Gretsch Catalina Club Shell Pack - Drummer's Review

[@rsmittee]

I love these drums. Bought mine as a cheap practice kit with no expectations, and quickly fell in love with the sound and feel. I've used them live and in studio, and they've quickly become my go to kit for smaller venues. Don't let the price fool you. These are great sounding drums.

[@zg1000dru1]

Have to agree. I bought this kit (with the 18" bass) just so I could have a kit to take to small gigs and jams without having to tear down or break up my larger 8-piece kit. Set them up, gave them a bit of tuning and for about the next month my "regular" kit didn't do much other than collect dust. Compact and clean but with surprisingly warm tones that still pack a nice punchy feel. I actually had to move them to a spare bedroom in order for my front-line kit to start getting some use again. Recommended without hesitation as a superior value for the $$

[@garysmith3173]

rsmittee absolutely correct,fantastic kit.

[@dylanbaldwin7934]

How much did you get it for?

[@ramencurry6672]

This kit is a masterpiece. Perfect for studios, small clubs or even as a house drum for big theater as long as there’s a microphone. I would get rid of the stock snare though but everything else is excellent

[@ramencurry6672]

@Bill Perri not familiar with those brands but maybe you can purchase it and then return it if it’s not to your expectations

[@boomerguy9935]

The info that came with my Catalina Club Jazz kit says it was made in Taiwan. Gretsch makes its Catalina series in the DW factory in Taiwan. Gretsch maintains its ownership of these drums, so they are not just "sub-contracted" to another manufacturer. My experience with Taiwan products of any kind is that the quality is much better than anything made in China. Although the quality may be a little different from the Gretsch kits made in America, the quality and sound are top notch. I definitely feel I got more than my money's worth with this kit. There is nothing "cheap" about it. Thank you, Gretsch, for making this lower price kit available. The gritty feel of any lugs can be remedied by a very light application of teflon lube on the threads. I've been doing this on all of my drums for decades. It makes the tuning easier and more accurate. I always finger-tighten my lug bolts which is more accurate because the lube allows much more sensitivity. I can definitely feel the tension of the head on the bearing edge rather than the metal-on-metal friction of the lug bolt in the threads.

[@NoStickTricks]

Wow, wow! Hang on a second! I wasn't expecting to have Nolly selling me this kit! Jesus.. Fine.. gonna buy it already.

[@garysmith3173]

I’ve got this set,was house drummer for jazz jam gig. A real old school drummer was convinced they were vintage and loved it. Beautiful drumset.

[@ramencurry6672]

Depending on they’re tuned and played, they really do sound similar to old style drums. It’s pretty legit

[@johnphilip7466]

Just got this exact kit a couple weeks ago. Already have the Rock size CC kit (24/13/16/6.5) and love it. The same goes for this jazz kit. However, on the jazz kit, I swapped the hoops for the heavier 302s, put the stock batters on resonant side of toms and used Aquarian Modern Vintage mediums on toms, Remo Fiberskyn Ambassadors on bass and snare. It sounds VERY much like a vintage 50s/60s Gretsch kit, for probably 1/4 to 1/3 the price. Fantastic!

[@michaelyolch79]

That is the very BEST I have ever heard this kit dialed in! Excellent work!

[@Monsterdrumma]

I had the original version of these with the long marching or club date style lug before they changed them and I absolutely loved them and I have two USA customs to compare them too as well. Mine had a 16”-18” kick but I do prefer the new 14” depth. Nothing sounds like a Gretsch imo, the best drums ever even these sound and feel perfect to me!

[@toddcapiton6285]

Agreed, just some magic going on. These sound great, renowns do, and of course their upper tier. They all sound great, dying for a USA custom one day.

[@ramencurry6672]

I have the Catalina. And Remown drums too. I love them both equally.

[@sidmarks265]

Another informative review of a great, inexpensive kit. I would happily have one of these, despite the in- reverse snob value. Thank you DR.

[@BayouMaccabee]

Yeah! Great review. I have one of these in white marine pearl finish...LOVE it! I bought it brand new, on sale, about 15 or 16 years ago for only $450 (US) and it's a great drum kit. I put some Remo Fiber-skin batter heads and ambassador resonant heads on this kit, with zero sound dampening/muffling, and it sounds great and rich being wide open like that. This mihht be the best jazz/funk kit you can buy for the least amount of money. Definitely a must buy if you need a new kit and don't have much money to spend.

