Gretsch Catalina Maple or Pearl Export?

mann Gretsch all the way!
I currently have a Gretsch Catalina Birch and its amzing for what it is.
no joke.
Im currently looking into Truth Custom Drums
but Gretsch is better than Pearl any day.
Congratulations on your purchase though!
Wouldn't have been my decsion but hey, taste differs right?
 
Damn, sounds like I should have stuck to my guns. I liked the Gretschs but I would have thought the pricier Pearls would have been better quality than the lesser Gretsch's but from what I hear the Gretsches are pretty great. Guess the Pearls will have to do until its time to upgrade!! :(
 
Don't sweat it. There's no reason why you shouldn't get a perfectly fine sound from your exports. I know a drummer who gigs professionally and he's recorded albums with his exports and they sound great on record. And, considering the acoustic qualities of most venues, no one's gonna notice the difference in an export kit and a "higher end" kit. Keep in mind that a less expensive kit today is of a vastly higher quality compared to similar kits 10 years ago. 90 percent of the kit's sound is in the heads and tuning and when recording, in the micing. Here's what I would do: Take really good care of your exports and save up some cash. When your ready, sell them and take that money with your savings and get a higher end kit. In the meantime, use your cash to get some good cymbals, if you don't have some already. Keep in mind that you're gonna probably buy a few different kits before you shuffle off your mortal coil. Such is the curse of drum envy!

---LG





Damn, sounds like I should have stuck to my guns. I liked the Gretschs but I would have thought the pricier Pearls would have been better quality than the lesser Gretsch's but from what I hear the Gretsches are pretty great. Guess the Pearls will have to do until its time to upgrade!! :(
 
IMHO Gretsch by far. A Catalina maple sounds incredable for a mid range drum set. Exports are 100% poplar shells, giving you a really high, poppy sounding drums. Maple on the other hand gives low with rich tone.
 
like every other post thats on this thread, go the gretsch. if i had enough money i would buy one myself
 
Getsch Catalina.

Gretsch makes probably the brightest and throatiest drums on the market, which is what I gravitate towards. I play a Yamaha kit, but Gretsch is a close second. That Gretsch kit will give back to you way more than that Export ever could, in my mind.
 
Catalina all the way. Exports are really good, but whether its sound quality, or price, I believe Gretsch Catalina beats the export.
 
Not to beat a dead horse here, but I would also recommend the gretsch-- I bought a set a few months ago and have been very pleased with the sound so far.
 
I am seriously thinking of getting a Gretsch catalilna Maple also, they have that exact kit 6 piece in tobacco fade for $700 here also. Wish they had more color choices.

I take it they don't have the silver sealer or 30 degree edges of the renown's though. They look and sound nice but it kills me to pay $700 for them when a few months ago I could have had Fourstrings renowns for nearly the same price...arrrrggghhhh,

Anyway I am sure that the Catalina Maples are a good upgrade over the Sonor 3003 Maple/Basswood? And a better deal over the Exports, although I must admit that about 50% of the local bands I see here use Exports and they sound very good.
 
Wow, I've never seen such a unanimous vote on one of these either/or posts! That said, I have an export, and am constantly wishing I had something else. It's not a bad kit, but it's just so tame and unremarkable. Nothing to set it apart. Not to mention the wood type. I do get an OK sound out of mine, and I should be fine with them, but the grass is ALWAYS greener.
 
I am seriously thinking of getting a Gretsch catalilna Maple also, they have that exact kit 6 piece in tobacco fade for $700 here also. Wish they had more color choices.

I take it they don't have the silver sealer or 30 degree edges of the renown's though. They look and sound nice but it kills me to pay $700 for them when a few months ago I could have had Fourstrings renowns for nearly the same price...arrrrggghhhh,

Anyway I am sure that the Catalina Maples are a good upgrade over the Sonor 3003 Maple/Basswood? And a better deal over the Exports, although I must admit that about 50% of the local bands I see here use Exports and they sound very good.

