Music is Awesome
Senior Member
Bob this is the email Gretsch sent Roadstar.
problem with New Gretsch catilina Maples
- Thread starter Roadstar
- Start date
Bob this is the email Gretsch sent Roadstar.
It was the only kit that the store had, and it at the time was ordered in for me and I received it in the box. The store and store manager have been very helpful in resolving this matter, I have no complaints toward them
Paul
pearlygates
Gold Member
That's different then.
I am sure that the problem will be handled most adequately at the factory in China.
Fred Gretsch ( I doubt) will stand for putting his family name on substandard workmanship.
Skulmoski
Gold Member
Sometimes it takes considerable effort to return a defective product. It then becomes easier to sell the product to a customer. Too bad.
Perhaps if this episode drags on, you can negotiate for an upgrade to some Renown drums. Get the manufacturer involved. Be courteous too. Good luck.
GJS
bobdadruma
Platinum Member
Im sorry if I came on a bit strong in this thread. Its just that I'm a long time fan of Gretsch drums!
It really bothers me when corporations decide to manufacture their products in places like China and then not do the proper monitoring of the quality control process.
If proper quality control procedures were in place, these drums would never have been packaged and shipped in the first place.
Come on Gretsch, Get it together! You aren't making Jet engines! Drum hoops are not hard to measure!
It really bothers me when corporations decide to manufacture their products in places like China and then not do the proper monitoring of the quality control process.
If proper quality control procedures were in place, these drums would never have been packaged and shipped in the first place.
Come on Gretsch, Get it together! You aren't making Jet engines! Drum hoops are not hard to measure!
Les Ismore
Platinum Member
bobdadruma
Platinum Member
As we all know the Cat Maples come as a shell pack.
That puts them slightly higher on the drum ladder than the basic entry level kits that come with hardware.
I regard them as an intermediate kit.
These drums should conform to the league that they are in.
If a drummer buys this kit with a hardware pack, He/She shells out about $1000 of more.
That puts them slightly higher on the drum ladder than the basic entry level kits that come with hardware.
I regard them as an intermediate kit.
These drums should conform to the league that they are in.
If a drummer buys this kit with a hardware pack, He/She shells out about $1000 of more.
pearlygates
Gold Member
I was at my local drum shop and checked out a Catalina Maple shell pack. I looked for gaps between rim and shell as pictured in this thread. Everything checked out fine..except I noted that the crapola stock Gretsch label heads are oversized. almost 1/8" larger in diameter! That may be
some of the reason for the gap issue. There was noticeable gaping around the perimeter of the 10" tom. When I swapped the stock head for a Remo Ambassador and the gap disappeared. I haven't checked the other shells yet, I will do that when I assemble them in store on the 28th.
I checked this against a Remo Ambassador clear. The build on this kit was just beautiful..so much so, I bought them!!!
Put a deposit down on them today, and I pick them up on the 28th!
My search for a maple shell pack ended with the Gretsch..again!
some of the reason for the gap issue. There was noticeable gaping around the perimeter of the 10" tom. When I swapped the stock head for a Remo Ambassador and the gap disappeared. I haven't checked the other shells yet, I will do that when I assemble them in store on the 28th.
I checked this against a Remo Ambassador clear. The build on this kit was just beautiful..so much so, I bought them!!!
Put a deposit down on them today, and I pick them up on the 28th!
My search for a maple shell pack ended with the Gretsch..again!
pearlygates
Gold Member
Gretsch and Sonor are two of the better companies with regard to their QC of their jobbed out Asian drum kits. No one is perfect.. Gretsch no doubt is on top of this.
It doesn't matter where the kit is made, Fred Gretsch has his name on it. I think it is more the collars on the uber junky stock heads than the hoops.
I could be wrong tho.
Hi Guys:
Just an update on my posting.
I received my replacement kit Friday, and have returned the defective kit.
After carefully putting this kit together I can truly say there is a big difference in the quality, not perfect but much better. The reason I make the "not perfect statement" is because there still is a much larger gap between the side of the drums and the inter side of the rims then any other kit that I have seen so far to date, not sure if this is something that I should be concerned about, but never the less it is a facted.
I have checked the tension rods and in my opinion the rim could stand to be a little smaller which would decrease the gap and make the tension rods parallel to the sides of the drums. For now I will live with them and maybe someday I will try different heads and rims and see what that produces.
Thanks Again guys for all the info
Paul
Just an update on my posting.
I received my replacement kit Friday, and have returned the defective kit.
After carefully putting this kit together I can truly say there is a big difference in the quality, not perfect but much better. The reason I make the "not perfect statement" is because there still is a much larger gap between the side of the drums and the inter side of the rims then any other kit that I have seen so far to date, not sure if this is something that I should be concerned about, but never the less it is a facted.
