The history of Gretsch drums dates back to the 1870s, when Friedrich Gretsch left Germany to start a new life in the United States and settled in Brooklyn. His first job was with the Albert Houdlett and Son company, making drums and banjos. At the age of 27, Friedrich opened his own store on South 4th Street, Brooklyn, in 1883, and was also involved in the production of drums, tambourines, and toy instruments for various wholesalers. Unfortunately, Friedrich died unexpectedly in 1895, so his 15-year-old son, Fred Gretsch Sr, took over the business, displaying incredible business sense despite his young age. Within 5 years he had moved the company to a larger facility and was actively promoting his business by spending time on the road selling his products to wholesalers (they were not sold under the Gretsch brand at the time).

By 1916, the business had outgrown its facilities again, and Fred moved the company to a 10-story building in Broadway, Brooklyn, which would remain the company’s headquarters until the early 1970s. Production continued for many years. years and Gresch continued to make products for other companies (such as Billy Gladstone). Fred Sr retired in 1942 and appointed his son Fred Gretsch Jr as company president, although he had to leave these roles to serve in the US Navy during World War II, resuming his position in 1948. During In these turbulent years, the Gretsch factory produced items for the war effort rather than musical instruments. However, once life returned to normal, Fred Jr. wanted to start making drums again, but this time he wanted to produce the best drums possible and spent many nights in New York music clubs, talking to working drummers and considering your opinions. One of his requests was for smaller, more portable drums. Gretsch developed the 20″ bass drum, eliminating the bass drum spurs and shell-mounted tom holders for this purpose. Some of the famous drummers of that era, such as Mel Lewis and Louis Bellson, began using these new drums. .in fact, it was Gretsch who put together an idea for Bellsons, the first drum kit with double bass drums!Another Gretsch innovation of that time was the adjustable internal damper tone control.

Another area where Gretsch challenged the traditional drum making of the time was their approach to making drum shells…instead of using shells that required reinforcing rings, Gretsch shells became 6-ply, with each ply it was attached in a different place, creating a much stronger shell that eliminated the need for internal support rings. This was the beginning of what became known as “that big Gretsch sound”. These drums were fitted with Die-Cast hoops, and in the 1950s they were the first drum company to exclusively use chrome instead of nickel. Gretsch drums were played by many of the biggest names in the jazz drum scene during this period, including Art Blakey, Max Roach and Shelly Manne, and were joined in the 1960s by such greats as Elvin Jones, Sonny Payne and Tony Williams.

Fred Gretsch Jr retired in 1967 and sold the company to the Balwin Music Group. They quickly closed the New York factory and moved it to Arkansas. As production of Gretsch drums continued, the ethos of the company seemed to have changed, important people such as Phil Grant left the company, and the company was not without its problems in both production and marketing (although the quality of the drums was never at a premium). doubt, they always remained excellent). Charlie Roy bought Gretsch in 1982 and became its president, and in 1985 the company was sold again, this time to Fred W Gretsch, the great-grandson of the original founder. Once again, the Gretsch brand was again in the hands of the Gretsch family. . This reinvigorated company moved to Savannah, and the drum line (and guitars) was wildly successful. Today’s American Gretsch drums are almost the same as the famous drums of the past… 6-ply maple shells, 30 degree edges, die-cast hoops, and the famous “silver sealer” paint on the inside of the shells. As in the early days, Gretsch drums are played by many of the greatest drummers, including Vinnie Colaiuta, Phil Collins, Taylor Hawkins, Stanton Moore and many others.

The Kaman music group signed a distribution agreement with Gretsch in 2000, giving the drum brand a higher profile worldwide, and today the Gretsch brand has 2 sides: American-made drums, such as US Custom Series are made in Ridgeland, South. Carolina, while the Asian Kamans factories produce the least expensive lines (catalina series, etc.). These great drums are conquering a new generation of drummers of all musical styles.