Official Gretsch Drums Thread

[dingaling]

Here’s an instagram drum influencer that just got a Gretsch in a cool finish.

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

 

[Mcjnic]

Thanks to a very cool member here, I finally purchased a real Gretsch kit ... 80s - 22,13,16 in Red Rosewood.
I'll be back in the country in a few weeks to take delivery.
Needless to say ... I'm pretty stoked.

 

[Rich K.]

Here’s an instagram drum influencer that just got a Gretsch in a cool finish.

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

Blue - ish

 

[hsosdrum]

... Gretsch tom mounts were not good enough for him. When he received the kit, he drilled holes to accommodate a Tama bass mount tom stand. His poor wood working skills attempt didn't end with good results. His drilled holes were not precise but elongated. Holes were not even close to being drilled clean with shell plys left in splinters. To top it off, the Tama bass tom mount was crooked...

No big deal, some of the best drummers had crooked bass-drum tom mounts:

 

[Elvis]

My current sets. 12/16/20 Emerald Green Pearl.

Hey Crash, check it out. Look familiar? =)

 

[Devindrums78]

Gretsch USA 12-14-18 in MBP Circa 1980’s

 

[crash]

Hey Crash, check it out. Look familiar? =)

I’d seen that at Steve Maxwells. That’s a lot of drums! Mine’s gone by now. Currently playing some orphans I wrapped to match.

 

[Elvis]

I’d seen that at Steve Maxwells. That’s a lot of drums! Mine’s gone by now. Currently playing some orphans I wrapped to match.

Ah, ok. I just saw that video and your kit was the first thing I thought of.
Interesting finish on your current kit.

 

[Michael C]

Just added a 10” to my 13,16,24 garage kit. I like the added sound from the 10” but not sure I dig two up as much as just one up one down.

 

[crash]

Ah, ok. I just saw that video and your kit was the first thing I thought of.
Interesting finish on your current kit.

They were really beat. Extra holes, Pearl mounts. All miss matched leftovers. Was trying to do this cheaply. Used a lot of stuff from my parts bin. Wrap would have tripled what I have in them. Was inspired by the Slingerland "Aztec" sets. Used Indonesian batik cloth.

 

[Elvis]

They were really beat. Extra holes, Pearl mounts. All miss matched leftovers. Was trying to do this cheaply. Used a lot of stuff from my parts bin. Wrap would have tripled what I have in them. Was inspired by the Slingerland "Aztec" sets. Used Indonesian batik cloth.
View attachment 605149

Interesting approach. Reminds me of a nicer version of what I guy I used to know did back in the 80's. Once the original finish on his kit got trashed from gigging, he started to wrap the drums in construction paper. Worked for him and the cost to cover the whole kit was probably just a couple of bucks.
I dig alternative finishes.
Did you already have the cloth laying around or did you go buy it?
If you bought it, where did you get it?

 

[crash]

Interesting approach. Reminds me of a nicer version of what I guy I used to know did back in the 80's. Once the original finish on his kit got trashed from gigging, he started to wrap the drums in construction paper. Worked for him and the cost to cover the whole kit was probably just a couple of bucks.
I dig alternative finishes.
Did you already have the cloth laying around or did you go buy it?
If you bought it, where did you get it?

Bought thru a local craft shop. Soaked it in diluted Elmers glue. Applied like wall paper. Super tough. No worries about being in the sun. Most of my gigging around here has been outdoor at wineries, so it works out to be a great set for that.

 

[hsosdrum]

Interesting approach. Reminds me of a nicer version of what I guy I used to know did back in the 80's. Once the original finish on his kit got trashed from gigging, he started to wrap the drums in construction paper. Worked for him and the cost to cover the whole kit was probably just a couple of bucks. I dig alternative finishes.
Did you already have the cloth laying around or did you go buy it? If you bought it, where did you get it?

Speaking of alternative finishes, between 1970 and 1972 I stripped off the BDP wrap from my E.W. Kent drumset and had all six drums hand-painted by artists that I knew. Here's how the 12" tom turned out:

 

[Elvis]

Bought thru a local craft shop. Soaked it in diluted Elmers glue. Applied like wall paper. Super tough. No worries about being in the sun. Most of my gigging around here has been outdoor at wineries, so it works out to be a great set for that.

Last question, I promise....what did you dilute the Elmer's glue with?

 

[Elvis]

Speaking of alternative finishes, between 1970 and 1972 I stripped off the BDP wrap from my E.W. Kent drumset and had all six drums hand-painted by artists that I knew. Here's how the 12" tom turned out:

View attachment 605368

View attachment 605369

That is COOL!

 

[crash]

Last question, I promise....what did you dilute the Elmer's glue with?

No problem. My wife's idea. She'd done decoupage with it. About 1/2 water. Then after it had dried, I painted another coat over it for more protection. I was working on top of our hot tub. Bass got away from. Rolled down steps onto a brick patio. No marks! And, the whole process cost me about $20.00 in materials. Was playing in a jazz/world beat band. Gotten lots of comments on it. Saved some badly abused orphans from the dumpster. Perfect! Got a similarly abused Rogers Tower snare I grabbed at a yard sale for $5.00. Gonna use what I have left to match it up. Fun stuff!

 

[crash]

Speaking of alternative finishes, between 1970 and 1972 I stripped off the BDP wrap from my E.W. Kent drumset and had all six drums hand-painted by artists that I knew. Here's how the 12" tom turned out:

View attachment 605368

View attachment 605369

Cool! Got a full set pic?

 

[hsosdrum]

Cool! Got a full set pic?

The only color pic of the full set was taken when the project wasn't yet completed, so only the 12", 13" and front 16" toms were painted. (Unfortunately the pic isn't very high-res, but it was 1971 and we all had cheap cameras ...):

Here are a couple of B&W photos of the completed drumset:

I still own the six painted drums; three are at my place and the other three are at my sister's. I let her use them when she was first starting out on drums 30 or so years ago. (She's since moved on through a 1950s Slingerland kit, a Starclassic kit and now plays a PDP New Yorker kit, the one with the 16" BD.)

 

[DrummerJustLikeDad]

The only color pic of the full set was taken when the project wasn't yet completed...Unfortunately the pic isn't very high-res, but it was 1971...I still own the six painted drums; three are at my place and the other three are at my sister's.

Sounds to me like there's a full color, high-res pic still waiting to be taken then.

Also, those look really well done. You ever think about them as having any kind of historical or cultural value for a regional collection that displays unique pieces of American pop history?

 

[crash]

The only color pic of the full set was taken when the project wasn't yet completed, so only the 12", 13" and front 16" toms were painted. (Unfortunately the pic isn't very high-res, but it was 1971 and we all had cheap cameras ...):

View attachment 605417

Here are a couple of B&W photos of the completed drumset:

View attachment 605418

View attachment 605419

I still own the six painted drums; three are at my place and the other three are at my sister's. I let her use them when she was first starting out on drums 30 or so years ago. (She's since moved on through a 1950s Slingerland kit, a Starclassic kit and now plays a PDP New Yorker kit, the one with the 16" BD.)

You weren't a fan of Ginger Baker, by any chance? I *never* had that much hair!

Very nice. Here's my 1972 pic. Slingerlands from Pro Drum, in Hollywood. 24" basses....