I have checked the tension rods and in my opinion the rim could stand to be a little smaller which would decrease the gap and make the tension rods parallel to the sides of the drums. For now I will live with them and maybe someday I will try different heads and rims and see what that produces.
Thanks Again guys for all the info
Paul
pearlygates
Gold Member
(scratching head) I am going to have to really go over my kit before I slap down the rest of the cash..
Maybe it boils down to just bad luck, but I can tell you that my drum instructor showed me a new set of catilina club that the school had purchased and they are every bit as bad as my first set.
"Maybe Canada is getting all the junk", because I can tell you there is room for alot of improvement with tolerances. Please do not misunderstand me , I love the look and finish of my kit, but do feel that they can improve considerable after viewing many kits. As for the sound of the kit I can not comment at this time with my limited experience with drums but I can see.
Paul
"Maybe Canada is getting all the junk", because I can tell you there is room for alot of improvement with tolerances. Please do not misunderstand me , I love the look and finish of my kit, but do feel that they can improve considerable after viewing many kits. As for the sound of the kit I can not comment at this time with my limited experience with drums but I can see.
Paul
Pocket-full-of-gold
Platinum Member
lol......whilst I'd never noticed any problems with mine, this thread did prompt me to go back and have a close look at everything. I needn't have worried....all was fine. Hoops and shells nice and round and no gaping holes between the baring edge and hoops.......but I know where you're coming from!!
pearlygates
Gold Member
I had a Gretsch Cat maple a few years ago that sounded awesome! I am gonna try to find any close up pix of toms ..
This first pic is of the 10' tom on the kit I have the deposit on Notice the gapping around the perimeter of the drum between the head collar and shell, rim and head collar. hmmmm??
This next picture is of a 12" tom on the kit I had a few years back.. Not quite as apparent. But if you look in the backround, you can see the 10" tom. If you look close enough you can see the same type of gapping. I can tell you that this kit sounded very very nice and was a breeze to tune.
I am still going to be assembling my mocha fade kit at the store.. and if anything looks hinky..I will look at something else. I am also sending Gretsch a picture of the mocha fade tom to see what they say ...
This first pic is of the 10' tom on the kit I have the deposit on Notice the gapping around the perimeter of the drum between the head collar and shell, rim and head collar. hmmmm??
This next picture is of a 12" tom on the kit I had a few years back.. Not quite as apparent. But if you look in the backround, you can see the 10" tom. If you look close enough you can see the same type of gapping. I can tell you that this kit sounded very very nice and was a breeze to tune.
I am still going to be assembling my mocha fade kit at the store.. and if anything looks hinky..I will look at something else. I am also sending Gretsch a picture of the mocha fade tom to see what they say ...
sqadan
Senior Member
I'm pretty confused by this thread...
Are the rims too big for the heads? Or are the shells undersized - thus making the heads themselves seem a bit too big for the drum? Both???
My Premier Gen-X kit was built with undersized shells as a feature to facilitate easier seating and tuning of drum heads... so I'm not sure why this would be an issue unless they were like a half inch undersized.
Please clarify the exact issue.
Are the rims too big for the heads? Or are the shells undersized - thus making the heads themselves seem a bit too big for the drum? Both???
My Premier Gen-X kit was built with undersized shells as a feature to facilitate easier seating and tuning of drum heads... so I'm not sure why this would be an issue unless they were like a half inch undersized.
Please clarify the exact issue.
Artstar
Platinum Member
I know, I don't think many here understand any of this. If this is, in fact, undersizing, then, on a beginner to mid-level kit, that is VERY SPECIAL.
Undersizing shells is not EASY, and not COMMON. The only two high end makes I have seen it on, with any substantial, real measurement, is Sonor German models, and Premier English made models.
Given the fact that this guy just got his second Catalina, and it is identical, (if it is for every tom), then let's have some basic, logical conclusions here. What are the chances of the second kit being identical??
The bent hoop or whatever the other problem was, is a COMPLETELY different issue here. Not related.
Pocket-full-of-gold
Platinum Member
Whilst undersizing was mentioned in the thread. I think it's highly unlikely to be the case. The OP stated that ONE hoop was too large for the drum (14" FT). If the undersizing was deliberate, surely this would mean it would be evident on all the drums.
The bass drum issue really looked to me as if the hoop was put on back to front.
Artstar
Platinum Member
Absolutely. If the "undersizing" was in-consistent from tom to tom, then there is a manufacturer issue, big time. That's why I mentioned, it would be VERY SPECIAL, for a lower line to have this feature.
pearlygates
Gold Member
I am starting to rethink my decision to buy another Catalina Maple...
scorch whammin
Gold Member
I have to partially disagree with you on this statement
...I would agree that this is not common (i.e., undersized shells), but disagree on the "not easy" statement...there's nothing any harder about designing "undersized" shells as opposed to shells that are "just right" sized (couldn't think of any other way to put it)...it's all in the engineering and tooling/molds developed (for the manufacture) around that engineering...