Gretsch has been around quite a while and have always offered excellent drums to the market. Their vintage gear is some of the greatest sounding stuff I've heard. The catalina's are some good sounding drums, even though they are starting to make them the third world way. But, a lot of stuff (in the drumming world) that is made in third world factories is getting better and better. So, to answer your question, I would go with the Gretsch's. Stick some nice heads on those and I think you'll be very happy. Especially if you're other choices are Export and Rockstar. However, if you're deciding between Sessions (pearl), Starclassics (tama), and Catalinas the choice won't be so easy, but in that group you'll most likely be happy with any choice you make. Seeya. Tell us what you decide on.
