Definitely the USA custom- but the Catalina’s ain’t bad. The ear adjusts after a while

At the end of the day, which set is getting loaded in and out and bashed about going from gig to gig. Yeah, the Cats! The only folks who care about these things are other drummers. The folks shaking it on the dance floor could care less. Great video. My vote is the USA customs as well.

I've had the Catalina Club Jazz in mahogany for over 10 years. A great little kit. I took it to a studio a few years ago to record some drum tracks and the studio owners wife came up to me while I was packing up and said it was the nicest sounding drum kit they'd ever had in there. Hell yeah

This is very cool. The USA Customs were just warmer, richer and they sang. They inspire you to play. The Catalinas were fine- a workable kit and I would play it live in a casual setting and save my USA's for recording or primo gigs! Thanks!

The way you mic both kits is excellent. Some of the most honest and open drum sounds I’ve heard on KZfaq in a great while. Much respect!

The Catalinas have improved over the years and now sound pretty good. No mistaking the vintage Gretsch sound though or the newer Customs,and they have die cast hoops if that is your thing. My set is 1981,had since'88. In black nylon;22x14,24x14,12x8, 13x9,14x14,16x16, 14x6.5 maple,14x5 chrome brass snare.

Catalinas sound pretty good considering the price! A few years back I was listening to a jazz trio at a street cafe here in Helsinki. Thought the drummer played USA Customs, but no - they were high-tuned Catalinas!

Got a Catalina Elite in 2004, as a senior in high school. Still have it today, still gig with it multiple times a week every summer. I tune them pretty low for rock drumming, but they are versatile enough to keep really great tone no matter what. The kick is especially punchy and big, even for being such a tiny drum. Love this kit to death and may never replace it!

Depends on Heads, miking, Tom - Mount, tuning and drummer. I once came in a studio with a completely worn out and muffled Rogers. My Tama Superstar with new heads was "garbage". So I had to play on the Rogers. I couldn't believe what I heard on the final mix.

Actually had a slight bias that they might be very close - but the USA Custom was insanely clear and musical. The Catalina was quite dull, I think.

I have both of these kits too and the cheap kit sounds very good! I believe the heads make a BIG difference and as long as one puts good heads on their drums - most kits will sound good.

Gotta love Gretsch. Quality in both top and bottom of their line 🥰

Decent comparison, well done sir. If you decide to re-do this comparison in the future, give some thought to investing a little bit into making this an even a better comparison. By not putting the ambassadors on the Catalinas is sort of like putting a weighted vest on an already slower runner in a race. Here's why: The catalina is made with 7 ply mahogany shells. Naturally a warmer tone and thicker shell. As an experienced Catalina owner, it's easy to choke its tone even with a 1 ply head. You've got double ply heads on there, hence the "weighted vest" analogy. With the USAs, they are an thinner 6 ply maple shell. They naturally open up in tone and can "sing" a little more freely just based on shell material/construction alone. However, you've also got Ambassadors on there which showcases that completely. In short, throw Ambassadors on both kits all the way around, tune them as closely as possible, and you've got yourself a GREAT comparison video. If I may add, I've owned a set of Catalinas since 2014. I've gigged and recorded with them quite a bit. It's a workhorse, very versatile. They'll never sing as loud as a USA custom but boy howdy have they served me well over the years! They are often referred to as an "entry" level kit. I disagree.

Both kits are lovely. The USAC has a bit more presence than the cat kit. I have a Yamaha stage custom birch with coated ambassadors on top, and clear stock heads on the bottom. Tuned up for jazz. Some time I put a gretsch blackhawk 13 rack tom in the floor tom position hanging off a symbol stand. Great tones.

Play them both behind a hanging sheet or blanket and then ask the same question. Which one do you like the most? I like both of them very much and the price tag and vintage is more of a stumbling block at this point. Best wishes!

Wow I would've never guessed the Catalina Elite was that cheap! The USA custom kit definitely sounds better, but the Catalina kit doesn't sound bad by any means

The main advantage of the high end is mostly die cast hoops. Just buy die cast hoops for your cheap drum kit !

Great sounds from both kits. Hope you have the opportunity to enjoy both regularly. 😃

Clearly, I’d love the USA kit in the studio, but I’ve owned a Catalina since about ‘08, and have used it as my working live kit in many situations. For the money, it is an outstanding workhorse that can be used for rock if you tune it down and replace the snare. I put a kickport on the kick, and it’s a different drum. And it’s an easy load-in. I get lots of compliments from live sound engineers, so they did something right with it.

