DrumTalk - Stepping Up - Graduation, Growth, and Gretsch

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Stepping Up - Graduation, Growth, and Gretsch

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Stepping Up - Graduation, Growth, and Gretsch

HuskerFan

Yay college

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Joined: Oct 24, 2008
Location: Omaha, Nebraska

No. 1 Posted on May 27, 2012 8:57 AM	Profile \| PM \| Quote \| Search \| Copy \| Favorite

I got my first set of drums, the black Sunlite 5-piece, back in 8th grade before Christmas 2007. They've served me well in the five years since then, but I've always known I'd soon need a better quality kit. I happily got along with the Sunlites, replacing the heads, getting sturdier hardware, and collecting a nice, small collection of good cymbals. Last Sunday I graduated from high school. Corresponding with that, I received a nice amount of money from various relatives and such, for which I am very grateful. I wanted to make a good investment out of it, so my parents and I contemplated some things I'd enjoy. My uncle suggested a new guitar, but not being primarily a guitarist, I figured that would be nice, but wouldn't be as useful to me. I made the decision to get a new drum set. Yesterday my dad and I went to Guitar Center to take advantage of their Memorial Day sale and I came home with a Gretsch Catalina Club Jazz kit in copper sparkle finish for $550. It may not be a top-line kit, but it seems like a great playable, portable, and presentable step up from the Sunlites. I'm definitely happy and I can foresee these Gretsch drums in my possession for years and years to come! Gretsch Catalina Club Jazz in Copper Sparkle Zildjian, Dream, and Wuhan cymbals

HuskerFan

Yay college

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Joined: Oct 24, 2008
Location: Omaha, Nebraska

No. 2 Posted on May 27, 2012 8:58 AM	Profile \| PM \| Quote \| Search \| Copy \| Favorite

My first plan with my grad money was to buy as many Snickers bars as I could, so I've nicknamed them "Snickers." (Click the picture to view the original one) Gretsch Catalina Club Jazz in Copper Sparkle Zildjian, Dream, and Wuhan cymbals

pwc

Posts: 9775
Joined: Jan 16, 2005
Location: Pattaya, Thailand

No. 3 Posted on May 27, 2012 9:33 AM	Profile \| PM \| Quote \| Search \| Copy \| Favorite

Very nice indeed. Well done on both the graduation and the Gretsch. ..!! Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

HuskerFan

Yay college

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Joined: Oct 24, 2008
Location: Omaha, Nebraska

No. 4 Posted on May 27, 2012 9:43 AM	Profile \| PM \| Quote \| Search \| Copy \| Favorite

pwc wrote: Very nice indeed. Well done on both the graduation and the Gretsch. ..!! Thank you, Peter! I'm now both a proud graduate and member of the 18" bass drum club. Gretsch Catalina Club Jazz in Copper Sparkle Zildjian, Dream, and Wuhan cymbals

paul

paulmiller

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Joined: Jan 23, 2005
Location: Lewisville, Texas, USA

No. 5 Posted on May 27, 2012 10:35 AM	Profile \| PM \| Email \| Quote \| Search \| Copy \| Favorite

Those kits have a very good reputation, and that's a really nice color. Congratulations for all. The presence of those seeking the truth is infinitely preferable to the presence of those who think they've found it. - Terry Pratchett Just Add Sticks

Singlestroker

Posts: 426
Joined: Apr 7, 2010

No. 6 Posted on May 27, 2012 10:37 AM	Profile \| PM \| Email \| Quote \| Search \| Copy \| Favorite

It's truly stunning! It goes to show that you really can't beat sparkles and glitters. OK, I know: that's just my opinion. Congratulations on graduation too.

OldFart

Mapex

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Joined: Apr 2, 2007
Location: Peoria, AZ

No. 7 Posted on May 27, 2012 11:40 AM	Profile \| PM \| Quote \| Search \| Copy \| Favorite

Whoa! Great find; great choice! Loverly in all respects! You've done well in progressively moving toward a goal; nicely done Congratulations for graduating - first of all; and congrats on the fine acquisition Mapex Saturn * Paiste Terry Bozzio Single-Ply Coated

StillKicken

Posts: 2209
Joined: Jan 16, 2005
Location: Buda, Texas

No. 8 Posted on May 27, 2012 1:44 PM	Profile \| PM \| Email \| Quote \| Search \| Copy \| Favorite

Very nice, I've always liked Gretsch drums. And congratulations on the graduation. 18" bass and joining the crowd, great!! BTW: I'm in the process of finally converting my 18" tom to a bass. sherm K.I.S.S. = Keep It Simple System

HuskerFan

Yay college

Posts: 1828
Joined: Oct 24, 2008
Location: Omaha, Nebraska

No. 9 Posted on May 27, 2012 8:15 PM	Profile \| PM \| Quote \| Search \| Copy \| Favorite

Thank you Paul, Singlestroker, Randy, and Sherm! Singlestroker, I think I agree: you can't beat sparkles and glitters. My other favorite kit I have access to is my bandmate's orange sparkle Apollo kit. 20" bass on that one. I was tempted by the WMP offered on the Catalina Club jazz. Sherm, what's your process? Are you getting new hoops? Gretsch Catalina Club Jazz in Copper Sparkle Zildjian, Dream, and Wuhan cymbals

StillKicken

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Joined: Jan 16, 2005
Location: Buda, Texas

