Gretsch Drums Catalina Club Jazz 4-Piece Shell Pack

I've been playing drums for tens years with a Tama and was never satisfied. I downgraded my huge set for this and I'm very very pleased. Punchy, loud, economical, suitable for all styles. I've just started playing in a heavier punk/blues band and was worried this wouldn't fill enough sonic space, but I was proven wrong.

I got these drums the day I had a Jazz trio gig and thought I would use them in place of my Vintage Slingerland maples. Man was I completely impressed, as were the band members and several audience members. First of all they looked great on the bandstand, I got the Emerald pearl set. I could have closed my eyes and thought it was a $2000 vintage set from the 60's. You would be hard pressed to tell the difference!Before I took delivery of the kit, I already had my plan in place, I would take all the drums apart and sand the bearing edges and shell interiors, because most of the time you get a kit in this price range and the quality control is pretty bad, meaning the bearing edges are very rough as are the interiors of the shells. Not the case here.With the Catalina Jazz kit, you have to put the bass drum together, which is attaching the front head and attaching the bass drum riser, if you choose to use it (more on that later). This gave me a chance to check the interior of the shell and the bearing edges on the bass drum, again I was very impressed with what I found. Very smooth 30 degree bearing edges and the interior was already sanded, I didn't have to do anything. All the other drums were like this as well!After putting the front head of the bass drum on, it was time for the riser. Now I had never used one of these before. The smallest bass drum I have used (without a riser) is a 20" with my Slingerland kit. So I immediately just set it up without the it. I spent some time tuning the bass drum and liked what I heard. I set up and tuned the rest of the kit, which was very easy, and started to pay a bit. The toms sounded focused and had a warm attack. Just what I was looking for with the mahogany shell. But something was missing in the bass drum. So I decided to give the riser a try.The riser attaches in place of the bass pedal and lifts the rear of the drum 2-3 inches. The bass pedal is then attached to the riser so that you don't have to adjust the length of your bass drum beater. If you go from a 22" bass drum to an 18", you'll know what I'm talking about. With the riser, it sounded like a different bass drum, much more focused tone and attack. You may eventually change out the beater head and improve the sound even more, but stock, I had no complaints.In short, you can't go wrong with this kit, it sounds as good or better than kits costing 5 times as much.It feels good to play and is easy to move around! Oh, did I forget to say, it looks awesome too. I'm going to get some die cast hoops for the toms which should raise the bar even higher.

The Catalina Jazz kit has worked great for acoustic rock, small group jazz and recording. I found it worked best in small to medium size indoor venues. It has a very classic american woody drum sound and has the same classic look to match. The drums tune well and hold the tuning well. I do not have the snare so can not comment on that. The sound was further enhanced with Aquarian Z-100 heads which warmed the toms and brought out a darker sound. Very easy to play at a low volume. They sound "papery" in outdoor settings and the bass drum did not have the guts to kick a big band. The hardware seems a bit fragile, but functional - handle with care. The shells are well made and well wrapped. The price is amazing and overshadows any quality concerns. I just bought a Catalina Maple to fulfill the big venue/outdoor/big band needs. BUY BOTH!!! and have the perfect tools for all your playing needs, especially at these prices!! Overall it met all regular and versatile gigging needs, is a joy to play, lowered my chiropractor visits, fits easily in a Civic and my wife could not complain about the amount of money spent!!!

I have been lucky enough to have owned some of the most celebrated and loved kits of all time: Yamaha 9000's, Ludwig Classics, Sonor Phonics, Pearl Custom Z, Pearl DLX... the list goes on. I can honestly say that the Gretsch Catalina Club Jazz beats them all. I'm not kidding! The TONE you get from these drums is incredible. They sound just right. That classic, singing tone you hear on the old jazz records? This is it! It's not trying to be modern and cutting, it simply sounds like what drums should sound like. Sure, they are nowhere near as loud as a Phonic or a Ludwig Classic, but who plays unmic'd in a large venue anyway? Mic'd they can sound however you want them to. And recorded, they sound absolutely HUGE! It's all done to the tone rather than sheer volume. For instance, the bass drum's fundamental note is very powerful. My 24" Phonic bass drum, whilst being acoustically louder sounded like a dull thud compared to the full bassy note from the Catalina when recorded (interestingly, the CCJ got a big response from my bass subwoofer on my speaker system, whereas the Phonic didn't even register!).