[@sheldondyer871]

This comment is super informative to me, thank you because this all I want to do when I get this kit. Put some fiber skins on there and just sit back and play. I’ve wondered if it gives a vintage sound and even if it’s not that vintage that sound you just described is just what im looking for:)

[@BayouMaccabee]

@@sheldondyer871 You're quite welcome, brother. I'm glad my comments may have been some help to people. I still stand by my statements, and I still play this kit setup the same way. If you're like me, preferring that your drums have more warm and musical tone with less focused attack, then this Gretsch Catalina Club fitted with Remo Fiberskyn batter heads, clear Ambassador resonant heads, and kept wide open (meaning zero muffling), then this should be right up your alley too. I still love this setup, and I've been playing it this way for over 16 years. Now, if you play metal, hard rock, or prog (and the like), then this setup probably lacks the attack you might need for the more technical syncopation of those styles. But, I usually play blends of jazz, blues, and more old-school style funk, so to me, this kit & setup is great and very expressive. Cheers! 🍻

[@farshimelt]

@@BayouMaccabee I second that. I've used them for the same styles and they do what you said.

[@sierragold]

I have this kit. I replaced the bass drum heads with Evans coated G2 (batter) and Evans coated G1 (reso), no porting, No muffling whatsoever, just wide open. MUCH better volume and low end beefiness. I've had several 18" bass drum sized kits over the years and it is my opinion that the 18" size cannot take a lot of muffling or it will sound wimpy, thin, and choked-- and if a port hole must be used, a very small one is best, like 4" or so. Any larger than that and it will lose tone.

[@andreasbreitwieser1449]

I own a Gretsch Catalina maple from 2011... 20,10,12,14...... never played another kit for smaller gigs, sound and workmanship (cheap china production) is faultlessly....... one of the best sets I ever played.....

[@tonyvincent9753]

Don't let the beginner price fool you. A lot of working drummers use this kit. Tuned properly with the right heads, they can sound pro level, perhaps with the exception of the snare drum.

[@boomerguy9935]

This is exactly what I did. The shells are already perfect. I changed all the heads, hoops and snare wires and the sound is now perfect! This is not a "cheap" kit. It is an excellent low price kit which does not cost a lot to upgrade.

[@djentlover]

Ah I love the punch of 18" bass drums

[@ramencurry6672]

The bass drum is excellent and gets better when you change the heads

[@boomerguy9935]

Yes! Note that the type of heads, beater and tuning also have major effects on the sound. I've owned this kit for years and by using different beaters along with my choice of heads, I can make my bass drum sound like a soft heart beat or a huge cannon.

[@ilikemusic76]

The shells are amazing and sound is really, really great. The minus is the snare which is a bit flimsy cause of the very unprecise throwoff. In fact the snare is not really playable but the shellset is amazing. I‘m so pleased with it that I would say that the renown series isn‘t worth the much higher price tag.

[@ramencurry6672]

Some reviewers didn’t like the bass drum but when I replaced the bass drum heads with the Evans vintage style Calftone heads, I fell in love with the sound. I love the bass drum now. It’s warm and smooth and goes well with song mixes.

[@boomerguy9935]

I replaced my snares on my Catalina Club Jazz kit with higher quality 20-snare wires (not because of a problem, just a personal preference) and I've had no problem at all with the throw-off strainer. It gets a workout when I switch from sticks to brushes, back-and-forth.

[@farshimelt]

Even with the stock heads, the drums sound good. This is the best video I've seen and heard with this kit. Well tuned, well played, and intelligently talked about

[@ramencurry6672]

It’s sort of like a “clone” copy of a 1950s style set. But you can play modern or vintage style music with it. Despite the low price, it’s legit pro level sounding and would be great in a home studio, club or even as a house kit for a theater as long as you have microphones. I wouldn’t do extensive cross country touring with it since there are other models with more sturdy build quality. But overall, this kit is a home run

[@jasonwright285]

Diplomat Fiberskyns are available in sizes from 12 to 18. Coincidence? I think not.

[@123oner2]

Really great review and sound test, loved the fact you isolated each drum, playing with differing amounts of power, really allowed me to hear the tone/characteristics of the kit.

