$300 vs $3000 Drums | Gretsch USA Custom vs Catalina Jazz Drums
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- Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
- My 80's Gretsch USA Custom Bop Kit, vs my around 05' Gretsch Catalina Elite Bop Kit. The thumbnail price of the USA's is an average new price for USAs. I paid around $1600 (with a cymbal trade in) for the USA's, and around $300 for the Catalinas.
Hope you guys enjoyed the video, I have more videos like this coming every week!
Definitely the USA custom- but the Catalina’s ain’t bad. The ear adjusts after a while
I agree! Thanks George!
Hey George! Love your playing. Lenny told me some time ago that you were teaching in my city which is Winnipeg or WINTERPEG!! I didn't know that you were hear so I unfortunately missed hearing you, but I briefly spoke with you(Jazz Showcase-Chicago) when you and Lenny were in Chicago some years ago.How are you?
They are both the same! why pay 1600? crazy
@@zog97xy
Very different.
Use headphones.
The way you mic both kits is excellent. Some of the most honest and open drum sounds I’ve heard on RUclips in a great while. Much respect!
@taylor Jones
I agree,,would be nice to know how,,🖖
At the end of the day, which set is getting loaded in and out and bashed about going from gig to gig. Yeah, the Cats! The only folks who care about these things are other drummers. The folks shaking it on the dance floor could care less. Great video. My vote is the USA customs as well.
And the gig pays the same no matter the kit! 😂
@@artcorvolet True fact.
I would still take those customs out and about! Obviously the USA kit sounds way better, but the cheap drums are completely serviceable. My 300 dollar kit from 25 years ago does not sound as good as the Catalina.
The USA Custom is awesome
Very nice! Definitely the Customs. Nice playing1
I've had the Catalina Club Jazz in mahogany for over 10 years. A great little kit. I took it to a studio a few years ago to record some drum tracks and the studio owners wife came up to me while I was packing up and said it was the nicest sounding drum kit they'd ever had in there.
Hell yeah
I used one at a gig a few years ago. First time I ever sat down on one of those. It was the opening band's drummer's kit. Sounded really good. Very easy and fun to play. I was very impressed. Interestingly, Gretsch Energy which is their beginner line costs just as much new and sounds nowhere near as good as the Catalina Clubs.
Sorry, but with the difference in heads this comparison doesn't make any sense at all. Of course the USA Kit will sound more vivid and open with fresh single ply heads…
@fartpoobox ohyeah Well, that's not how science works! :D
I'll eventually try to do another comparison where both have single ply heads. Sorry for the head inconsistency, don't quite have the money for all new heads on the catalinas right now. Also, sorry if my explanation was confusing, but the heads on the USA's also aren't new, they were just tuned up "freshly." Thanks for the honesty, Timo, and hope this helps provide some clarity!
@fartpoobox ohyeah you conclude from your assumptions.
Catalinas sound pretty good considering the price! A few years back I was listening to a jazz trio at a street cafe here in Helsinki. Thought the drummer played USA Customs, but no - they were high-tuned Catalinas!
Had my Catalinas (new ones with round badges) for a while and fitted them with Gretsch "302" hoops, wow those made the difference! Spending on quality hoops is really worth considering, if you want to raise cheap kit to the next level and not willing to spend another 1500 euros...
On the recordings both models sound equally good just different. The USA model would be better suited for extensive touring with better build quality.
This is very cool. The USA Customs were just warmer, richer and they sang. They inspire you to play. The Catalinas were fine- a workable kit and I would play it live in a casual setting and save my USA's for recording or primo gigs! Thanks!
Actually had a slight bias that they might be very close - but the USA Custom was insanely clear and musical. The Catalina was quite dull, I think.
I think that can also be attributed to the drumheads. The Catalina has 2-ply heads while the USA Custom has 1-ply.
@fartpooboxohyeah8611stronger fundamental, more pleasing mellow timbre. catalinas sound more one dimensional cartoony sharp and flat, less sustain resonance
The Catalinas have improved over the years and now sound pretty good.
No mistaking the vintage Gretsch sound though or the newer Customs,and they have die cast hoops if that is your thing.
My set is 1981,had since'88.
In black nylon;22x14,24x14,12x8,
13x9,14x14,16x16,
14x6.5 maple,14x5 chrome brass snare.