Don't get caught up in the wood-snobbery inherit with top-end kits. I've owned top-end maple, birch and beech kits, and all have their merits, but when a kit sounds this good, I don't give a hoot as to what it's made of! I've previously owned a all-maple GMS kit in these exact same bop sizes, as well as a birch Yamaha, and neither of them sound ANYWHERE near as good.

The Yamaha 9000 may very well be the greatest mass produced kit of all time, I agree, but in my honest opinion, especially given the fact it costs 3 or 4 times less, I honestly would say that the Gretsch CCJ is the second greatest one, and as I said at the start, it's my favourite. And sure, peeps always belittle the snare, but how many 9000 players use the matching 9000 snare? Exactly! As it goes, the trick with the snare is crank it right up and add a Moongel. Sorted.

This kit has worked great for me in small clubs,large shows,as well as a great kit for my students, my sound tech. found it hard to believethe power of these little drums.

This is my first drum kit and I must say. I am not looking to get another one until these shells fall apart. This set is great quality with a great price. I just wish they had an add on floor tom.

Probably one of the best purchases I have made and the kick drum will blow you away. The only problem I had with the kit was the snare. It was hard to tune and really didn't have a sweet spot. I've since replaced the tension rod washers with nylon washers which cured the tuning problem, changed the snare bed out to a 20 strand and use an Evans HD dry on the batter. The cool thing is I can get the whole kit in one case. I haven't touched my Tama Starclassics since I got these.

Picked these up to use as a rehearsal kit, used them that night at a gig, and now I'm just going to keep them as my road kit! Great punchy kick drum, nice full sounding toms - I was totally pleased with the sound of this rig. I would rate them a straight 5, except that there was a lug on the floor tom that seemed a little weird, but other than that, they were excellent quality. Nice wrap job, bearing edges were good, and again the kick drum is awesome. If your band plays smaller venues where stage space is tight, these are just the thing!

I bought this kit probably a couple of months ago after lugging around a big Ludwig kit witha 22" bass drum, 12" and 13" rack toms, and a 16" floor tom, with all the associated stands, cymbals etc.Gretsch was really smart to mak a kit in this configuration...really smart. This kit is very nice. It is not the greatest quality; but is as nice as anything being made in this price range today.I am hooked on 60's vintage Ludwigs and Gretschs. I like reinforcing rings. I like cast rims with a healthy coat of chrome. I like metal snares. And I like mufflers built into the toms..but I now have this kit set about right. I bought some insulating tape, like the kind used for room air conditioners to seal them to the window, and put a piece on the inside of each drum (except the bass) attached all the way around on the bearing edge and touching the top head of each drum. (It has adhesive on one side of the tape.) This worked great to muffle the toms and the snare. I got a pillow and placed it in the bass drum. A little work with a drum dial and I'm in business. The bass sounds awesome. The snare is just a little too subdued and doesn't "crack" like a metal snare does. I may replace it with a metal Gretsch if I can find a deal on a nice round badge.Lots of nice touches on this kit though. The bass drum legs (Gibralter?) are great. I like the plastic spacer on the lugs. I love the isolation system on the suspended tom, and I love a 14"X14" floor tom. I think the color choices should be greater. I personally like the bass drum riser. I have a Gretsch Floating Action bass pedal on its way and hope it works out. I am using a Titan or something now which works alright. Come on Gretsch, remake the the Floating Action Bass Pedal, the old flat based hi-hat stand the flat based cymbal stands and the flat based snare stand again for your stuff. Don't let people get Gibralter stuff. Get real...Get with the program...I know the Custom kits can be had for more moey, but why? What the hey? While you're at it, reopen the Zildjian factory in Istanbul and start making K's again with the G stamped on the edge..