[@123oner2]

Thoughts on this vs the Sonar AQ2 Safari? Thanks

[@roybeckerman9253]

With the closed eyes or blind test, you would select these above some much more expensive kits. Great value drums and great on stage when you don’t want to risk your expensive kits. Better off spending more on good cymbals...they count more. Most people in the audience could not tell the difference between these and expensive drums, playing behind electric guitars and keyboards. Remember, the drummer makes the drums sound good....not vice versa.

[@shanecowen2296]

Love the CC line. I’ve got the rock pack, with that massive 26” kick. I’d love to see you guys review a larger kit like that at some point.

[@frankspikes4867]

A budy of mine has cc kit with the 24" kick. Gives me the warm and fuzzies every time I play it.

[@Finite8614]

Is the rock kit the exact same besides the kick size? The reviews for the Rock version are all tuned so low I can't tell if they can sing like this

[@shanecowen2296]

@@Finite8614 rock kit is 14, 16, 18, 26. I used to tune mine really low but I bring them up a little higher now and they absolutely do sing.

[@paulgriffingatorgrooves]

LOVE the sound you get on these, the toms just sing with large sound. Any comparison to Yamaha Birch Bop? I'm tempted by the Yamaha price...

[@m.christian-budd6964]

Five lugs per head is traditional for Gretsch 12" toms. It gives the drum a larger sweet spot for tuning purposes. Look at any old pic of Charlie Watts and you'll see it.

[@boomerguy9935]

The 5 lugs on the rack tom definitely make a difference. This little tom sounds warm and deep without having to play hard. Also great with brushes!

[@Rick-m3c]

The more I hear Mahogany the more I love the wood. It has the loud attack of birch but more tone.

[@M123OCT]

I have another kit now, but I was really impressed with this kit when I had one. I played in loud settings, usually with no mics, and the toms in particular sounded amazing, even with the stock heads on, which I never bothered changing. Now that the price has crept up a little, it has some serious competition. But I'd happily have another - great little kit.

[@Ranger1216]

Great Gretsch sound and great price along with great groves. Thanks for the demo….

[@somebloke13]

Wow! Great sounding kit!

[@stretch1807]

Those toms sound amazing.

[@billytrance6893]

Well, it comes down too: Gretsch Catalina Club vs. Yamaha Stage Custom. Dollar for dollar...any suggestions?

[@mrmisfit635]

Those Catalina's had that nice "Premiery" (as in Premier drums) open sound. Amazing drumming btw!

[@dwdrum11]

I picked up a set to convert to an electronic kit, I love the fact these look like a kit many times their price. Nothing fancy or OTT just classy looking drums. Well done gretsch it’s a perfect gigging kit. For decent drums on a budget for me it’s this or a Yamaha stage custom.

[@marciefree]

I purchased this kit in Gloss Crimson Burst for my second kit. I’m blown away by the sound and sheer playability. Mesmerizing in one word. I kind of agree with your assessment of the bass drum, but am not concerned because the beauty of the three other drums more than make up for it. The sound of this kit makes me feel I’m a better player than I am. While maple has sucked the air out of the room when it comes to drum making, my taste largely prefers this mahogany kit over my maple drums.

[@erictorres4889]

These sound great for beginners it sounds like a pro drumset man have drums came along way

[@ctld5266]

Very good sounding room

[@Lovelystevie]

Nicely tuned ! I, ve got one, changed the tom batteur side heads to Aquarian responsive 2, resonant to Remo ambassador coated, put S Hoops on, Aquarian kick 2 on bass drum and bought a Renown maple snare. The kit sourds amazing and gets all the aaahs and wows from other musicians and sound engeneers as well as other drummers… Little tip, I put cotton balls in the toms. Sounds almost like a high end kit now !

[@wegogreycup]

Cotton balls?!?!? Tell me more

[@Lovelystevie]

@@wegogreycup Cotton balls What else 😉

[@davidlanier7006]

Do a review of the larger sizes in this line of drums. 13, 16, 22, maybe.

[@thomasnappo6309]

I just got this kit this week..exactly same color..but a 20in bass

[@ochocabra1542]

that snare is killin' it

[@EarthtonesCymbals]

Good drums and a good review. Best wishes.

