Gretsch Drums is a subsidiary of The Gretsch Company that also manufacturers guitars.  Both Grestch drums and guitars were very popular and sought after in the 1950s and 1960s.  During the 70s and 80s the guitar portion of the business suffered which caused Gretsch to slide into bankruptcy and thus the drum brand was also affected.  However, through a series of mergers and acquisitions both the drums and guitar brands have reemerged today stronger than ever before.

Today, Gretsch is a top drum manufacturer with over 200 professional drum endorsers including the likes of Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones and Taylor Hawkins of the Foot Fighters.  Unlike other top drum makers, Gretsch’s makes little hardware and accessories to accompany the drum shells and snares they produce.  While they market some mounting hardware, the majority of the hardware they utilize is made by Gibraltar and is even promoted directly on their website.

Gretsch Drum History

In 1883 The Gretsch Company was founded by Friedrich Gretsch and originally made banjos, tambourines and drums.  In 1895 after his death, Friedrich’s son Fred inherited the company and ambitiously moved operations to a new 10 story building at 60 Broadway Street in Brooklyn, New York.  The company was then passed down to Fred Gretsch Jr. who ran the company until it was sold to Baldwin Piano Co. in 1967 when production was moved to DeQueen, Arkansas.  In 1982 the company was bought by Charlie Roy, however shortly after as Gretsch was in bankruptcy Fred Gretsch III bought the company back and continues to own Gretsch to this day.

Key Gretsch Drums Milestones

1. In the late 1980s Gretsch bought the Slingerland Drum Company
2. In 1994 Gretsch sold Slingerland to Gibson but retained the Leedy Brand.
3. In 2000 Gretsch signed a distribution deal with Kaman resulting in more global visibility
4. In 2007 Kaman purchased manufacturing rights and equipment to make Gretsch drums

Gretsch Drum Lines

With over 13 different drum lines, Gretsch carries more varying drum kits than most other major drum brands.  Gretsch’s high end drums lines are manufactured in Ridgeland, South Carolina, where the company is headquartered, while other less expensive lines are imported by Kaman from drum plants in Asia.

• USA Custom – High end kit totally customizable with over 75 drum sizes and 60 finishes ($4,000+)
• Signature Sets – Made to Steve Ferrone Specs featuring 6ply Maple/Gumwood shells ($5000)
• Brooklyn – Old school look with modern attributes made in South Carolina ($1,800-$2,800)
• New Classic – Retro style with 3 pre-configured shell packs and 5 finish options ($1,600-$2,400)
• Renown Purewood Hickory – Featuring 100% american hickory shells with natural gloss ($1,800-$2,600)
• Renown ’57 – Classic car design in choice of 3 colors options with matching throne  ($1,200-$1,800)
• Renown Maple – Designed for touring drummer with 6ply shells and 30 degree bearing edges ($1,400-$1,600)
• Catalina Maple – Features 7ply maple formula shells and custom Gretsch by Evans heads ($700-$900)
• Catalina Birch – Features 7ply birch shells, matching bass drum hoop and ball-socket tom mount ($750-$850)
• Catalina Club Jazz – Four piece set with mahogany shells and traditional “be bop” drum sizes ($600-$680)
• Catalina Club Rock – Big mahogany shells with basswood exterior and glassy reflective shine ($800)
• Energy – Complete drum set with double braced hardware and Sabian SBR cymbals ($700-$800)
• Renegade – Beginner drum set with hardware, Remo heads and brass cymbals included ($500)

Gretsch Catalina Maple Drum Set

Gretsch Snares

Gretsch offers several snare drums that follow the same epitome and legend of “That Great Gretsch Sound” and are typically sold separately when purchasing a Gretsch drum set.

• Signature Snares – Available in Steve Ferrone, Stanton Moore and Mark Schulman Models ($300-$1,200)
• USA Custom Wood – Maple snares available in 5×14, 8×14, 6.5×14 and 5.5×14 sizes ($1,000+)
• USA G-5000 Solid Wood – Maple 5.5×14 model as well as 6.5×14 and 7×13 Walnut models ($1,000-$1,200)
• USA G-4000 Metal Series – Available in various sizes and wide variety of metals (Prices vary widely)
• Full Range Series Snares – Wide variety of tones, price points and sizes (Prices vary widely)
• New Classic Snares – Available in 6.5″ and 5.5″ by 14″ depths with 10-lug die-cast hoops ($380-$440)
• Renown Maple Snares – Six different snare options with 10-ply maple shells and die cast hoops ($270-$330)
• Brooklyn Metal Snares – Three snare options with varying sizes, lugs and metal type ($300-$400)

Gretsch Drum Review

There is no doubt that Gretsch drums have a long history and are among the top and most popular drum brands in the world.  With endorsers from a wide range of music including Steve Ferrone of Classic Rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Danial Davison of metalcore band Underoath, Gretsch has a drum line for drummers at all levels and from all genres.  While they have a few drum sets priced on the lower end to compete for the beginner drummer market space, for the most part, Gretsch drums tend to be higher priced to match their level of quality.  Gretsch drums also feature a unique sound that no other drum brand has.  It something that has to be heard and drummed to be understood.

For more info on Gretsch Drums check out their website at gretschdrums.com

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