USA Customs. 👍 They have a lot more treble frequency extension in the resonance and overtones. BUT, as others have said, the huge differences are mostly down to the much different heads used, as well as the triple-flange vs die-cast hoops. However, I don't think that anyone can say that the Catalina Elites sound "bad" here. And for a mix, they might be the better option. In addition, I don't think that the new Catalina Clubs are really a 1:1 comparison to these older Catalina Elites, though. For the money invested, the Elite kit is a great and leaves more money for great cymbals. :-) With some different heads and a slight modification to the bearing edges, the Catalina Elite kit will come a lot closer to those USA Customs. IMO, the swap to die-cast hoops would be too expensive of an upgrade for the Elites and not really worthwhile. Enjoyed the video. 👍

I've owned many brands and sizes of drums over the last 5 decades. Believe it or not, my current set is my favorite set, a 4-piece cocktail size Gretsch Catalina Jazz set with mahogany shells and upgrades in hoops, heads, snares and other bits. I have three different sets of cymbals for different styles and volumes of jazz and pop music. Likewise, the stick choices are also controlled by the venues. The Gretsch shells have a unique bearing edge which gives my favorite sound. I'm not saying they are the best -- just that they are the best for me. Another great video. Keep them coming!

Snare is always a weak spot on the elites/club jazz. Replace it and get some nice cymbals and pinstripes and you've got a killer portable kit that sounds great live and in the studio.

It would have been very helpful if you would turn the snares off for a while to hear the tones a little better. I think they both sound good and it is mostly personal preference. I would take the cheaper set on most of my gigs because it is much lighter (die cast hoops are heavy) and use the USA Custom on studio and important gigs because the die cast hoops keep the tone more focused allowing one to hear more detail - studio engineers really like them too. Thanks for making this video - I enjoyed it. ✌

The bass drum is where the biggest difference comes out to my ears. USA Customs just has a better sound quality over all on the bass. Might be heads showing a bit of difference. Both are well tuned.

If you ever put single ply heads on the Catalina it would be neat to hear this comparison revisited! I think those modern vintage II’s are probably contributing a lot to the “dull” sound everyone is pointing out

I played the Catalina jazz kit the same exact kit that you are showing and they sounded just find. Mic the kit and play classic rock. For the money the Catalina kit is a working kit, and they look really nice.

I’m a gretsch guy too, loved the sound you were getting with only one mic, super clean man!

Sorry, but with the difference in heads this comparison doesn't make any sense at all. Of course the USA Kit will sound more vivid and open with fresh single ply heads…

Nice drumming! For me there is a huge difference in sound. The US Customs do what they excel in: that clear resonant singing gretsch sound. The catalinas sound dull. However, the difference in drum skins do matter. I switched back to Remo Ambassadors after a brief fling with Evans G1s. Initially the Evans sounded more EQ’d to me but after a short while very dull. The Remo Ambassador has that live sound- and they last..Perhaps your aquarians also need a change. They could have added to the dullness of the sound.

5.20 - 5.42 was exceptionally helpful, thank you for taking the time to make this video

5:22 The Catalina sound a lot better if you're going for a warm, creamy vintage sound, while the USA Customs sound a lot better if you are trying to have a modern, crisp sound. Catalina snare is simply not good enough to use in my opinion, while Catalina bass drum is slightly nicer sounding than the USA Custom.

Tony and Elvin live in those Custom shells lol .. absolute perfection.. Great demo thanks and by the way my 20" Dark Matter Flat Ride arrives tomorrow!!! Your comparison video did the the trick (Dream please take note)

The USA Custom has more resonance. Better tone overall. But the Catalina has a nice, dry, lo-fi kinda vibe. Each would work on a gig or recording, depending on the kind of vibe you're trying to create. And maybe it's my imagination, but you seem to approach each kit with a different energy, which is very cool! You recognize each kit's voice, and play them in a way that is appropriate to each. Kind of like John Coltrane approaches the tenor and soprano saxes differently. I think I'm the odd man out, but I'm going with the Catalina as my favorite. I dig the lo-fi sound.

They're both gorgeous, they both sound great and you're very fortunate to have them. That USA kits finish is stunning.

I have watched this video over and over again. While I have to give props to the USA custom kit, the Catalina elite does offer is a little bit more of a earthy, organic sound. I have to hand it to Gretsch, they truly gave their fans, something extremely special with the Catalina line. As a non-gigging drummer, the Catalina line is amazing. While I would love to own a high-end Gretsch kit, it is nice to know that I can still get a great sound from a cheaper kit.

It's very simple: the most expensive one is of better quality and therefore lasts longer, while the cheapest one requires maintenance. in terms of sound, it is simply a matter of preference as to what is in your ear.

Toms are very close .. USA bass drum a bit nicer than Catalina. The USA snare is a lot better

I do think it was definitely a case of not just different, but better. The USA custom sounding more open, snappier, more dynamic and also less boxy. I did appreciate the mellow tone of the Catalina, as different. But, what I liked less about it was that closed in, boxy character. Sounding as though it was being played in a smaller room than the USA Custom. Still really good though. I'm learning on a not too different Pearl Midtown, and also really liking how good these cheaper kits can sound. I'd probably like to get a Gretsch USA Custom later too. Although I quite like the sound of the not so jazz bop size Gretsch Reknown too.

dress the Cats in matching heads and open up that snare and you're playing 2 identical kits. I have a Tama Imperialstar bop kit that I got for like $100 a few years ago. cleaned, repainted, matched heads tuned right and decent cymbals- I'll put it up against any 'high end' kit any time.