[@asanmartinjr07]

I wish they made a 22" bass drum for this Catalina Club series.

[@asanmartinjr07]

@@cstmdrums They have a Catalina Club - Rock line with 24" bass drum but no 22" inch option. I want one drumset for rock or jazz drumming & just switch out the bass drum rather than getting another 3-4 shell kit.

[@gregoryhussey6477]

Just bought a 'Blue Flame' Catalina Club Jazz to replace my Sonor Bop kit which I hadn't warmed to. Agree with the Bass drum head choice comment you made - Im off to get a Fibreskin next week and see how that - aside from that - loving it already,

[@hoodwick3112]

Wish you guys had did a review of the Rock version with the 24" kick :( Not many good video reviews of that version and of course no one around me has one that I can try..

[@Fifamik94]

Hi guys, I bought Gretsch catalina club 20"/12"/14" and I have a problem with rack tom. The mounting system totally kill sound of tom. If i hold tom in the air - rubber part of mounting doesn`t touch the tom, it sounds really great, but If thirubber part pushes to the tom, it sounds really bad without sustain. Do you have some ideas how to fix it without using snare stand?

[@tobytoxd]

Great kid for an amazing price! Thank you very much for the review! 🙏👏😊

[@Drumsticksmcgee]

They sound great.

[@rhythmista7707]

An Evans Emad on that kick would tighten it up and give it some more low end.

[@armandosoto6485]

It sounds amazing!!!

[@IvanTheMic]

Please, do a proper review of the new Tama Starclassic Walnut/Birch kit, preferably bigger sizes and in the Lacquer Phantasm Oyster finish :D

[@blakegowan6623]

Good review....don't see myself ever buying an 18" Kick though. 20" maybe....but I'm a 22" preferred player.

[@dannyo3317]

Is there any reason why a beginner should not get this affordable kit? My only reservation is that I am a Classic Rock type of person, and Gretsch Drums seem to be considered as Jazz drums.

[@michaeleuefueno3517]

Thank You So Much for this review. These drums are Great. Those Mahogany shells are sweet.🥁👍

[@on_certainty]

Fantastically thorough review thank you for the dry footage

[@Anonymous-xr8hx]

Anyone know any kits with a similar quality and price range to this but a 5 piece kit rather than 4 piece (obviously it may be more expensive due to the extra tom).

[@Rifle56]

Anonymous I bought a set of these Gretsch Catalinas from Sweetwater and you can get several configurations. They have a 7-piece maple set with 3 rack toms 2 floor toms plus the snare and a 22” bass for a thousand bucks. If you do go with Sweetwater, ask for Cameron.

[@rundown306]

01:44 Tenor Madness

[@roybeckerman9253]

Mahogany guarantees warmth with these. Much better than those pocket size portable kits on the market.

[@ramencurry6672]

I’ve read that it’s luan wood which is similar to mahogany. I agree that the warmth is great.

[@farshimelt]

@@ramencurry6672 It's Philippine mahogany. I think that Luan is another name for that wood. I'm sure the info is on the internet.

[@bondbondingsweeney]

Thank you, enjoyed seeing that one.

[@tattletalestrangler1918]

It’s the fucking Catalina drum kit

[@soulfunkjazz]

Love that fast and crisp sound. Any alternatives with similar sound signature?

[@ramencurry6672]

Probably Yamaha

[@bruceperkins2921]

Mapex bop kit

[@antonmullen3053]

The only gripe i have with my kit is the snare components it looks like a budget snare with the tack tie looking bolts going through the snare but plate come on gretch for an extra dollar tor two you could use something a bit sleeker looking to match the kit!

[@shyartist33]

Why haven't they done a Catalina Maple review especially the newer generation Catalinas which are levels above this kit?

[@boomerguy9935]

I have a Catalina Maple 14" snare drum that I sometimes use with my Catalina Club Jazz kit when I play larger venues. The quality is exactly the same, just the volume is different. However, I upgraded both of these snares with different heads, hoops and snare wires.

[@mladenpalenkas7750]

Fantastic vintage sound!

[@dylanbaldwin7934]

I might get a kit like this that has smaller sizes and muffle them a lot and use it for busking. I'd like to be as quiet as possible. Do you think this would be too loud? I can also get some of the remo silent stroke heads but I think I that might make it too quiet. Any tips or feedback would be appreciated.