The catalinas would be an upgrade. They are great drums, but don't have the sig gretsch 30 degrees or sealer. IF you want the sealer a guy at drumshed or ghostnote has the recipe, and getting the edges cut to 30s wouldn't cost that much at all....but then again I have the catalina maple in amber and love them. they have double 45s and rock. They are great for Jazz tuned up or rock tuned low. here is my set http://drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32924
 
The catalinas would be an upgrade. They are great drums, but don't have the sig gretsch 30 degrees or sealer. IF you want the sealer a guy at drumshed or ghostnote has the recipe, and getting the edges cut to 30s wouldn't cost that much at all....but then again I have the catalina maple in amber and love them. they have double 45s and rock. They are great for Jazz tuned up or rock tuned low. here is my set http://drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32924

Very nice, is that them playing on the audio file for your saluda's? They sound great and very good playing too.
 
I really don't see why you guys dislike the export so much... I mean I have a 7 piece export and get a great sound out of it but I just had to tune it with the right heads to my ear. It also can get a nice low sound just because it is poplar doesn't mean it's high and poppy sounding, but I really don't think you can go wrong with a set in that price range because I have heard Gretch's Mapex's Pearl's Tama's PDP's all kinds of sets and they all sound nice if you take the time to tune them to your liking.
 
I really don't see why you guys dislike the export so much... I mean I have a 7 piece export and get a great sound out of it but I just had to tune it with the right heads to my ear. It also can get a nice low sound just because it is poplar doesn't mean it's high and poppy sounding, but I really don't think you can go wrong with a set in that price range because I have heard Gretch's Mapex's Pearl's Tama's PDP's all kinds of sets and they all sound nice if you take the time to tune them to your liking.

Yeah...but sure Pearl exxies are nice, but comparing poplar to maple is like particalboard to bubinga...
 
... Now with Pearl coming out there and announcing their Reference series with the sophisticated science between their shell construction when just old style 3-ply mahogany drums sounded the best, proves they don't know what they are talking about over there. Pearl's durability is also something to be desired...
I wouldn't dismiss the Reference series at all. You may not like to sound. So be it. Every Refrence kit I've seen has been flawless. Well constructed. Definitely worthy of competing in that class/price range of drums. And the Masterworks: http://www.pearldrum.com/mworder.asp What drum company lets you choose blends of woods to make up your interior, middle and exterior plys? No, as far as the higher end drums go, Pearl has it together. Saw Will Calhoun slammin' a Pearl kit with Living Color (1988-Vivid-Cult of Personality). Saw Steve Adler slammin' a Pearl kit when G'N'R hit the scene. 1987. Saw Jeff Porcaro 3 times with Toto, always driving a Pearl kit.
 
I wouldn't dismiss the Reference series at all. You may not like to sound. So be it. Every Refrence kit I've seen has been flawless. Well constructed. Definitely worthy of competing in that class/price range of drums. And the Masterworks: http://www.pearldrum.com/mworder.asp What drum company lets you choose blends of woods to make up your interior, middle and exterior plys? No, as far as the higher end drums go, Pearl has it together. Saw Will Calhoun slammin' a Pearl kit with Living Color (1988-Vivid-Cult of Personality). Saw Steve Adler slammin' a Pearl kit when G'N'R hit the scene. 1987. Saw Jeff Porcaro 3 times with Toto, always driving a Pearl kit.

Here is a reference kit played by Dave DiCenso. Both sound pretty good..huh ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxD2PxN10zc
 
Yeah...but sure Pearl exxies are nice, but comparing poplar to maple is like particalboard to bubinga...
Well thats kind of why I'm wondering y a gretsch maple set is like 1/4 the price of a pearl masters... you know what I mean and you also get more pieces out of the gretsch and the masters is only a shell pack but all in all u cant compare poplar to maple because poplar is a substitute for maple thats like way off the charts but it really gets me how pearl gets away with 2k for masters and gretsch only goes for like 700 u know if anyone can tell me plz tell me because it is totally throwing me off
 
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