I love this kit. I have carried around 22-inch bass drums my whole life and what ta change now with this kit. Very economical--love the sound, the layout, the finish. A very good investment by far. Just not 100 percent bought on the snare drum but is workable. I also have oher snares that fit in well with the great Gretsch sound.

This was my first good acoustic drums - and I have to say, for the years I've been beating on them and hauling them around, I've experienced very few letdowns. Cons: - Not all of the lugs screw in with ease (only one or two don't, but it's still a pain sometimes. They were like that out of the box. - Snare isn't my favorite...but that's just me - Kick pedal mount doesn't allow for my beater to be as close to the head as I'd like - but I'm slowly getting over thatPros: - Great tone in toms and ESPECIALLY the kick drum - Easy to haul around (very easy-carry the bass drum under one arm ;)) - very prettyAnyways, my kit now essentially a big small kit. I added a 10" pearl world series tom and lots of cymbals. Everything except my hardware fits in the back of my car, it's great. Also, don't let the small size of this kit turn you down. For example, I saw the drummer for Skillet play this same kit, with no additions other than cymbals for thousands of people in a hockey rink. These drums can sound BIG even without the all that EQ if you tune them right. I practice acoustically with my band all the time with the 200 watt amps blasting. No problems.VERY VERSATILEVERY LIGHTWEIGHT VERY FLASHY VERY PURE SOUND...and best of all, your fans can easily see bulging muscles when you throw those mad 64th note fills.

15 different drum sets, 11 brands, and for me; Nothing surpasses the Gretsch Catalina Jazz Kit.1. It's the only kit equipped with the best heads. 2. Fine tune em with a band-aid and cotton ball attached to the under-side of each head logo.3. Get a Pulse Pro Snare Stand and Pearl SBA-1 Basket Adapter Set to mount the 12" Tom on. Don't brag about your resonating toms if they are mounted on your bass, choking the life out of it, or wobbling at the mercy of several attachments hanging from cymbal stands.4. The Bass Drum Riser will work well with all pedals if you know how to make the simple adjustments. The tone quality of this small but effective bass is very complimentary. 5. The tone quality of Gretsch Drums with Evans Heads yields satisfaction with all types of brushes and sticks. Most others do not.Past experience with a wide variety of drum sets has enabled me to be totally blessed with Gretsch.

This is a very nice kit for the money but don't expect high end quality here. This is middle of the road equipment and would not recommend it for pro players unless you just really like this size & configuration. The most important thing you should check out before buying it is how your bass drum pedal will mount to the mounting plate that attaches to the bass drum hoop. I feel there is a flaw in how this bass drum adapter was designed to work with the bass drum hoop on this kit. After trying 3 pedals none of them mounted properly to the bass drum adapter and does not allow flush contact with the bass drum head which will end up denting and eventually blowing out your bass drum head.If you're considering this kit try it out with your bass drum pedal first otherwise you may be disapointed. After removing the bass drum mounting adapater and trying the pedal directly to the hoop the pedal ended up being too close to the head because of the hoop design. The bass drum mounting plate should be designed to work with "any" bass drum pedal and it should allow proper alingment of the beater against the head to avoid damaging it.

I recently acquired this kit, and I have been enjoying it very much. The toms have a nice tone range, which I didn't expect. Also, the bass gets a nice thump to it, it just isn't as loud as I would like. I have been using it in a classic rock and blues band, and this kit is perfect for the small venue.

I have used Gretsch Drums all my life, as far as I'm concerned it's the only way to go. They have all the experience, they are the oldest drum manufacturer in the world. That my friends says it all! The sound, the quality, innovation and the cutting edge. Gretsch drums are the bench mark by which all others try to follow!