Toms are very close .. USA bass drum a bit nicer than Catalina. The USA snare is a lot better
Play them both behind a hanging sheet or blanket and then ask the same question. Which one do you like the most? I like both of them very much and the price tag and vintage is more of a stumbling block at this point. Best wishes!
Decent comparison, well done sir. If you decide to re-do this comparison in the future, give some thought to investing a little bit into making this an even a better comparison. By not putting the ambassadors on the Catalinas is sort of like putting a weighted vest on an already slower runner in a race. Here's why: The catalina is made with 7 ply mahogany shells. Naturally a warmer tone and thicker shell. As an experienced Catalina owner, it's easy to choke its tone even with a 1 ply head. You've got double ply heads on there, hence the "weighted vest" analogy. With the USAs, they are an thinner 6 ply maple shell. They naturally open up in tone and can "sing" a little more freely just based on shell material/construction alone. However, you've also got Ambassadors on there which showcases that completely. In short, throw Ambassadors on both kits all the way around, tune them as closely as possible, and you've got yourself a GREAT comparison video. If I may add, I've owned a set of Catalinas since 2014. I've gigged and recorded with them quite a bit. It's a workhorse, very versatile. They'll never sing as loud as a USA custom but boy howdy have they served me well over the years! They are often referred to as an "entry" level kit. I disagree.
Snare is always a weak spot on the elites/club jazz. Replace it and get some nice cymbals and pinstripes and you've got a killer portable kit that sounds great live and in the studio.
The main advantage of the high end is mostly die cast hoops. Just buy die cast hoops for your cheap drum kit !
I was also thinking that the Catalina club has a wrap on it, and the USA has natural wood that seems dyed. Maybe the sound vibrates right out of the shells more than the Catalina. Less glue, more tone
Depends on Heads, miking, Tom - Mount, tuning and drummer. I once came in a studio with a completely worn out and muffled Rogers. My Tama Superstar with new heads was "garbage". So I had to play on the Rogers. I couldn't believe what I heard on the final mix.
Got a Catalina Elite in 2004, as a senior in high school. Still have it today, still gig with it multiple times a week every summer. I tune them pretty low for rock drumming, but they are versatile enough to keep really great tone no matter what. The kick is especially punchy and big, even for being such a tiny drum. Love this kit to death and may never replace it!
Nice chops. Continued proof drummer makes the sound, not the drums.
I appreciate it! Thank you!
Exactly my sentiments!! It’s the
player not the instrument!!!!
Check out the sound of my
USA Customs!’
Yea, I mean, sure, the Customs have a more rich, singing kind of sound, but dude is a very fine player and his touch makes the Catalina's come to life. It all depends on someone's financial situation as to what they play I suppose. Nice video, thanks.
USA Customs. 👍 They have a lot more treble frequency extension in the resonance and overtones.
BUT, as others have said, the huge differences are mostly down to the much different heads used, as well as the triple-flange vs die-cast hoops.
However, I don't think that anyone can say that the Catalina Elites sound "bad" here. And for a mix, they might be the better option.
In addition, I don't think that the new Catalina Clubs are really a 1:1 comparison to these older Catalina Elites, though.
For the money invested, the Elite kit is a great and leaves more money for great cymbals. :-)
With some different heads and a slight modification to the bearing edges, the Catalina Elite kit will come a lot closer to those USA Customs. IMO, the swap to die-cast hoops would be too expensive of an upgrade for the Elites and not really worthwhile.
Enjoyed the video. 👍
Wow I would've never guessed the Catalina Elite was that cheap! The USA custom kit definitely sounds better, but the Catalina kit doesn't sound bad by any means
I have a great relationship with a drum shop in Denver, and they gave me smoking deals on both kits! I agree with you, love the USAs, but the catalinas are an excellent value for money.
fye pfp
Cheaper kit looks nicer imo
Yeah the expensive one was clean but not my taste
Been playin club rock callatinas 24 kick monster sound...
Nice drumming! For me there is a huge difference in sound. The US Customs do what they excel in: that clear resonant singing gretsch sound. The catalinas sound dull.
