Real Gretsch drums or no?

hmmasters

New Member
Hi everyone, I will be looking at a set this weekend but I'm skeptical about whether it's actually a Gretsch drumkit. The owner said it has a snare from the 60's but I'm skeptical. Either way, What are your thoughts on the bass drum tom mount? I haven't found a gretsch drumkit that has two tom mount arms coming from the bass drum quite like this one. The ones I've seen the metal bars are super close together?

I'll be looking at the the Gretsch badges if they have some. I also plan to open the drums and inspect the insides for plys and sealant/glue.

Any experts out there that can spot a fake easily?
 

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Red Flags all over the place. Just walk.

NEXT!

Real Gretsch USA have silver sealer inside, die cast hoops

Gretsch rack toms have 5 lugs, these have 6

Some things look right, but more things look wrong. The rack tom mounting brackets look right to me. The lugs sort of look right in that bad pic. The finish looks sort of close to Gretsch's walnut finish. The badge I can't tell.

It's got scam written all over it. Good idea checking in here first.

We should try and beat him to the punch and scam him first, the scumbag

Like a bunch of drummers show up at the meeting place and make him wet his panties.
 
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Maybe it's Gretsch Blackhawk, which are garbage. No matter what brand is on it, it's obviously generic Taiwan junk. Snare drum looks like an old Rogers student drum? Not particularly good or valuable that I'm aware of. I would want no part of any of that.
 
Your photo next to a Gretsch Blackhawk I got off the internet ......
 

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The tom mount could have been added to a virgin bass drum. I added one to my Renown bass drum, and the silver sealer is not on the lower lines.
 
A) These drums are most likely Blackhawks. In other words, the lowest of the low end, and Gretsch should have never slapped their good name onto them.

B) Even if they were Gretsch USA Customs, which they clearly are not, just from the layers and layers of caked on dust, I'd pass on these. If someone can't even be bothered to clean up their kit before snapping pictures to sell them, then you know it's someone who does not treat their gear well at all.

A + B = a definitely no from me.
 
Gretsch? Possibly. In the slightest desirable? Not even a little.

Now, that snare drum looks like it may be a Rogers, which would be desirable. The pics aren't good enough to tell anything about it, though.
 
Hi everyone, I will be looking at a set this weekend but I'm skeptical about whether it's actually a Gretsch drumkit. The owner said it has a snare from the 60's but I'm skeptical. Either way, What are your thoughts on the bass drum tom mount? I haven't found a gretsch drumkit that has two tom mount arms coming from the bass drum quite like this one. The ones I've seen the metal bars are super close together?

I'll be looking at the the Gretsch badges if they have some. I also plan to open the drums and inspect the insides for plys and sealant/glue.

Any experts out there that can spot a fake easily?

It looks like an older Gretsch Blackhawk or maybe an energy set.

However - those are really only "Gretsch" in branding alone...it's one of the only series that I don't really have any connection too on any level - I'm sure there's better kits out there. Unless it's a screaming deal - like $300 - I would steer clear.
 
I'd walk it's a DINO-Drums in name only ROFL. We had a DINO here at one time-A Drummer in Name only. But I guess he took all his toys, he didn't play with, and took them home. Fun times eh.
 
Eh, nah, I mean it all might be worth that much in a resale sense, but I can think of a lot better ways to spend $350. Unless maybe you want a kit for your kid’s new punk band?
 
Thank you all for the help. One more question:

How about this kit, advertised as a usa custom?
This one looks much more convincing, clean, obvious square badge. What would you pay?
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That looks much more like the real thing. :)


Thank you all for the help. One more question:

How about this kit, advertised as a usa custom?
This one looks much more convincing, clean, obvious square badge. What would you pay?
View attachment 101580
 
Gretsch? Possibly. In the slightest desirable? Not even a little.

Now, that snare drum looks like it may be a Rogers, which would be desirable. The pics aren't good enough to tell anything about it, though.

It is indeed a Rogers, looks like a wood Powertone maybe a Dyna.
I'd actually go for that...buy all for $300, flip the cymbals and kit and keep the Powertone for free.
 
If they have silver sealer on the inside of the shells (gray fence paint)...then yea, it looks like the real McCoy.
 
How about this kit, advertised as a usa custom?
This one looks much more convincing, clean, obvious square badge. What would you pay?
View attachment 101580
I'm not a fan of hanging floor toms ..... but pictured is a bass drum, two racks, two floors ..... snare and hardware/cymbals included? I could see someone asking $3K or there abouts.
 
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