Purchasing drum kit need advice

I am thinking about buying the gretsch catalina birch drum kit.

Does anyone know if I should/should not buy this kit? If so, can you reccommend a better kit around $1,000 price range. Thanks.

Before you buy anything, do a quick search on eBay. There are always great kits being sold for a fraction of their value.

I am actually looking into purchasing a new drum kit. Thanks, for the reply.

For $1,000, are you hoping to get cymbals too?

I don't know about the Catalina Birch in particular, but for $1000 or less you can get a great intermediate kit from just about any company you want. Pacific are especially well priced, and damn nice too, as are the new Sonors.

Happy shopping!

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Those are nice drums. In the same price range is the Mapex Pro M all maple drums with hardware. Gregg B. was playing these at his last clinic, and they sounded really good.

Danny

Danny, I was looking for the Mapex but guitar center doesn't carry them. Do you know where else I can look?

Btw, $1000 is solely for the kit.

You can find Mapex at West LA Music. West Coast Drums in Costa Mesa also has a good selection.

Online, you can find them at Musician's Friend, Mass Music, and others. Right now at Mass Music, you can get the "Studio" setup and a free 8" tom for $1200. So, you would have 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 22, snare and hardware. Geez, that's a LOT of gear!

Danny

I have a set of the Catalina Birch, and I love them. Really nice sounding drums (not too crazy about the snare, but I use a different snare with the kit so it's all good). The bass drum KICKS (no pun intended...). Really good low-end punch, especially with an Aquarian Superkick II or Evans EMAD head on it. Very nice set for the money, I'd recommend them highly. If you can, I'd also check out those Mapex drums that ladanny referred to. Dude really knows his stuff, so I'm sure they're killer drums.

For just a little more you can get a Pearl Birch Session kit, a far superior product to the Gretsch (read: kaman) Catalina kit in every way. JMHO.

What about the Yamaha Oak Custom? I think they would fit into your price range.

henry, you beat me to it. if i was to get a mid-range kit, i'd get pearl sessions as well. my church has an old one called the psx (discontinued) but i'd swear they sound better than some of the higher end kits we've used, like the master customs. of course there might be other factors but ya gets the picture. i like their hardware and durability. here's an example:

http://www.midwestpercussion.com/dru.../prestige.html

this offer has free throne, a matching snare and free ground shipping anywhere in the cont. us!

good luck!

<font color="#a62a2a"><font size="1">[ August 18, 2005 11:19 AM: Message edited by: Da Chooch ]</font></font>

<font color="#a62a2a"><font size="1">[ August 18, 2005 11:22 AM: Message edited by: Da Chooch ]</font></font>

<font color="#a62a2a"><font size="1">[ August 18, 2005 11:23 AM: Message edited by: Da Chooch ]</font></font>

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ August 18, 2005 11:40 AM: Message edited by: Da Chooch ]</font>

I have a Gretsch Renown Maple that I play on regularly. I've also played the Birch kits and love them. I prefer Birch over Maple but got a smokin deal on a limited kit so I grabbed it. I'd go with the Gretsch. there's nothing better than sitting behind a kick drum that says Gretsch on it. So it's isn't some vintage fandango 7K kit. Who cares.. It's a pride thing. Plus, everywhere I bring it I get the " ... oooo Gretsch drums..." especially sound guys!! It feels awesome. You don't get that from Pearl. I'm biased but I do also own a Prestige session kit from the first year they came out..(Birch/Mahogany) and they are killer but I'd rather sit behind the Gretsch.

for the money, the Pacific kits are the best deal out there on a hand-made maple kit. great finishes too.
Next in line would be the Mapex like Danny mentioned and also the TourPro(basswwod/maple) and StudioPro(maple) from Taye. Not crazy about the Taye hardware, but great sounding/looking drums for the money.