Gretsch chrome over brass snares

LittleLegs

Senior Member
Is there any difference between the Brooklyn chrome over brass shell and the USA G4000 shell. I can't find any information on this (though I appreciate that the hoops and snare wires are different). THANKS!
 
I think besides the hoops and the badge, they’re identical. I have the US model and right out of the box with that dot for underside the ambassador coated batter head, the drum sounds amazing. You should get the same thing from the Brooklyn, but I prefer die cast hoops myself.
 
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I recently got a used G4160. Sounds great. As far as I can tell the only difference with the Brooklyn is the hoops (302) and the badge (and label). Looks to be the same shell.
 
I found the info somewhere when I was contemplating the same thing and the Brooklyn is a 2 mm shell and the USA custom is a 3mm shell. Throw offs can also vary depending on model.

Now, if I could only find the link where I found the comparison...
 
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Yeah. And hoops are no small difference. Just a matter of taste, though.
 
I found the info somewhere when I was contemplating the same thing and the Brooklyn is a 2 mm shell and the USA custom is a 3mm shell. Throw offs can also vary depending on model.

Now, if I could only find the link where I found the comparison...

I feel like a 2 mm shell is a lot more versatile. 3 mm brass shells can get really loud.
 
I feel like a 2 mm shell is a lot more versatile. 3 mm brass shells can get really loud.

Exactly why I decided not to go that route. My Sledgehammer is already ear splitting loud at half that thickness. Got to have one loud one in the arsenal though. :) Went with the Bronze snare instead at 1mm and it's noticeably gentler on my ears during practice. It helps that it has a woodier tone too.
 
The fasteners on my G4168HB's throw-off are steel, not pot metal.
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If you tighten those fasteners the tiniest bit too tight, they'll strip the threads on the plate that they screw into, or they'll just snap in half.
 
the USA custom is a 3mm shell.
I don't think so. I would say it's 1mm or possibly 1.5mm at the most (before plating). The solid steel is 3mm, but that is a cast shell. Not sure you could easily form a shell with 3mm brass.

I found this info in a 2012 catalog: BROOKLYN SHELL Rolled 1.1mm brass with center knurl pattern
 
Good to know, because I found the Brooklyn COB spec on sweetwater at 2mm, but can't find the same info on the USA Custom. That said, I wonder if the sweetwater info is incorrect.
 
Exactly why I decided not to go that route. My Sledgehammer is already ear splitting loud at half that thickness. Got to have one loud one in the arsenal though. :) Went with the Bronze snare instead at 1mm and it's noticeably gentler on my ears during practice. It helps that it has a woodier tone too.

For me, the only metal snare I use that’s thicker than 1mm is my Crush copper C4 piccolo. It’s 3mm and only 4 inches deep, and it’s copper (darkest of the metals in terms of sound), and I’ve got thin calf heads and cable snares on it. Even with all that, it can get a bit loud.
 
Thanks for the replies and glad I'm not the only person who can't get a definitive answer on this. Never mind, I'm sure they are both fine drums and as noted, the hoops and different snare wires probably make the biggest difference between the two.
 
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Thanks for the replies and glad I'm not the only person who can't get a definitive answer on this. Never mind, I'm sure they are both fine drums and as noted, the hoops and different snare wires probably make the biggest difference between the two.

I hadn’t seen this in my searches previously, but on DFO there was a comparison where someone claims they saw both side by side and hoops were the only difference. In that thread they preferred the Brooklyn’s openness. The specs or lack there of do get pretty confusing. Maybe that’s why Gretsch doesn’t say a whole lot about them spec wise.

The DCP and other well done demos sound great. The hammered shell like Grunt has seems to be a great option too. If I didn’t have my Sledgehammer I would probably be looking at the hammered one again. Good luck whichever way you go.
 
I emailed Gretsch and here’s their reply:

‘The only difference between the USA and Brooklyn Chrome over Brass snares is the badge & hoops. The Brooklyn snares have the classic 302 hoops and USA snares have die cast hoops. The Die Cast add more controllability to the overall character to the drum. The shells are the same, rolled brass with chrome plating.’

(I think the Brooklyn also has 20 strand wires while the USA has 42)
 
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