However, the difference in drum skins do matter. I switched back to Remo Ambassadors after a brief fling with Evans G1s. Initially the Evans sounded more EQ’d to me but after a short while very dull. The Remo Ambassador has that live sound- and they last..Perhaps your aquarians also need a change. They could have added to the dullness of the sound.
5:22 The Catalina sound a lot better if you're going for a warm, creamy vintage sound, while the USA Customs sound a lot better if you are trying to have a modern, crisp sound. Catalina snare is simply not good enough to use in my opinion, while Catalina bass drum is slightly nicer sounding than the USA Custom.
Aslo...not really apples to apples comparison...if you're going to do a comparison...make it a "Comparison"... since the heads are different it changes everything... it's not even a real comparison with a 2ply vs 1ply coated ambassador head...one might argue, you can't even make the comparison because its not about shells anymore, it's about heads and tuning.
Catalinas are an absolute bargain!
Agreed, Robert!
The bass drum is where the biggest difference comes out to my ears. USA Customs just has a better sound quality over all on the bass. Might be heads showing a bit of difference. Both are well tuned.
When it comes to JAZZ be-bop kits ... I HAVE NO OPINION & OR PREFERENCE ... because it's not my genre.
Both kits are lovely. The USAC has a bit more presence than the cat kit. I have a Yamaha stage custom birch with coated ambassadors on top, and clear stock heads on the bottom. Tuned up for jazz. Some time I put a gretsch blackhawk 13 rack tom in the floor tom position hanging off a symbol stand. Great tones.
Could scarcely tell the difference unless i looked at the phone. Yes my phone speaker is poo, but it’s equally poo for both kits, right? I was expecting a bigger difference for that range of money. Thx for the video.
I mean you can just hear the dynamics in the USA. The Catalina would be good in a small funk assemble tho.
Custom does sound better, but I'm not sure they are worth ten times the money. With new heads, the catalina's would sound even better.
It would have been very helpful if you would turn the snares off for a while to hear the tones a little better. I think they both sound good and it is mostly personal preference. I would take the cheaper set on most of my gigs because it is much lighter (die cast hoops are heavy) and use the USA Custom on studio and important gigs because the die cast hoops keep the tone more focused allowing one to hear more detail - studio engineers really like them too. Thanks for making this video - I enjoyed it. ✌
I would challenge any drummer to tell me the difference between 4 sets from different companies, of identical sizes and heads tuned the same.
In other words a blindfold test. Lets say...1960's Ludwig, Sonor, Gretsch, and Slingerland kit. I don't believe 99 out 0f 100 drummers could identify them.
I just wondering what kind of mic did you use to take the drums audio?
you have it in the other spot in the room where theres less low end
I have both of these kits too and the cheap kit sounds very good! I believe the heads make a BIG difference and as long as one puts good heads on their drums - most kits will sound good.
2 kit to compare and totally 2 different kinf of heads... no need to wtach more you already know this is just a video of a dude playing drums
The Catalina was thinner Tone as in brighter and more tight without the body the Classic Gretsch had.
It's a personal issue and for equalizer mixing production.
I thought Catalina was as much worthy as the other one.
No way to compare with different drum heads, period. The heads are the primary sound medium.
Thanks for the input. I’ll hopefully do one with the same heads in the future for a more “scientific” comparison.
@@JulianArcher thanks!
I’m a gretsch guy too, loved the sound you were getting with only one mic, super clean man!
Thank you, Dom!!
Both sets sound very good -- Gretsch!!!!
Each kit on its best day, in ideal conditions? The USAs. But live/real-world, in a club or frat house or wherever, the Catalinas seem like they'd hold their own 100%. I wonder how non-fiber heads would do on the Catalina kick...?
Gotta love Gretsch. Quality in both top and bottom of their line 🥰
Beautiful playing man.
Thanks so much Sergiu! Really appreciate the kind comment.
HATE BOP TUNING.....
Other than a tiny difference in sound from the different drums heads, there was basically no difference between them. They both sounded pretty much the same. The USA drums absolutely didn't sound 10 times better than the $300 set. Drum heads make the difference in a drums sound, not how much you paid for them.
USA Customs! The Catalina kit sounded quite good, but the USA Customs were warmer with better definition, and resonance. Probably due in part to the rims. Nice playing by the way, you have really good chops.
Moral of the story; don't spend big $$$ on a bop kit.
The USA Custom has more resonance. Better tone overall.
