe in 2012) and RN2s (somewhere around 2016).

Also, I'm pretty sure they didn't offer that finish with the chrome badges, but I know they did with the black badges.
Ah…I forgot about the silver badges. You don’t see many of them around.
 
Where do i locate the badge itself. If im on the right path here, im assuming its on the tom marked with the renown maple series?
 
You're mostly right, but technically they're not the very 1st generation. Those had chrome/silver badges, but I can just barely make out a black badge on the 12" tom and floor tom in the first pic. So that would make this the next iteration, which was very similar.
I think the earliest Renowns are a bit confusing - there were some models and finishes that were supposedly only available in Europe, too. Not sure how consistent they were with the badges and other specs. But I'd think these here are from about 2008 or 2009 and should be made of 100% maple. The finish is "Slate Silver Sparkle".
Unless you really need to sell them, I'd try to keep them. Sell the rocking horse, the speakers, the ZBT and whatever is in those crates instead! :p
Edit: I found the thread on the early versions without silver sealer interior and without die cast hoops: https://www.drumforum.org/threads/first-generation-gretsch-renown.129320/
 
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I think the earliest Renowns are a bit confusing - there were some models and finishes that were supposedly only available in Europe, too. Not sure how consistent they were with the badges and other specs. But I'd think these here are from about 2008 or 2009 and should be made of 100% maple. The finish is "Slate Silver Sparkle".
Unless you really need to sell them, I'd try to keep them. Sell the rocking horse, the speakers, the ZBT and whatever is in those crates instead! :p
I believe you are correct. The only identical kit i have seen so far, in fact even the only bit of infkrmation reqaurding these are from one owner in germany who has the twin set if mine. To ke that makes this seem as thoight its a rare series .even more special to me. You are right sell everything but them haha. I could probably sleep sound at night next to them if i had to.
 
I just edited my last post while you answered - I hope the link helps.
And I'm glad you didn't take my comment on selling everything else as insolent. It's just that you have a lovely set and you might have a hard time getting a set of similar quality for what you'll make selling them. :)
 
No insults taken at all. I appreciate yo8r compliment on my kit. Ide love to polish my cymbals and clean its hareware to reveal the true sparkle to it. Its amazing with different light colors shinning down ok n it how its uniform colors really come out and change from one direction to another. When i bought it, all i seen was a silver kit. Then as different lights shine on it you can see the various Hughes of purples, reds, blues and so on come out from it. It sits on a pear rack black
Has a pear double kicks (which im working on that coordination level). Tough for a lefty playing open handed to a right handed set up . Im.getting there. I broke my back a few years back ,have had nerve damege in my left leg ever since loosing alot of my coordination i had prior. Slowly im getting back ti it though. This kit inspires me like it talks to me or something i don't know. You should hear it!!!
 
Edit: I found the thread on the early versions without silver sealer interior and without die cast hoops: https://www.drumforum.org/threads/first-generation-gretsch-renown.129320/
I just looked at that thread, and I know of those drums they’re referring to with the pewter badges that just say Gretsch. While the OP refers to them as Renowns, I’m fairly certain that those were early versions of Catalinas. They really have nothing in common with any other Renown, since they have triple flange hoops, no silver sealer and the toms have 6 lugs. But I wonder if someone here knows definitively what they are.
 
Where do i locate the badge itself. If im on the right path here, im assuming its on the tom marked with the renown maple series?
Every drum will have 1-2 badges mounted at the vent holes. Yours are what are considered the black badge, which I feel are the best version of the Renown they ever made, as these are made from 100% North American maple. Starting with the RN 1, they switched to a combination of North American maple and softer Asian maple.
 
They had a really nice-looking turquoise sparkle wrap at one time, but I think the wrap had a high failure rate, so it was only produced for a short while. The same may go for your sparkle wrap too, so this may be difficult to research (but this is just a wild guess).
 
I bought a Gretsch renown maple sparkle silver a few years back including a pearl rack , clamps and cymbals. Ive tried reasearching this kit and have had few results. What im wondering is , is it a rare paticular series. Maybee even the value of it. I know by far the value to.me is priceless.
Not a particularly rare kit. In the Renown series ...... the Purewood"s are the rare kits. Beech, Oak, Hickory, Wenge, African Mahogany. Most were offered with two configurations ...... 35 of each.

Used Renown 5 piece seem to be going for around $1000 - $1200. Maybe $200-$250 for the rack. Can't tell what all your cymbals are ..... but the Sabian B8 and Zildjian ZBT's don't resell for very much.

Put it all together ...... I don't think you'd get more than $1500 - $1600, for the whole package. That's just the way the used market is, right now.

Hopefully you'll be able to hold onto them;)
 
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