No. 10 Posted on May 27, 2012 9:06 PM	Profile \| PM \| Email \| Quote \| Search \| Copy \| Favorite

HuskerFan wrote: Sherm, what's your process? Are you getting new hoops? Yes, actually one at at a time. Today I put on the first coat of Tung Oil, gotta wait 24 hour between coats. The first Saturday of May I booked two jobs within an hour of each other across town. LOL!! I've been itching to make the change for some time so I went to the drum shop and purchased a Fiberskyn PS3 to replace a very old reso head. The guys worked on the tuning for a while and got it to sound like a bass drum just to get me buy for a one hour gig. Bass and snare with hi-hat. I built a plywood box rack to mount the new bass with a door hinge for the pedal clamp. It worked!!! With the gigging set already setup at the second gig location I walked in with snare and hi-hat 30 minutes prior to start time. And the guys were worried I couldn't do it! HaaHaa! sherm K.I.S.S. = Keep It Simple System

Singlestroker

Posts: 426
Joined: Apr 7, 2010

No. 11 Posted on May 28, 2012 12:19 AM	Profile \| PM \| Email \| Quote \| Search \| Copy \| Favorite

HuskerFan wrote:... Singlestroker, I think I agree: you can't beat sparkles and glitters... Spare a little tear for me, though, Joshua. I have never had a glitter or sparkle kit, much as I prefer them.

OldFart

Mapex

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Joined: Apr 2, 2007
Location: Peoria, AZ

No. 12 Posted on May 28, 2012 7:45 AM	Profile \| PM \| Quote \| Search \| Copy \| Favorite

You're quite welcome, Joshua ... My first kit - consisting of a Bass, Snare and mounted Tom - was a golden-orange metal flake wrapped no-name, Japanese made kit (as I recall, a Pearl OEM kit). That was at a time in the USA where imported consumer goods were inconsistent and often of such poor quality they'd only be fit for the dust bin. Now, decades later, many of those same sources are ISO 9000-certified manufacturers. A small kit like that was a step up from a solitary student snare. My student snare pack, however, was made by Gretsch. My father was a fine musician, and during WWII was a big band band leader and arranger. He knew a thing or two about many instruments, but knew the least about drums. But he was intelligent enough to pick-up that Gretsch student snare. A couple years later, when we were just about to obtain the three-piece, we had a chance to purchase a small Sonor kit; but I hadn't heard of Sonor at 14 years of age. I was familiar with Gretsch, Rogers, Ludwig and Slingerland; but completely in the dark about Sonor. Foolish, eh? For a little bit more money I could've had a top-line full drum kit. Idiot I was, I didn't like the whitish, sort of cream color on the Sonor - the orange metal flake on the OEM kit was singing to me and won me over. O what could've been. OldFart edited on May 28, 2012 7:49 AM Mapex Saturn * Paiste Terry Bozzio Single-Ply Coated

HuskerFan

Yay college

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Joined: Oct 24, 2008
Location: Omaha, Nebraska

No. 13 Posted on May 28, 2012 9:08 AM	Profile \| PM \| Quote \| Search \| Copy \| Favorite

Singlestroker wrote: Spare a little tear for me, though, Joshua. I have never had a glitter or sparkle kit, much as I prefer them. Gretsch Catalina Club Jazz in Copper Sparkle Zildjian, Dream, and Wuhan cymbals

drummer5359

Posts: 175
Joined: Feb 25, 2007
Location: Somewhere in the United States. (Traveling...)

No. 14 Posted on May 29, 2012 6:17 PM	Profile \| PM \| Email \| Quote \| Search \| Copy \| Favorite

HuskerFan wrote: My first plan with my grad money was to buy as many Snickers bars as I could, so I've nicknamed them "Snickers." THAT is a beautiful kit!!! Congrats on graduation and a new Gretsch kit! SNICKERS ROCKS! Slingerland, Gretsch, DW, Leedy, Remo... Next?

HuskerFan

Yay college

Posts: 1828
Joined: Oct 24, 2008
Location: Omaha, Nebraska

No. 15 Posted on May 29, 2012 10:54 PM	Profile \| PM \| Quote \| Search \| Copy \| Favorite

drummer5359 wrote: THAT is a beautiful kit!!! Congrats on graduation and a new Gretsch kit! SNICKERS ROCKS! Thank you very much! Gretsch Catalina Club Jazz in Copper Sparkle Zildjian, Dream, and Wuhan cymbals

Dave

Posts: 1213
Joined: Jan 15, 2005

No. 16 Posted on May 31, 2012 8:41 AM	Profile \| PM \| Quote \| Search \| Copy \| Favorite

Congraduations! "You beat calfskin/mylar with wooden sticks. Get over yourself." - Mark

HuskerFan

Yay college

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Joined: Oct 24, 2008
Location: Omaha, Nebraska

No. 17 Posted on May 31, 2012 1:35 PM	Profile \| PM \| Quote \| Search \| Copy \| Favorite

Dave wrote: Congraduations! Thank you, Dave! Gretsch Catalina Club Jazz in Copper Sparkle Zildjian, Dream, and Wuhan cymbals

OldFart

Mapex

Posts: 6612
Joined: Apr 2, 2007
Location: Peoria, AZ

No. 18 Posted on Jun 2, 2012 8:57 AM	Profile \| PM \| Quote \| Search \| Copy \| Favorite

Yessir - It's always good to see Dave around here! Mapex Saturn * Paiste Terry Bozzio Single-Ply Coated

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