But the Catalina has a nice, dry, lo-fi kinda vibe. Each would work
on a gig or recording, depending on the kind of vibe you're trying
to create. And maybe it's my imagination, but you seem to approach
each kit with a different energy, which is very cool! You recognize each kit's voice,
and play them in a way that is appropriate to each. Kind of like John Coltrane
approaches the tenor and soprano saxes differently.
I think I'm the odd man out, but I'm going with the Catalina as my favorite.
I dig the lo-fi sound.
Why are they tuned to sound like a toy drum kit? :(
jazz tuning is normally high so it sounds melodic :)
Should have tuned the same to be fair.
They actually are tuned to the same tension using a drum dial for accuracy. The heads are the main factor of difference, I just don’t have the money to buy a full set of new heads for the catalinas at the moment. Hope this helps clarify!
Tony and Elvin live in those Custom shells lol .. absolute perfection.. Great demo thanks and by the way my 20" Dark Matter Flat Ride arrives tomorrow!!! Your comparison video did the the trick (Dream please take note)
Great sounds from both kits. Hope you have the opportunity to enjoy both regularly. 😃
wow... there is a difference, but i think is not a $2700 difference!!!
If you ever put single ply heads on the Catalina it would be neat to hear this comparison revisited! I think those modern vintage II’s are probably contributing a lot to the “dull” sound everyone is pointing out
Catalina Elite is a LOT better than USA Custom.
Catalina Elite is better because
Has a more vintage and beautiful jazzy style
In sound
and in Price.
Great video! What hats were you using on the Catalina Elite? They sound like my dream jazz hats
Hilariously enough, those are hi hats you could probably pick up for $20. They came with a “starter drum set” where you get all the drums, cymbals, and hardware included. Extremely cheap, but I love the sound too. Light, crisp, and a little trashy :)
@@JulianArcher That makes sense! I took 14" hats and a 16" crash just like that and made a clap stack which I'm in love with. Might source another pair of hats to use as actual hats!
Both sound good, but I was watching TV also, Sorry. The cymbals were particularly nice sounding too I might add. Thank you.
Meh. Kits are both great....but that big ol ISTANBUL dry af ride.....whew! That's some nice stuff! Tah tah ta-tah...mmmmmmmmm.
I have a Catalina Elite set exactly like this one- same wrap, and it’s great. I think I paid $400 with a set of Tuxedo bags. What a deal that was!
The USA tom is an 8x12, not a 9x12. You can tell just by the distance from the top lugs to the bottom lugs. At a depth of 8”, the distance is right around the length of a lug. At 9” it’s about 1.5 lugs.
I have always wanted somebody to do this comparison it was great. I wonder what the gretsch USA's would sound like compared to the wood hooped PDP bop set that's maple. Or the new wood hooped Gretsch Catalina Bop kit which is maple and walnut.
When I listened blindly I found that preferred the cheaper kit.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Matched heads = matched comparison. Spend a little before you post a "comparison"
The Catalina snare sounds a bit ordinary.
I believe the newer snares later, sounded much better..
Hardware on cheaper import sets breaks oftentimes just by looking at it..... and can't forget the maple gum USA shells versus cheaper import Luan mahogany Catalina shells..... and when your drums don't project there will be people that can't hear what you're doing so I often am never impressed with import sets and their lack of projection and full tonal Spectrum.
I appreciate Quality Companies having different price points but I really do not like most import sets.
Drums are fun and we all mean well
Can we just stop it with the RIMS mounts already? Pain in the ass - you need to add an inch to drum case to accommodate, and they add an unnatural resonance to drums that I don’t actually like.
The Catalinas ABSOLUTELY do not sound NEARLY as good as the Custom US Gretsch - not even close. I am a professional player, playing for over 50 years. The clarity, attack, tone, shell tone… No comparison. Catalina sounds like a really good budget/student drum set, and I would never use them in the recording studio, maybe on a gig, but hopefully not
The USA Customs sounded better but would an audience or fellow musicians on a gig know the difference? Probably not. It used to be the hardware on the cheap kits wasn't as good but between manufacturer processes and better hardware there isn't much difference. I know applying the wrap to the Catalina kit is less costly than sanding and the finish on the USA Custom. As long as bearing edges are good and you pick the right heads and can tune well, buying the more expensive kit is more a personal choice. I had a Gretsch kit I bought in 1979 and 4 years ago I bought a Catalina Club in the yellow strata wrap and to be honest I think the Catalina was easier to tune, especially the 8x12 tom.
