Hi everyone, I bought the Brooklyns from DCP two years ago, and I am still in love. Recently, on a trip to Maine I took the detour off I95 and visited DCP on a hot Friday afternoon. Let me tell you everyone, I was treated like royalty even though I’m just a cover band drummer and not some rockstar. You could tell everyone in the shop takes great pride and what goes on there and what they do. They made sure I went upstairs to see the vintage drum museum and was blown away by seeing drum sets that I remember from my youth. If you ever get a chance to go to the actual DCP shop I highly recommend it. I didn’t need a single piece of drum paraphernalia, but still walked out of there with about $100 of T-shirts and sticks. God bless this place, a drum shop staffed by drummers who love what they do.

i purchased my one and only Gretsch set in 1956 when I was 19 years old. Now that i'm 83 I don't gig any more, but still enjoy sitting down behind my set and just having a great time of enjoyment and satisfaction. It's what makes my day.

Came for the drums, stayed for the playing. Tom is a great player.

Greetings from the U.K. I’m sure I speak for many of us British drummers when I say these comparison videos you’re putting out are really valuable. The U.K. is a relatively small country, and with limited opportunities to go and hear these kits, it provides a great opportunity to help shortlist the kits I want to test to avoid some wasted journeys. I know there will always be some that will complain that it’s not a perfectly controlled laboratory experiment, but it really does help hear the nuances between the different models. Keep up the excellent work. The fans of these videos far exceed the trolls.

I was photographing a wedding last night, which had a live band. I noticed the Gretsch kit they set up, and when they started playing - it was without question, "that great Gretsch sound". I didn't get a chance to talk to the drummer, but I did spend a few moment just staring at that simple little kit he set up, and soaked in that Gretsch sound. It was unmistakable. So warmly rich with a punchy projection. After last night, I had to hear it on the YT's, and found this comparison video. ...most excellent. Getting the itch to pull the trigger a new Gretsch set... :)

Perfect drummer to test kits. Beautiful player with excellent ability to pull the sound out of the instrument. Pleasure to watch play any kit. For my ears, if that matters ha! USA Custom with a Brooklyn kick!

Legend has it he is still waiting on that Gretsch kit till this day...

Man, without Drum Center of Portsmouth, I would have never been able to fully assess my prejudices and hear EVERYTHING before making a 10K purchase. You guys are life savers.

"I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord"

Can we have some love for those gorgeous Paistes? That crash ride is perfect.

thank you so much guys!

They all sound so amazing but I really loved the Brooklyn kit.

Love the vintage warmth of the Brooklyns. Reminds me of my Slingerlands with a 20” bass drum.

THANK YOU GUYS!!!!

Great video! Love that Great Gretsch Sound from all the lines. Looking forward to the next videos.....

Been waiting on this video ever since you’ve been doing these type of comparisons! This is why you guys are the best in the business! Thank you for giving us drummers a chance to hear this in once video without going through different clips!

That snare on u.s.a custom is unbelievable... wow just amazing sound

I got a Marquee a few years back for a steal.. absolute killer kit. Plays jazz, rock, metal, funk, and everything else perfectly.

The drumming community is very thankful!

THIS IS THE SHOOTOUT IVE WAITED MANY MOONS FOR!!!! THANK YOU!!!!

Once again, you guys knocked it out of the park! Can’t wait for parts 2, 3, and 4.

Best videos in the business because you educate about the kits as much as you allow us to hear them.

Thank YOU, DrumCenter! This is THE video I’ve been waiting for. Also, kudos for these comparison videos. It makes things a lot easier for drummers like myself who are in the market for a new kit, but do not have a local store that carries said companies’ products. Very thankful and excited for part 2-4! My favorite drum channel on KZfaq. Very informative, personable and honest. Couldn’t ask for better!

Thank you for doing these drum kit shootouts! I am sure they are very time consuming but they are very helpful. You guys are the best!

My first and best jazz instructor in 1966 had a Gretsch kit (not sure of the model but it was emerald green sparkle with a 4"x14" "piccolo" snare drum with 42 snare wires). He showed me how to play musically at low volumes and his brush skills were amazing. I'm 74 years old and I play Gretsch. Wonderful video!

Sounds awesome the cymbals are great.

You guys do great comparisons, thanks for these videos.

USA Custom shell layup is in fact 1 PLY OF MAPLE, 4 PLIES OF GUM, 1 PLY OF MAPLE (M/G/G/G/G/M) Brooklyn Shell layup is in fact 1 PLY OF MAPLE, 1 PLY OF POPLAR, 1 PLY OF MAPLE, 2 PLIES OF POPLAR, 1 PLY OF MAPLE (M/P/M/P/P/M) We apologize for not double checking this.

