instruments founded 1883 ; 133 years ago 1883 brooklyn new york city new york headquarters ridgeland south carolina usa key people friedrich gretsch friedrich gretsch jr. products drum kits parent drum workshop divisions gretsch website gretschdrums.com gretsch drums is a drum kit manufacturing company based in oxnard california . the company is part of the gretsch company range of musical instruments from its founding in 1883 . gretsch drums kits have been used by many notable drummers including phil collins . 1 current s company motto is that great gretsch sound contents 1 history 2 players 3 drumset lineup 3.1 current gretsch products 3.2 discontinued gretsch products partial list 4 hardware 4.1 current gibraltar packs 5 badge history 6 see also 7 references 8 external links history edit gretsch was founded by friedrich gretsch a german immigrant who opened his own musical instrument business based in brooklyn new york in 1883 . after friedrich s sudden death in 1895 his enterprising son fred gretsch jr. took over the business as a teenager . he expanded the business moving it to a new ten story building at 60 broadway street . fred gretsch jr. handed over the family business to his son fred gretsch iii after retiring in 1942 . soon after taking over fred iii left to serve in wwii as a navy commander leaving the business in the hands of his younger brother william bill gretsch . bill gretsch died in 1948 and the company was again run by fred iii . fred gretsch iii ran the company until 1967 when gretsch was sold to baldwin piano co. in the early 1970s baldwin moved drum production from brooklyn ny to a plant in dequeen arkansas . in 1982 the company was bought by charlie roy in a deal with baldwin united . this also included the purchase of kustom electronics inc. at the time both companies were being managed from the chanute ks . kustom factory . soon after the deal was inked mr. roy moved the business offices to gallatin tn while the manufacturing of gretsch drums remained in dequeen ar . in 1983 the company celebrated its 100th anniversary with a line of limited edition drums with a special finish and centennial badges signed by mr. roy . there were to be 100 limited edition kits manufactured and sold . no one is sure how many kits were actually built . in 1985 gretsch was bought back by a member of the gretsch family fred gretsch iii the son of the late william bill gretsch and nephew of fred jr. who continues to own the company to this day 2008 . in the late 1980s gretsch bought the remnants of the slingerland drum company which was later sold to gibson with gretsch retaining the leedy brand which had been part of the slingerland purchase . in 2000 gretsch signed a distribution deal with kaman to distribute gretsch drums and this partnership has resulted in a much higher visibility of gretsch brand drums since that time . in february 2007 kaman purchased the right to manufacture gretsch usa custom and signature drums . they also purchased the majority of the equipment used to make gretsch drums . they now lease space from fred gretsch in his ridgeland building . the drums are being made by the same people that have worked there for the last 10 15 years . today gretsch s top of the line drums usa custom & signature series are manufactured in ridgeland south carolina . 2 while other less expensive lines are imported by kaman from asian based drum plants . on january 10 2015 chris lombardi of drum workshop announced that dw would be the new maker and distributor of gretsch drums . lombardi stressed that the factory in ridgeland would remain open and that the gretsch family would still own the company . more recently gretsch has begun sponsoring drummers that are seen as talented . fred gretsch has begun signing drummers of all styles to endorse gretsch drums while on tour . since 2002 more than 200 drummers have been signed . 3 players edit this section needs expansion . you can help by adding to it . january 2013 charlie watts max roach tony williams phil collins stephanie eulinberg cindy blackman makoto izumitani daniel davison derek kerswill aaron gillespie zac farro ferit odman shawn crahan taylor hawkins chris brien hannah ford welton 4 brad wilk matt sorum rob bourdon dewayne quirico mike johnston caleb crosby tyler bryant & the shakedown richard danielson vintage trouble steve ferrone stanton moore larry bunker jazz and studio legend source 5 drumset lineup edit current gretsch products edit this section may lend undue weight to certain ideas incidents or controversies . please help to create a more balanced presentation . discuss and resolve this issue before removing this message . january 2013 drum kit by gretsch . renegade gretsch renegade series is a complete drum set package designed specifically for the entry level drummer and packed with value . toms have quick sizes which provide punchy tones and allow for lower positioning . energy new for 2011 the gretsch energy drum set package comes complete with hardware and sabian sbr cymbals . the gretsch energy series is perfect for the first time buyer and packed with features that are found on semi pro drum sets including non drilled bass drum . catalina club rock gretsch s catalina club rock kit features mahogany shells and 30 degree bearing edges for a deep warm classic rock sound . this 4 piece configuration gets back to groove basics with big drums for big grooves . features a large 24 kick drum of either 14 or 18 depth . catalina club jazz jazz drum set made of 9 ply philippine mahogany shells . the set includes gretsch s mini gts tom suspension system . catalina birch these drums feature the distinctive sound of birch shells explosive attack with a deep low end fundamental . the birch shells are finished with 30 degree