The custom is a bit fuller sounding. Sing a little more. The Catalina’s sound very good. The customs sound great.
The difference is crucial…and that difference costs a lot of money. In real terms-is that difference worth the money?…debatable…
Keep working on that Gretsch endorsement dude that was awesome jazz drumming. Where do you play?
I go for the custom snare and the catalina toms. Just my taste;-)
Actually the Catalina's are a little more than $300. However even $800 as apposed to $2500 is a no brainier.
I played the Catalina jazz kit the same exact kit that you are showing and they sounded just find. Mic the kit and play classic rock. For the money the Catalina kit is a working kit, and they look really nice.
A big thank, Julian, but what kind of microphone do you use ?
Good vid!! Love the mic technique...may I ask what it is? I just picked up a 2012 cat maple +gib h'ware +cymbals for $400 U.S so,,stoked,,now to record!!!
#Gretsch love the last shot of the cymbals against the wall and your smile
I do think it was definitely a case of not just different, but better. The USA custom sounding more open, snappier, more dynamic and also less boxy. I did appreciate the mellow tone of the Catalina, as different. But, what I liked less about it was that closed in, boxy character. Sounding as though it was being played in a smaller room than the USA Custom. Still really good though. I'm learning on a not too different Pearl Midtown, and also really liking how good these cheaper kits can sound. I'd probably like to get a Gretsch USA Custom later too. Although I quite like the sound of the not so jazz bop size Gretsch Reknown too.
I think its very difficult to compare the kits because of the difference un the heads. (Single ply/double ply) those heads sound very different.
The USA customs had the warmer richer sound than the Catalina's but no way are the worth 3 grand more IMO. The Catalina's are a great affordable kit for the working drummer!
The customs definitely had a better tone but both would work fine.
Maybe use similar heads... beat up 2-ply heads vs. single ply. Come on.
nice gretsch Sq badge... I am restoring a 1960's Gretsch RB Starlite... Im going to use Bovid heads MUle : batter / thin calf : reso..
how do you like Aq Modern Vintage 2?. what are you using for reso on tom . snare .... and your bass batter?. .. Will Shaughnessy
The Customs sing more, which kills the myth that cast hoops 'deaden' tone - they don't. The Catalinas sound tubby by comparison.
Gretsch itself said that the Renown is close in quality to USA….with Gretsch factory standards.
Huge difference! USA custom sing and project more, that Classic Gretsch sound.
I've had the same cheapo Catalina set for nearly 20 yeas, still serves me well.
Those things are pretty indestructible!
I’ve got a USA custom from 1980, the only difference is I have a 15” floor Tom and bass drum is 18X14
I wouldn’t trade that 15” floor Tom for anything
Both sound great. A function of someone who knows how to play, and how to tune, drums. Betcha that Catalina set would sound awesome with Diplomats all around, with the batter heads being Fiberskyn.
Both sound great! Both rack toms look like 12x8.
I use my 8 yr old Catalina Club kit for everything from jazz to rock. Maybe I'm just a fan of the underdog but I played them next to a Gretsch Brooklyn kit and I did not hear enough of a difference to justify the price jump.
Nice and honest review. And for the price difference those kids sounds shockingly alike, althought ofcourse there are some differences. But you wonder if that justifys the price.
the USA custom tom is on the snare support, and the catalina's tom is on the rims on bass drum: the comparison is not fair...
Catalina with new heads would get the job done!! All batters fibreskin or Evans 56,s just to warm em up.
Catalinas run around $1100 to $1200 these days unfortunately. Great kit but not cheap like they used to be
None - I want to play jazz and am so tired of trying to sound like a 1950’s jazz player. What kit would u recommend for a more different modern sound ? Thx
The USA shells have more resonance and better sustain……
If you’re going to crank a set of drums up this high, the difference will almost always be negligible.
The best reason for buying high end Gretsch drums is that they definitely hold their value as investment drums.When you research the cost of high end vintage Gretsch drums compared to brand new high end Gretsch drums,you will see...