Review: Gretsch Catalina Maple Drums

Throughout the Twentieth Century, Gretsch has made some of the finest guitars and drums known to man. Their drums have always been exceptional for tone and performance, played by such greats as Charlie Watts (Rolling Stones), Dennis Wilson (Beach Boys), Rob Bourdon (Linkin Park), Gar Samuelson (Megadeth), Louie Bellson (Jazz), Chick Webb (Jazz), Brad Wilk (Rage Against the Machine), Phil Collins (Genesis), Bruce Gary (The Knack), and Jose Medeles (The Breeders).

Last week, I was lucky enough to play a set of these at my local Guitar Center. For those of you who thought a good, solid set of real brand-name maple shells were out of your reach, you're prayers have been answered!

The Gretsch Catalina Maple Series drums are loud and bright like you'd expect from thin, 6-ply maple shells. The 8"X10" and 9"X12" rack toms ring true and clear thanks to the hoop mounted GTS suspension system which eliminates tone-robbing contact with the shell.

The standard 14"X14" floor tom is currently available with a FREE 16"X16" floor tom, so you can lay down some wicked jungle-drum grooves and floor-shaking triplets. With 6 lugs on each rack tom and 8 lugs on each floor tom, and 2.5mm triple flanged hoops on everything, the tuning range is very wide and extremely stable.

The 18"x22" 8-ply bass drum sounds like a cannon thanks to the volume-enhancing 9/11 shell depth ratio. The 8-lug configuration, die-cast claw-hooks and matching wood hoops give this bass drum exceptional strength and a real kidney-jarring punch.

The 6"X14" 8-lug snare has that unparalleled maple sound of bowling a strike! The 20-wire snare strainer is easily controlled by the Lightning throw-off. The 2.5 mm die-cast hoops in conjunction with the 6-ply shell make rimshots that sound like a rifle, and, of course, the sensitivity and response of maple can make buzz rolls sound like a piece of silk being slowly torn, yet can also be hit very hard without compressing.

The Catalina Maple Series comes in three finishes; Deep Amber, Cherry Red, or Tobacco Sunburst Fade, all sealed with a UV gloss finish. These drums really sound great; professional quality, actually. The shell pack (Sorry, no cymbals or hardware included!) retails for $1,075.00; VERY reasonable compared to the average 5-piece maple shell pack costing about $2,500.00 (Remember: with the FREE 16"X16" floor tom, you'd be getting a 6 piece set!

These beautiful drums are worth every penny. At certain outlets, such as Guitar Center, these killer shells can be gotten for around $700.00! My suggestion for aspiring drummers who will soon outgrow their current starter set; START SAVING NOW!

Don't take my word for it; CLICK HERE TO HEAR 'EM FOR YOURSELF!