I just purchased one of these in White Marine Pearl. I had the opportunity to play one before purchasing one. The real selling point for me was the sound of the Bass drum. I was blown away by the canon-like sound of this little bass drum, and with only the stock heads on it. It was amazing. It keeps up easily with my Premier 22" birch bass drum. The guys in the band couldn't believe it. The toms as well, very warm, plenty of boom to them. Exactly the sound you hear in your head when you think of a tom tom. The snare? Well, I was blown away by the snare as well. I tuned it up nice and tight and it's got a crack that cuts through anything. I couldn't believe it. It looks kind of flimsy, but it sure doesn't sound like it. The tom mount was nice and solid, well made. The snare throw off is also very nice. It has a really nice smooth action. The finsh is also very nice. The wraps are clean and well done and the white marine pearl really has a nice vintage vibe to it. My only criticisms of this kit are the lugs and the hoops. They don't lube the lugs at the factory that I can see. They're dry, so you'll want to pick up some grease and lube them at some point. Also a cople of the rims are a little rough around the edges. It looks like whoever made them didn't deburr them thouroughly. Aside from that, these drums are really great! If you want something small and portable that will cut through in most any situation and you don't want to pay a fortune for them then buy these. You won't be dissapointed.

I previously owned a Tama Starclassic in Birch, I sold that kit to pay off a debt, and soon bought a Pearl ELX Select, the last of the 100% mahogany, I found the Pearl to be my favorite, they tuned themselves right out of the box. I needed more room in my apt. so I bought this kit. (Gretsch) I seriously love this kit, wow! Remember, this is called a jazz kit, but it could be used in many different settings. great for most anything. If space is a consideration and a lot of times it gets pretty cramped at the gigs this is an excellent choice

I've owned Ludwig, Slingerland, and most recently the Premier Signa Anniversary Edition set. All great drums. I wanted something smaller with a nice live wide open sound similiar to the drum sound on the old Sandy Nelson records. I found that sound with the Gretsch Catalina Jazz kit. Really big sound for such a small set. I was initially leary of the small 18" kick drum, but even that has a really good sound, which fits the kit. I love the sound of both the mounted and floor tom. Wide open sound with no annoying ring. I stopped dampening my drum heads years ago, and prefrer the open sound as opposed to the thud sound. The snare is decent too, but I have a great collection of snares to choose from depending on the sound I want. But, again, the snare that comes with the kit sounds very good. All around - great kit!

I've had this kit for 8 months now, exclusively for jazz. With proper care in tuning, all the pieces sound great. The bass drum provides a nice punch for comping, or a gentle thump for 4 on the floor; no damping needed. The snare has a wide timbral range when carefully tuned; the sweet spot on mine is perhaps a bit lower than ideal, but blends very well with the small tom. Both toms are a bit ringy and rich in a nice way when tuned in the middle of their range, or they can be tuned tight if you prefer a drier fill style. The kit ships with coated heads which are decent for brushwork. This is no custom-crafted pro kit, but for the money it is a very good choice for amateur players.

I bought this kit about 3 years ago because I wanted to start playing in smaller clubs with smaller bands. It worked great for me because it was so easy to transport. If I would get a call to play a show on short notice, it was no problem to put them in the back seat of the car and head to the gig. At performances, I really appreciated the compact design and the great sound. The tom's had a surprisingly adjustable range and I liked the snare right out of the shoot. Depending on the type of drummer you are, the kick drum may take a bit of tweaking. I made the mistake of hooking up with a rather large group and had to sell them to pay for a MONSTER kit that the band demanded me to buy. Now that I left the band, I could KICK myself for selling them. I am going to be buying another set of these puppies and the wife is not gonna like it!By the way, this kit can be used to play hard rock in tight spaces. I live in a college town and many stages are quite small. I have seen many college drummers playing hard rock, punk, and metal with the Catalina's.