bearing edges and natural interiors to produce a gretsch sound that is filled with tonal punch and depth . catalina maple series catalina maple series with maple shells that are 7 ply 7.2 mm . gretsch equipped the shells with gretsch classic features and hardware including 30 degree bearing edges fully adjustable gretsch ball and socket tom holder with 12.7 mm tom arms 9020 style mounting brackets and the famous 5 lug configuration a standard gretsch feature for over 50 years . available in two configurations a 6 piece shell pack set and a 5 piece shell pack set . add on drums are also available . new renown maple new high performance features . the concept of the renown redesign was to give the series fresh visual appeal and enhance sonic performance . this gretsch engineered line produces explosive attack and power that is rich and warm . each drum is expertly completed with smooth 30 bearing edges and gretsch s exclusive silver sealer interior . available in a total of six colors four uv styles and two wraps . marquee series new marquee series delivers explosive open tones professional features and rock solid performance at an accessible price . marquee shells combine 7 ply north american maple with a slight softer maple species that are cut with classic gretsch 30 degree bearing edges and fit with 2.3 mm triple flanged hoops . renown maple semi professional level drum set made of 6 ply maple shells with silver sealer interior . the set includes gretsch s gts tom suspension system . renown57 gretsch shatters conventional drum design with the renown57 in motor city blue . inspired by the great american car companies from the 1950s the renown57 incorporates timeless iconic car design elements and applies them to drums . now available in new colors . new classic at a time when retro is as hip as ever gretsch embellishes the retro vibe by offering a true new professional drum set in the new classic series . professional retro style drum set made of proportionate 100 % maple shells with silver sealer interior . proportionate shells increase in thickness as shell diameters increase to give a full balanced tonality across the entire drum set . the bass drum is made of a 6 ply shell for 18 and 8 ply shell for 20 22 and 24 the toms are made of a 6 ply shell and snare is made of a 10 ply shell . the set includes gretsch s its tom suspension system . brooklyn series the gretsch drum design team molded the brooklyn series by combining classic gretsch elements while infusing it with new attributes . they expanded upon traditional drum designs to shape a sound that retains fundamental gretsch characteristics while projecting a fresh voice . broadkaster series a faithful reproduction of the wonderful gretsch 3 ply sound handcrafted in ridgeland south carolina usa the new gretsch broadkaster series rejuvenates the roots of the storied 3 ply gretsch drum shell and legendary broadkaster series . gretsch has a long history producing 3 ply drum shells beginning in the 1920s in brooklyn new york when the company first engineered the laminate drum shell . those shells were a 3 ply mix of maple gum or poplar maple made without reinforcement hoops and were rounder lighter and more musical than other shells typically found during that time period . as part of their flagship drums gretsch offered the original broadkaster drums between the 1930s 1950 . gretsch continued to produce that basic 3 ply broadkaster shell through the mid late 1950 s while experimenting with various bearing edges including a reverse roundover beveled edge . sonically the classic 1950 s 3 ply shells are known for their organic woody tones with low frequency thump . usa custom custom drums feature the original gretsch formula 6 ply maple shell that has been applied for over 50 years . each drum includes 30 degree bearing edges the original silver sealer inner shell finish and a choice of nitron covered or nitrocellulose lacquer finishes to give you that great gretsch sound . curly maple and harlequin finishes are also available . 6 limited edition anniversary series the original gretsch factories were located in brooklyn new york . it was there that a design formula was developed that would result in what drummers all over the world would come to recognize as that great gretsch sound . today ridgeland south carolina is the home of gretsch drums and the craftsmen there are still using the same techniques and formulas to build the highly coveted gretsch usa custom drums and gretsch brooklyn series drums . 130th anniversary limited satin birdseye maple 130th anniversary limited silver satin flame 130th anniversary limited satin vintage cherry burst 130th anniversary brooklyn series limited pewter sparkle 130th anniversary limited gold satin flame discontinued gretsch products partial list edit vinnie colaiuta signature signature drum set made of 6 ply maple gumwood shells . the set includes white wash high glass lacquer finish black chrome plated lugs brackets and hoops gretsch s gts tom suspension system and vinnie coliauta s signature badges . this kit was discontinued in early 2012 when vinnie abruptly switched to ludwig drums . catalina stage semi professional drum set made of 6 ply mahogany shells . the set includes gretsch s gts tom suspension system . catalina elite semi professional drum set made of 6 ply mahogany shells . the set includes gretsch s gts tom suspension system.tom size 10 12 14 usa broadkaster professional drum set made of 6 ply maple gum jasper shells . the set includes gretsch s gts tom suspension system . usa maple professional custom drum set made of 6 ply maple gumwood shells . renown purewood beech professional drum set made of 6 ply beechwood shells . renown purewood mahogany professional drum set made of 6 ply