Gretsch Drums

Gretsch Drums
Private
Industry Musical instruments
Founded 1883 (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!"

History

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

– Source:[5]

Drumset Lineup

Current Gretsch Products

Drum kit by Gretsch.

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.

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.

Discontinued Gretsch Products (partial list)

Hardware

Gretsch does not currently make their own drum hardware, but instead offer hardware packs from Gibraltar Hardware.

Current Gibraltar Packs

Badge History

See also

References

External links

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