Excellent comparison guys! Real nice touch as well! As far as making a choice, I feel they all fit into that Great Gretsch Sound while having their own slightly unique character within that realm. The thing I first noticed about Gretsch drums as a previous Renown owner and recent Brooklyn owner is that the near-field sound that comes back at you is SO satisfying. They also truly feel great to play. I remember an early Brooklyn demo video by Mark Schulman in the studio, and he can’t stop with the toms because they’re so fun to play. And for 2 more cents, any studio tracking I have done has seriously been dialed in faster with any Gretsch kit I’ve owned or was provided by the studio than any other brand kit I previously owned. Now, to find the $ for some big sizes of Broadkasters! Also worth checking out, strangely not on KZfaq anymore, is this excellent comparison by Matt Chamberlain with a new Broadkaster kit and a 1948 Broadkaster kit. Thanks again Drum Center, you guys are the best. facebook.com/DrumTalkTV/videos/1774826019262721?sfns=mo

You're a great drummer, love listening to you play.

Amazing Job! Congrats!

Very helpful for those planning to go Gretsch. I have a USA Custom bop kit with the 18" bass. I have to say the sounds I hear back from the drums inspire me to play. All three lines are great, but if you can initially afford to bypass the expensive upgrade ladder and go right to the top, go USA.

great video.. they all sound amazing. really great drumming.

All of these kits are amazing 😉 Great job fellas 🥁🏆

That Bass Drum...it sounds beastial with just room mics as it does fully mic'd. I have an '87 and it seems to sound better every year.

The most, Broadkaster - buttery sound that can’t be duplicated. Switched to Gretsch years ago for personal use and recording.

Another great video.... good job guys

Another awesome video! Thanks so much guys! For my ears I'd have to go with a set of the USA Customs

Great video, thanks a lot! I personally prefer the sound of the Brooklyn kit.

The Brooklyns...beautiful 👍🏿

Great compare/contrast. That Broadkaster bass drum won the day.

Brooklyn sounds best!!

I have had a Broadkaster for the last 2 years and I can confirm that the bass drums are wonderful. So much bottom end and air movement. I previously had a Yamaha Maple custom from the 90s (A totally different kit I know) and recently I have been taking out the Broadkaster Kick with a 10 and 16 from the maple custom. It's been great!

Hi from Switzerland... I own two Gretsch kits (Renown and Brooklyn). In this video I loved the Broadcaster sound... this are amazing. Thank you so much for having done this series of videos... great job... Cheers !!!

Love your shoot out videos. Very well done!

Thanks much for your expertise and time. I love all of these drums for different reasons. However, my ears and years as a player and recording drummer have led me toward the Yamaha's and the Gretsch drums as favorites. Specifically , the Recording Custom Yamaha's and pretty much any Yamaha kit for the depth and richness/clarity of every stroke played. They win many blindfold tests and always have a breadth to their sound no matter which drum is being played. The Gretsch drums are , of course, spectacular musical sounding drums as stated...and have always been bringing the music out in the player on existential levels of playing. I liked the USA Custom and the Broadcaster best but there is hardly a difference in the long run with the overall choices of greatness here. Additionally , I was knocked out by the Tama Star Walnut for it's even and overall sounds and richness of tones evenly distributed around the kit. The Tama's have such a beautifully designed head and rim tension that it is easy to perform immaculate double stroke concepts on any drum whereas other drums lean toward the performance of single strokes because of their lessor head tensions....Gretsch also provides that similar double stroke capability allowing further percussive expressions to be born from simply making contact with the drum/drum head. The best bass drum tones came from the Yamaha's and the Star Walnut while the Gretsch simply is that amazing Gretsch sound undeniable on any level of recording and performance. All in all, these three drum companies have outdone themselves with the quality of sounds, textures , tones and resonances from each drum. I would love to have them all for the studio I am managing and recording in...the former Glen Campbell home studio in Agoura Hills CA. This room was designed to achieve incredible drum sounds and we are thrilled to be able to accomplish this feat there. Having additionally brilliant sounding drums can only make the art of recording that much better. Look us up sometime!! Thanks again for all your dedicated work on drum sounds.

Great video, guys. Agree on the studio magic those kits have. They often sound pre-mixed already, but can easily mixed more dark and fat if needed. Lars Ulrich used a Gretsch on the iconic „Black Album“, Taylor Hawkins plays one for the Foo Fighters. Gretsch are often connected to Jazz, but they are so much more versatile. Personally, I like the Brooklyn as it combines that Gretsch sound with a more modern flavor. Can’t wait to see the next parts.

Love my Yellow USA Custom (Tony Williams Tribute Kit) and Istanbul (Tony Williams Tribute Cymbals) now if I could only play half as good as him I would really be BLESSED! GOD HAS ALL OF THE BEST DRUMMERS!!! RIP!!!

