Gretsch Catalina Set?

[thehymns]

I was at Guitar Center the other day, browsing around for things I'd like to add to my studio. I've always wanted to have a drum set to keep at my house to learn to play drums and allow bands to use for their sessions, and I assumed that buying a good kit would cost a pretty penny, but I had a guy in drums (older gay guy who used to give drum lessons) played on all the drums set up in the store and I was blown away by the Gretsch birch Catalina set...he even admit he bought a set because it sounds better then any other set in their store. I don't have the money to buy a drum set right now, probably closer to the end of the year, but I wanted to compare prices and I was shopping around and I don't know which birch set I was trying out! Here are the listings:

Gretsch Catalina Birch 5-Piece Fusion Shell Pack
Gretsch Catalina Birch 5-Piece Fusion Drum Set
Gretsch Catalina Birch 5-Piece Standard Drum Kit

Could someone please tell me the difference between the shell pack (does this not come with any drum heads?), fusion drum set, and standard drum kit?

[my2cents]

the shell pack should have heads. it is my understanding that a shell pack comes with all the drums, ready to play, plus a snare stand and tom mounting hardware. perhaps you get a bass drum pedal, too. i could be wrong, though, as i have not bought a new drum set since '91. "shell pack" is a new and very idiotic marketing term that causes more confusion than anything else.

[DWkit]

A shell pack is just the drums with no hardware included. A Fusion kit is 10", 12", 14" toms, 22" bass drum, 14" snare. A standard drum kit is 12", 13", 16" toms, 22" bass drum, 14" snare. Hope this helps, Dave

[tilinmyowngrave]

Dont get a shell pack. Those dont have hardware.

[thehymns]

Thank you very much for y'alls help. Are the Fushion and Standard set made the same, just with different sized toms? If so, why is the Standard so much more expensive?

[my2cents]

Originally Posted by tilinmyowngrave

Dont get a shell pack. Those dont have hardware.

they DO come with tom mounting hardware, correct? seems asinine to expect a customer to have no way to set up the damn things.

[DWkit]

Originally Posted by thehymns

Thank you very much for y'alls help. Are the Fushion and Standard set made the same, just with different sized toms? If so, why is the Standard so much more expensive?

That's the only difference to my knowledge, and I have no idea why there is a large price difference. The toms do come with mounts attached in the shell only pack. Good luck, Dave

[tilinmyowngrave]

Originally Posted by DWkit

That's the only difference to my knowledge, and I have no idea why there is a large price difference. The toms do come with mounts attached in the shell only pack. Good luck, Dave

Yea, but you also get cymbal stands/bass pedals in the other sets.

[my2cents]

what i'm asking is...

do you get tom arms (i.e. tom mounting hardware...you know, the things you >>>>MUST HAVE<<<< if your goal is to set up your drumset so that it is usable) with a shell pack?

EDIT: never mind...i misread an above post. ambiguous marketing terms tend to piss me off.

[Tim Brown]

Originally Posted by tilinmyowngrave

Dont get a shell pack. Those dont have hardware.

Actually, I always suggest buying the shellpack, because usually the hardware that comes with these sets is not the best in the world.

I say get the shell pack, then buy a better grade of hardware.


Tim

[Tim Brown]

Originally Posted by my2cents

what i'm asking is...

do you get tom arms (i.e. tom mounting hardware...you know, the things you >>>>MUST HAVE<<<< if your goal is to set up your drumset so that it is usable) with a shell pack?

EDIT: never mind...i misread an above post. ambiguous marketing terms tend to piss me off.

No, what you get is a drumshell with the lugs,hoops, heads, and tom bracket on each one...or the kicks have the heads, lugs, hoops, and spurs. There's normally no mopunting hardware included....which is no big deal, you just buy it separate.


Tim

[tilinmyowngrave]

Originally Posted by Tim Brown

Actually, I always suggest buying the shellpack, because usually the hardware that comes with these sets is not the best in the world.

I say get the shell pack, then buy a better grade of hardware.


Tim

Depends on your budget. If you have money to burn, I agree with Tim, get the shell pack and the Axis or DW or Pearl Eliminator or Iron CObra or Giant Step (anything you want basically) pedals and good boom and hi hat stands.

[Tim Brown]

Originally Posted by my2cents

they DO come with tom mounting hardware, correct? seems asinine to expect a customer to have no way to set up the damn things.

No, normally they do not - it's to all ow you to buy whatever hardware you wish. Gretsch has been pushing a Gibraltar rack for some time, so it allows you to put the money you world normally spend on stands - into a rack instead.


Tim

[my2cents]

Originally Posted by Tim Brown

There's normally no mopunting hardware included....which is no big deal, you just buy it separate.


Tim

well, i think that is a big deal. in order to get the hardware you want you have to order it from a catalog, or have a store special order it for you. (unless you want gibraltar, which is all most music stores in my area sell, for some reason). the gretsch shell pack says it comes with a double tom holder. that would lead most consumers to believe that shell packs, in general, come with the necessary items to set up their drums. so i buy the best shell pack i can afford, then when it arrives i find that i can't play the drums until i:
1) come up with the money for tom mounts (and shipping)
2) order the mounts
3) wait for delivery

every day i find a new reason to be proud of my "buy used" policy.

[Tim Brown]

Originally Posted by my2cents

well, i think that is a big deal. in order to get the hardware you want you have to order it from a catalog, or have a store special order it for you. (unless you want gibraltar, which is all most music stores in my area sell, for some reason). the gretsch shell pack says it comes with a double tom holder. that would lead most consumers to believe that shell packs, in general, come with the necessary items to set up their drums. so i buy the best shell pack i can afford, then when it arrives i find that i can't play the drums until i:
1) come up with the money for tom mounts (and shipping)
2) order the mounts
3) wait for delivery

every day i find a new reason to be proud of my "buy used" policy.

Well, actually I wouldn't buy the shell pack until I had the money to order the hardware I wanted at the same time.
Wow, It's amazing the they includetom mounting hardware. becauise normally you just get the individual shells. Hell, they used the come virgin without any tom mounts on them, so that you could use RIMS and the mounting hardware of your choice.



Tim

[tilinmyowngrave]

Originally Posted by my2cents

well, i think that is a big deal. in order to get the hardware you want you have to order it from a catalog, or have a store special order it for you. (unless you want gibraltar, which is all most music stores in my area sell, for some reason). the gretsch shell pack says it comes with a double tom holder. that would lead most consumers to believe that shell packs, in general, come with the necessary items to set up their drums. so i buy the best shell pack i can afford, then when it arrives i find that i can't play the drums until i:
1) come up with the money for tom mounts (and shipping)
2) order the mounts
3) wait for delivery

every day i find a new reason to be proud of my "buy used" policy.

I second that. For 6 months I was drooling over the SOnor Force 3005. Then I tried out my teacher's old (80's era) Tama Superstar. I boughtit, and now I love it. I got a second one so i cud have a double bass set with 6 toms

[thehymns]

GC has these sets for $200 less then Musicians Friend, and I can always talk them down 15% on the price. I wish they had a four piece Birch set for even less...but whatever we'll see were time takes me .