Written by Jeremiah Stermer

Courtesy of Vintage Drummer Magazine

August 2004

Gretcsh Drums When I was born (that is, completed as a Gretsch drum set) in the summer of 1963, the sun was beaming in through the windows of the Brooklyn New York factory, setting my champagne sparkle ablaze with dazzle. I’m a four piece set comprised of a 5 x 14 chrome snare, a 9 x 13 tom tom, a 16 x 16 floor tom, and my heart is a 14 x 20 bass drum. My player-I call my owner my player because that’s the relation we had. Since, on one hand, he could certainly say I owned him, based solely on my irresistibility-so, my player had visited my birth place, the Gretsch factory, a month or so earlier. He and his Gretsch guitar-playing friend hooked out of school in Baltimore, hopped on a train to Manhattan and walked to the factory. I know back then you could just show up at Gretsch and if you asked nicely they would proudly take you on a factory tour. (more…)

Summer Namm 2004

The Gretsch Company made its annual trip to Nashville one more time as part of Summer NAMM 2004. Next years Namm Show is scheduled for Indianapolis, Indiana. Gretsch has always had a special kinship to the Music City and all the fine artists that call “The Home of Country Music”, their home. From the inspired songwriters to the Grand ole Opry to the music printers down the “Alley” and the pickers on Broadway; Nashville has enjoyed the ultimate music tradition. In its own way, Gretsch too, has been part of that tradition.

Knowing that this was the last show in Nashville made for a bitter-sweet, however productive, Summer Namm. All the fine Gretsch instruments were on display throughout three booth locations. Our exclusive worldwide drum distributors, KAMAN, offered information and samples on all the latest Gretsch Drum lines including USA Maple and Custom Series, Renowned, Signature, Catalina, and BlackHawk. Also featured were LTD 70’s and New Duco finished Limited Kits from Gretsch. (more…)