Best video ever!

Wow this is a great video. Thank you for making it!

Love my Brooklyn kit. 22,13,16 with a 6x14 cob snare.

dammm all of these kits sound great

Love the Brooklyn!

When I was a kid (decades ago) my parents got me a Slingerland set for Christmas one year. It was nice, and I sometimes (at school) played Ludwig, but I (and others) always aspired to have Gretsch.. it was (at the time) the best of the best! This was in the early days of Pearl and long before Yamaha and TAMA were made. @ 79, I still love my Gretsch Custom kit.

"It sounds like the sound is coming out of the side of the drums." Perfect description! Totally agree. Lenny White recorded on Gretsch drums. Tony Williams recorded on Gretsch drums. Jeff Porcaro recorded on Gretsch drums (while endorsing Pearl). Nuff said.

Wow..great job on the vid, fellas. I'd prob go USA toms/snare and Brooklyn kick but they all sound amazing.

I bought a used Broadkaster 3-piece kit (c. 2000) from Trey Gray back in 2005 (on consignment). It was the kick drum tone that first made me know I had to have them. Still playing them every week and loving them!

I’ll always be fond of Gretsch. Played USA Customs this whole time (I’m 49). While my set was not available I once rented a set of Yamaha Stage Customs. .....My mind was blown away !! Game changer! ...now I’m all screwed up. Dare I say more? These videos are fun to watch tho. Thanks

Super cool, Gents! I know where I will be buying my next kit.

They all sound great. I have a USA Custom kit in my studio. I have pinstripe heads on the toms an ambassador on the snare and a black dot on the kick. 20x14 , 10x8 12x10 and 14x14. The record really nice. I'm using either a 10 ply maple snare 5x14 or a 5x14 COB snare. Just a little bit of damping on the toms and a felt strip on both kick heads with a small hole for the mic.

Thank you again for another first-class video series! You guys are hands-down the best drum shop I've ever come across in ANY state, and I've known some good ones over the years. Surprisingly, I'm giving the award to the Brooklyn's today. Retrofit those toms with die cast hoops to boost the attack a bit and you're sitting on the fattest Gretsch sound in the galaxy! Cheers!

I do enjoy watching and listening to Tom's drumming on all the videos. The man has a wonderful feel and timing to his work. Well played Tom.

The U.S.A. Custom sounds the best. Could listen to Tom all day . Thanks Tom 👍

BROOKLYNS....best sound and best value for money...

great job micing your kit

Onde again, you guys nailed it! But I keep on loving the Brooklyns! Man, these drums sound soooo good! But I have to consider the price point for each kit, and know what? Brooklyns forever, given the price tag for a USA Custom, when we compare the two kits the advantages for the USA Custom are minimal. Yet, the differences in low end or whatever, in a recording enviroment, are very easy to work around even during the tracking process. Hail to the Brooklyns!

I got my Brooklyn's in about a month ago and it's been by far the best kit I've ever owned. Warm - rich - round - HUGE sounds - world class hardware and it tuned up so easyyy. Amazing kit.

dear Drum Center of Portsmouth, I just love you guys!!

I will always be a Ludwig man, but there is something special about Gretsch. And once again, you guys knocked it out of the park. 👊

Fantastic video with proper description and playing. Other videos have subjective adjectives and rock drummers which are vague and less musical. You guys are the best. These three kits are very distinctive and I understand them much better now. I won't say which one is best because that is like saying that a particular flavor of ice cream is the best. You have to choose which one you want in the size you want. I know which is best for me! Thank you.

Another Great Content! Thank You For This Amazing & Helpful Videos. U Guys Are Awesome, Keep It Up!

Man these paistes sound great. Also i was surprised to like the usa custom over the other two.

awesome!

Amazing video guys! Thanks! I can confirm Shane's statements about the ubiquity of Gretsch in recording studios. I worked for a very famous Hollywood drum rental/cartage business for a period. We would deliver drums for recording sessions to all the famous and exclusive studios in Los Angeles. I would say 95% of the kits that were used were USA Customs from the '80s. The other 5% were a smattering of DW Collectors and vintage Ludwigs or Rogers. As I recall, snares were chiefly the Tama Bell Brass and Ludwig Black Beauties.

I own both USA and Brooklyns. I have large shell banks of each. I purchased the Brooklyns from Shane, who by the way is awesome. Seriously a great person to deal with and an excellent player as you can see. I highly recommend him and his store. OK back to the drums, I do a lot of studio work and each kit sings differently. The USAs are exactly what they are, amazing and that perfectly controlled Gretsch sound every time. The Brooklyns are like the most fun and funky kit I have ever played. They track outta sight and actually to me, they play and respond quicker than the USAs. Wide open they sound angry and growl, yet they they can be tamed to sound so very close to the USAs. They are incredibly versatile and pretty damn sexy to look at as well! Vinnie played my Brooklyns in my studio and couldn't believe how great they sounded. He was blown away... so I would take that as a pretty good indication. Each kit has it's thing, like a Strat and a Les Paul. I needed both and can't live without either, well that and a few vintage Rogers kits :-)

Everything on this video is perfect ! Great review, thanks :)

Brooklyns sound really good imo.

