Gretsch Catalina Maple Review

Gretsch Catalina Maple Review

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The new Gretsch Catalina Maple offers classy looks and sounds. The Maple shells produce warm and musical tones with a fast playing response. This drum set is ideal for you if you want to own that great Gretsch sound at a spectacular price!

Gretsch Catalina Maple Drum Set

Key Features

  • 7-Piece drum set shell pack
  • 6-Ply Maple shells
  • 30-degree bearing edges
  • Deep Cherry Burst finish
  • GTS tom suspension system
  • Warm and vintage sounds

Scores

Sounds
4.7
Build Quality
4.8
Finishes
4.5
Playability
4.8
Value
4.8
Overall
4.65

93/100

One might argue that the previous line of Gretsch Catalina Maple drums looked a little tired of late. But fear not, because Gretsch has re-designed this popular drum set with modern hardware and features to bring a new lease of life to this model!

The new Gretsch Catalina Maple drum set is adorned with new and improved hardware to provide these drums with a contemporary look, as well as improving the performance and functionality.

Up for review I have a Gretsch Catalina Maple 7-Piece Drum Set in a Deep Cherry Burst finish that is simply stunning. This truly is a gorgeous drum set sonically and visually.

In this Gretsch Catalina Maple review I’m going to be taking an in-depth look at the sounds, build quality, finish, playability and value to determine what makes this drum set one of the best in its class.

Gretsch Catalina Maple Drum Set Ratings

Sounds

4.7
4.7/5

Build Quality

4.8
4.8/5

Finishes

4.5
4.5/5

Playability

4.8
4.8/5

Value

4.8
4.8/5

Sounds

The Gretsch Catalina Maple drum set produces very musical sounds. These drums are very full sounding, highly responsive and warm. The best way to describe the sound is professional.

The Gretsch Catalina drums are intermediate level drums, but these maple shells produce sounds that far exceed their price point.

Playing the kit reveals incredibly warm and punchy sounds, which can be credited to the premium maple shells with rounded 30-degree bearing edges.

Each of the drums has a relatively low pitch, but there is enough initial attack and pop from each drum to make its presence known. All together the drums complement each other perfectly.

Even with the factory-installed drum heads, the Gretsch Catalina Maple 7-Piece drum set produces an amazing array of sounds. The three rack toms are bright and punchy with clear tones, whilst the two floor toms produce remarkably thunderous lows. I like that whilst the drums offer great projection; there are minimal excessive unwanted overtones.

The 22-inch kick drum is powerful and solid. It delivers a mighty attack with a lot of punch behind it. The snare drum is equally impressive, offering a huge impact. It has a pretty balanced response with plenty of low-end depth and top-end bite.

This drum set has a wide tuning range and excels both tuned up high and low. These drums are versatile enough to perform brilliantly for any live or studio application, for a wide range of musical styles.

Build Quality

The Gretsch Catalina Maple drum set is constructed from 7-ply maple shells with 30-degree bearing edges. The drum shells themselves are superb quality and the bearing edges are cut smoothly and precisely.

The hardware adorned onto the Gretsch Catalina Maple drums is robust and high quality. The 2.3mm triple flanged hoops and lugs are stylish and functional. The low profile GTS tom suspension system is also a nice feature.

Overall I have no complaints regarding the build quality of these drums. The quality of the craftsmanship is outstanding and everything performs as well as expected.

Another thing to note is the old-school looking Gretsch badge looks fantastic on these drums.

Finishes

The finish of the drum set in this Gretsch Catalina Maple review is a stunning Deep Cherry Burst lacquer finish that really jumps off the shell. I think it’s a classy and stylish finish that works great with the chrome hardware.

The Gretsch Catalina Maple series has a range of attractive lacquer finishes that are all expertly applied. These drums look phenomenal when set up and look even better under stage lights in a concert venue.

Playability

These drums are seriously fun to play. There is something very special about playing on a 7-piece drum set. There’s a huge range of different tones and sounds at your disposal. This Gretsch Catalina Maple drum set is very inspiring to play!

As mentioned earlier, these drums tune up really easily and they sound very musical. There’s a really smooth tone from each drum with a distinctive warm character.

The 30-degree bearing edges maximize the surface area between the hoop and shell, optimizing the transfer of vibration. This helps to provide the drums with a fast response, warm tone and also a great initial attack.

These drums simply sound fantastic. The overall tones and musicality of from the toms, kick and snare is sensational. You can count on the Gretsch Catalina Maple drum set to deliver amazing tones no matter what style of music you wish to play!

Value

Coming in at a mid-level price point, the Gretsch Catalina Maple 7-piece drum set shell pack is definitely competitively priced. You get a lot of drums for your money and these drums offer premium sounds and looks at an affordable price.

This drum set is ideal for intermediate level drummers looking for an upgrade from a beginner drum set. Or perhaps for experienced drummers looking for a reliable touring kit that will deliver great sounds for each show.

Verdict

To summarize the Gretsch Catalina Maple review: these drums are sensational for the money. The quality of the craftsmanship is excellent and I’m seriously blown away by how musical these drums sound.

The 7-piece drum set configuration provides endless sound possibilities and freedom for lots of different setups.

Gretsch really has done a fantastic job with the Catalina Maple Series. The maple drum shells produce an inherently musical tone that is warm, explosive and full of character.

These drums burst to life with a wonderful sound that works perfectly for any style of music; as well as for recording and performing live on stage.

The Gretsch Catalina Maple drum set shell pack is a great choice for your next drum set.

What Comes In The Gretsch Catalina Maple Drum Set Box?

The Gretsch Catalina Maple is a sensational drum set for the money. It’s a shell pack only, however. This means that you must buy cymbals and hardware separately. Included with the bundle you receive all of the following components:

  • 22x18 Kick drum
  • 14x6 Snare drum
  • 8x7 Rack tom
  • 10x7 Rack tom
  • 12x8 Rack tom
  • 14x14 Floor tom
  • 16x16 Floor tom
  • Tom mounts

Gretsch Catalina Maple Drum Set At A Glance

Pros

  • Lively Maple shells
  • Professional sounds and looks
  • Affordable price tag
  • Beautiful selection of finishes

Cons

  • No option for undrilled bass drum
  • Drums would benefit from upgraded drum heads
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