Gretsch VS. Ludwig Shootout!

bearblastbeats

bearblastbeats

Senior Member
I want to open discussion for two long standing manufacturers of drums. Sorry, I don't have a video, I'll leave that up for DCP to do.

What I want is to have the two brands talked about head to head (no pun) as long standing rival's of our craft.

Anything from vintage to modern to their contemporary out of state economy kits and everything between.

Why you favor one over the other.

Who did what best.

Who is leading in the best drum concepts to date, or who is better in reviving the original sound we hold dear to our hearts.



Me: hard to choose, I've always been a Ludwig guy. I grew up behind one because I was a child playing my dads kit. I've own one gretsch (RN1?) First gen. I liked the kit but always go back to Ludwig. These days, man it's hard to tell which kit I'd go to next.


Time to throw off the gloves and see who is the true winner of the DW forum!

Let's talk!


Edit: This post is made for fun. Not to debate an actual winner, but a harmless discussion. Whether you play them or not. Let's have some fun.

Did gretsch ever do power toms? What a disaster!
 
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The "winner" is whichever kit does it for you more. I'm a die hard Gretsch guy, and TBH wouldn't seriously consider a Ludwig kit, even though I think they're nice. But does that mean Gretsch is intrinsically "better" than Ludwig? No, it just means they speak to me more than Ludwigs do. If Ludwigs speak to you more, then great, that's what you should play.

I will say though that after playing Gretsch for 10+ years, I’d have a hard time switching to any kit that didn't have die cast hoops or something equivalent to 302 hoops. To me, there’s a certain punchiness and tone those heavier hoops provide that's somewhat lacking in kits with standard triple flange hoops.

Edit: While I’ve never owned a Ludwig snare, I would absolutely consider a Black Beauty with die cast hoops!
 
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Gretsch wins in my book. Love the sound and personally find the hardware to be much better. However, I have been able to take just about any snare drum and make it sound good with good heads and tuning. Example, I have an early 60s Kent snare drum. Made at the time they were at their best. Maple shell, 8 lugs, WMP wrap that beats any Ludwig or Gretsch I've ever seen from that time period. Good Remo Abassador coated batter head, and hazy Remo resonant head and this drum sounds as good as a Ludwig Festival and/or the Gretsch 4157. I guess what I'm trying to say is, it's not the brand name that makes the drum, it's the heads and tuning, BUT in my experience I've found it easier to get a Gretsch to sound better than a Ludwig.
 
As a perennial player of Pearl who has no desire to change his affiliation, I can only address this topic in a fictitious fashion. If forced to choose between Ludwig and Gretsch, I'd probably embrace Ludwig, likely a set of Classic Maples. I have nothing against Gretsch and no real affinity for Ludwig. I just sense I'd go the Ludwig route. Again, my selection is theoretical. You won't catch me behind anything but Pearl badges.
 
I currently own both a Ludwig Classic Maple (and a couple of vintage 60s era Ludwig kits) and a Gretsch Brooklyn.

The vintage Ludwigs are among my all-time favorite drums. They have a warm, fat, tubby tone that I just love. I am not a fan of attack heavy, head sounds. However, the hardware of the vintage Ludwig drums is their achilles heel. Not good. And yes, I know all about the crappy bearing edges, the slightly out of round shells, etc.. The drums shouldn't sound this good, but the fact is they do. I have looked for the vintage Ludwig sound in modern drums, and I would say only C&C has come close to capturing this sound. Not even the Maple Ludwig Legacy drums capture that sound. They, like many others, have a bit too much modern tone in them. Disclaimer - I have never played the Mahogany Legacy drums.

Now, on to the modern discussion. Let me start by saying, my Ludwig Classic Maples are really nice, all-around, "doing anything" drums. I refer to them as "Ol' Reliable" (although they are only 2 years old). They sound good in just about any venue, they tune up easily, and they have their own distinctive tone. They are flexible to tuning as well, although I find them best at medium tunings. However, Ludwig's finish options are uninspiring and a bit tired. (I mean, I understand the classic look, but they need to offer other options as well.) I'm also not a fan of Ludwig's hardware options.

The Gretsch Brooklyns are wonderful drums as well. They have a slightly more vintage sound than the Classic Maples, but they are definitely modern sounding drums. They have more punch and attack than the Classic Maples, but they aren't attack heavy like the USA Customs. They also are easier to dig into than the USA Customs, which I really like. They do play a bit stiffer than the Classic Maples, which is not great if I'm playing heavy groove/soul music. The bass drum is a bit rounder and fuller sounding than the Classic Maples, which is great for certain genres. I would be remiss if I did not clearly state that the Brooklyns weigh significantly more than the Classic Maples. To be upfront, I consider this a significant drawback for gigging.

I don't think either set excels at something over the other set. I mean, if I was going to do a vintage-sounding singer-songwriter thing, I might choose the Brooklyns (assuming I couldn't use my vintage Ludwig drums) but really either could work.

My vintage Ludwigs would be my first choice. Then the Classic Maples (by a hair) and then the Brooklyns. My mind may change tomorrow about the latter two.
 
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At a certain point you realize that multiple companies exist to fill a void that a single company can not fill and the difference between two companies can come down to aesthetics.
 
They both make great drums. That said I'm a bit leery when it comes to quality control from the USA factories of both brands. I have a Renown set currently and the QC is top notch but they were made in Taiwan.
 
The gretsch sound great when dialed in. Harder to tune with the die cast. Ludwig never sound bad. I honestly can’t choose, both lifetime drum sets
 
In the vintage realm, Ludwig, for me (love the vintage 3 ply maple/poplar/maple shell). I do own a vintage Gretsch Round Badge .... so they're a close second.

New ..... it's a toss up between them, and most everyone else. There's some damn fine drum kits being built out there, today.
 
I have both Ludwig Classic Maples and Gretsch Renown RN2. Both the same age ( 3 yrs ) and same sizes - except the Gretsch Bass drum is 22 x 18 v the ludwig 22 x14. The Gretsch has IMV, just slightly better hardware and finish and the bass drum has a real punch - but it is slightly bigger. ( which is a pain when lugging it around!) Both are superb kits and I'm really happy sound wise with both of them.
 
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