20” Brooklyns...my cup of tea out of all the demonstrations...love 20”.

Great video...I’ve always preferred Gretsch and Ludwig over DW. These videos just confirm that even more. All three are great...but still a Brooklyn fan.

Thx!!! I owner USA custom set and wish to buy broadkaster set. Really love it! Thx DCP, Shane and Tom!

This is awesome and I am glad to see you do this Shane. I have a big set of Gretsch USA Customs (10,12,13,16 toms and a 24" kick) for about 5 years and I love love love them. I am thinking about getting a smaller kit for my bands smaller gigs and these Broadkasters are amazing ! I live about 50 miles from the Ridgeland factory and it was indeed a treat to go there and tour the place. Paul Cooper is a great guy and a killer drummer himself ! I can't wait to see the rest of the series ! Thanks for sharing.

Thanks guys for another great demonstration. I've always revered the name Gretsch in drums but just don't think they are for me. However, I've never played them. I liked the Broadcaster best. Thank you for your great content.

all of them sound great, but broadkaster sounds amazing 2 me!!

Sounds like you guys used a lot of the room mics for the final mix... not a bad thing! If you have a good room as you all do, it's nice to see it used!!

Great comparison and I look forward to the other videos coming up. I am still VERY happy with the Gretsch Renown kit that I purchased from you guys a few years back. They are just great drums!

Great playing Tom (and good name too!) Great feel to your playing. Love that USA Custom snare. Truth of the matter is that all the major USA drum manufacturers are making some excellent drums now..being a drum junkie I'd love to have a kit from each manufacturer but being retired and on a 'limited' income kind of puts the reality on that. Oh well one can dream. Great video.

In the end, the Broadcaster and Brooklyn drums are nuanced, great drums indeed, but the USA custom has been the standard (and still arguably the best sounding drum) since the late 50s. Perfect blend of punch and warmth, semi dry = quick decay and amazingly focused mid-range, and that's the key...the well defined mid-range! Did I mention the mid-range? The edges allowed these drums to be pitched high and not choke like 45 degree edges. Perfect for bebop tuning. They also sound great when tuned in the medium range, which is why they have been recorded on so many pop records. Warning: When these drums are tuned low, they do NOT sound as good.

6:12 Oh, that snare is nice!

Thanks for making such a high quality comparison. The attention to detail you guys provide is obviously noted and appreciated...thank you! It really does help us understand the subtle differences in these great drums. The USA Customs record so nicely...they sound perfect! I had a moment today with my USA Customs while rehearsing with a group where I reached the same conclusion Shane pointed out...they really sit nicely in the mix with the band. They almost sound BETTER within the context of the group than by themselves! Conversely...from my vantage point behind the kit, I do love the warmth of the Broadkasters...they have a rich and satisfying sound. It's a good thing I own both!! It's hard to choose a favorite. I think they both have their place. Thanks again!

Yes! Thank you! I don't live far from Ridgeland, SC and I was fortunate to get a tour of the Gretsch drum factory last year. Awesome experience, awesome drums. I really like the Brooklyn line. Looking forward to the upcoming videos!

The video helps the undecided to decide.

“That Great Sound….is REAL”

I love both the Broadcaster and Brooklyn series. They each sound great in their own way. But the common denominator are the 302 hoops, which I feel lets them sing. PS - I played two Ludwig sets and have a DW I’d love to swap for a Gretch Brooklyn or old Rogers set.

Congratulations, you're the best to test these jewels !!! If j want to listen to an acoustic drum test j have to watch your videos because they are perfect !! Oh j forgot...J'm happy owner of a Brooklyn set 22-10-12-16.

So far I prefer the USA Customs for the snare and toms, Broadkaster for the kick

I love the Broadkasters myself.

USA custom all the way! I own a 6pc 1988 USA kit in rosewood, and just when I think I want to sell them, I see a video like this and have second thoughts! Gretsch- the best drums on the planet!

Segundo a lenda, um tambor menor precisa soar sempre mais agudo que os outros maiores. O mundo é surdo e isso pra mim é um fato! Eu tenho uma Gretsch só que a minha é afinada!

USA customs have more punch! Make no mistake. These drums are the drums that have been traditionally associated with that great Gretsch sound.

Great shootout/comparison!!!! Thank you! Very helpful, indeed! I may have to take one of those kits off of your hands...don't tell that to my Ludwigs. :-)