Gretsch Drums

About Gretsch Drums:

Based in Ridgeland, South Carolina, Gretsch Drums manufactures some of the most popular series of high-end kits available. Their motto, “That Great Gretsch Sound,” reflects their pride in making drum kits that live up to the reputation when the Gretsch Company was founded in 1883. Their unique approach to designing a kit includes special attention to elements crucial to a drum’s tone, like top-quality tone woods and unique bearing edges, often 30º as opposed to the popular 45degree edge.

Gretsch drums built much of their reputation for quality tone through the ’50s, ’60s and early ’70s. Many renowned jazz drummers played the now-classic “round badge” kits, such as Elvin Jones, Tony Williams and Art Blakey. Billy Cobham played Gretsch during the early ’70s in the early Mahavishnu days, and Micky Dolenz used Gretsch drums during the filming of the Monkees TV series.

Since that time, notable players include Phil Collins, who played Gretsch drums for many years with Genesis, as well as legendary studio drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, Brad Wilk from Audioslave and Rage Against the Machine, Taylor Hawkins of Foo Fighters, Debbi Peterson of The Bangles and Steve Ferrone of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones has played Gretsch drums for 45 years, a true testament to Gretsch quality, sound and reliability.