[@farshimelt]

When all else fails, play quietly.

[@roybeckerman9253]

What’s the quality of the heads like. Do they need replacing, like a lot of Chinese made heads.

[@farshimelt]

They sound like what you heard in this video. I changed mine to Evans and preferred that sound. I kept the resonants that came with the kit.

[@boomerguy9935]

I upgraded my bass drum batter head, snare batter and resonant heads. The tom heads are perfect. I highly recommend replacing the stock 1.6 mm hoops with Gibraltar 2.3 mm hoops which do make a great improvement.

[@tomdabom420]

Does anyone know what comes with the kit, like cymbal stands and stuff or just drums

[@farshimelt]

The kit I bought in 2010 came with a snare, high-hat and cymbal stand, BD pedal, and lifter. $500, incl. shipping from Greenbriar music. Don't know about today.

[@boomerguy9935]

It depends on which retailer you buy from. I already had my hardware and just bought the 4-piece shell pack.

[@themole2024]

Bought one of these 6 months ago. The toms tune easily but must admit that some of the hardware is less than you might expect. Stock heads sound good to me (again especially on the toms). The snare is the weak link in the kit in terms of volume and clarity. If you are coming from a rock and roll birch kit you will immediately notice how light and easy this is to tune and move around. I have not tried other bop or jazz kits and this one has me curious to do that.

These vs the Brooklyn what’s the difference ? Besides 2x the price

[@josuesantacruz1370]

The Brooklyn kit will give you a wider tuning range especially when it comes to lower tunings and they have a higher quality feel to them. Their tone is also great. For some the higher price is worth it where as for others it’s not all depends on what you want them for

[@tonygiovingo6967]

Just purchased a Brooklyn Kit..Wish i had my Catalinas back. While not having the same mid range punch as the Brooklyn, they produce a much warmer tone than the Brooklyns especially on the mid to lower tunings. For higher jazz tunings the Brooklyns speak much louder with more clarity. That said ..You have to ask yourself if you are getting twice as much performance for more than twice the price of the Catalina. Let your ears be the final judge.

[@russellesimonetta9071]

Mahogany??luan?? The old drums used gum wood. not good for much else. I like these though. All modern drums are well built and have good bearing edges. Looking for the old school sound?? Check the buy sell in newspapers!! Huge deals come up

[@fab5720]

Maybe its only me but the bassdrum (while sounding lifeless) is not really lacking - it's the floortom. It's hard to hear in the mix. Not enough volume in comparision to the 12" tom.

[@RedDeadPlayer03]

What? Nolly? Whatcha doing there?

[@jackthomson5047]

👍

[@alibertylover]

Never thought I'd see the day when China would be producing Gretch drums....

[@hardcoreyorkie]

DW performance series is made in Taiwan too.

[@kevinb8527]

Michael York The Performance series is made in the US, it’s the Design Series that is made in China.

[@hardcoreyorkie]

@@kevinb8527 my bad

[@drummer083]

They are made in Taiwan, not China.

[@powbobs]

Michael York Taiwan is not China.

[@chriswright8464]

NICE

[@Soda_F1]

too much reverb

[@Rockin_Ross]

I’d go nothing smaller than a 20” for the kick. This isn’t a kick drum, it’s a foot tom! No depth or sustain and it just doesn’t sound good. The snare and toms are great however. That being said... Gretsch always seems to offer only smaller sizes in their kits that make it into reviews. Just once I’d love to see a drum shop or professional demo a kit with, say a 24” kick and an 18” floor. Letting us drummers know that we can still get a kit that will bring down the house if we so choose.

[@rhythmista7707]

Ross Gillis-- kzbin.info/www/bejne/qmaYmpuMgLmNkNk

[@Rockin_Ross]

Rhythmista: Ok, so there’s one out there.😉 Thanks for the link. Maybe Drummer’s Review will tackle big drums one day. Until then, I’ll keep getting educated by Nollie about all the great gear out there.

[@boomerguy9935]

For an 18" bass drum, I can definitely get a much larger and powerful sound simply by changing the heads and the beater. I've owned my kit for well over 10 years and I like it more every day. It is extremely verrsatile!

[@hannibalcorps6384]

1st!!