USA Customs! The Catalina kit sounded quite good, but the USA Customs were warmer with better definition, and resonance. Probably due in part to the rims. Nice playing by the way, you have really good chops.

I have a 7 piece catalina birch kit from the same era. $900 new. Its my main recording kit and my secondary live kit. Absolutely love them. They sound great and the laquer Caribbean blue finish rivals high end drums.

I've had the same cheapo Catalina set for nearly 20 yeas, still serves me well.

Great comparison, you can definitely tell the resonance difference in the kick and toms but at the of the day I still really love my cheap little elite.

Thanks for the video. Two different prices but definitely two different drums. I have a 71 Gretsch, & am thinking of getting a USA custom kit.

Both sound great. A function of someone who knows how to play, and how to tune, drums. Betcha that Catalina set would sound awesome with Diplomats all around, with the batter heads being Fiberskyn.

The Catalina was thinner Tone as in brighter and more tight without the body the Classic Gretsch had. It's a personal issue and for equalizer mixing production. I thought Catalina was as much worthy as the other one.

I love your videos. I love these old jazz drum kits. Really cool cymbals too. I'd love to see you play some rock and roll covers on them

I use my 8 yr old Catalina Club kit for everything from jazz to rock. Maybe I'm just a fan of the underdog but I played them next to a Gretsch Brooklyn kit and I did not hear enough of a difference to justify the price jump.

Wow that USA Custom really sounds great.. The Catalina is ok.. but I can definitely hear the better set in the Custom !!!! I will check these out now !!!!

Each kit on its best day, in ideal conditions? The USAs. But live/real-world, in a club or frat house or wherever, the Catalinas seem like they'd hold their own 100%. I wonder how non-fiber heads would do on the Catalina kick...?

Both are excellent buys.. I have a round badge 50s and a Catalina bop kit.. I have trouble with the lugs on the Catalina The old r b has stood up very well. The faded wrap gives it character. Like your video and your playing

Beautiful playing man.

The best reason for buying high end Gretsch drums is that they definitely hold their value as investment drums.When you research the cost of high end vintage Gretsch drums compared to brand new high end Gretsch drums,you will see...

Could scarcely tell the difference unless i looked at the phone. Yes my phone speaker is poo, but it’s equally poo for both kits, right? I was expecting a bigger difference for that range of money. Thx for the video.

The 300$ kit sounds warm and sharp, I like it.

Nice and honest review. And for the price difference those kids sounds shockingly alike, althought ofcourse there are some differences. But you wonder if that justifys the price.

I mean you can just hear the dynamics in the USA. The Catalina would be good in a small funk assemble tho.

Huge difference! USA custom sing and project more, that Classic Gretsch sound.

Both sets sound very good -- Gretsch!!!!

The usa has a more elegant resonance to it for sure but yet that catolina has some great personality to it. I bought a catolina new at GC in 2005. Nice to hear how good yours sounds. I have super old heads and the tuning low. I think I’ll re head them and tune them up high. Seems to be how the kit excels.

I picked up a Catalina Club Roll many years ago. I needed a compact kit and these gave me what I needed at the time (8, 10, 13, 18 & 5x13 snare). It's a cool little kit for what it is but the mahogany just does not compare to my USA Customs. Those 80s shells are still great.

Been playin club rock callatinas 24 kick monster sound...

When I close my eyes and listen, the Catalinas are every bit as musical and open as the USA Custom.

To me the difference is night and day in the resonance between the two. The more resounding being the USA Customs. (U.S. Customs always made me nervous, when I'd go to and from Canada). Although the one inch difference on the rack toms may cause one to resonate more than the other. That custom set is a great vintage set.

I pretty much prefer the Catalina, it seems that my opinion goes against the majority here. Its sound is more versatile, I think, and do not impose itself, so to say. I would definitely stay with Catalina not for the price, but for the sound. Amazing indeed.

Both sound great! Both rack toms look like 12x8.

The USA tom is an 8x12, not a 9x12. You can tell just by the distance from the top lugs to the bottom lugs. At a depth of 8”, the distance is right around the length of a lug. At 9” it’s about 1.5 lugs.

Yeah, all bets are off with different drum heads and tunings, although I think it's also good to make each kit sound as optimal as you'd like it to sound. Both types of comparisons are useful. How about posting the exact tunings/pitch of each head, any damping (felt, tape, gel, etc), what kind of beaters are used on the bass drums? Also, note whether the snares are stock or after-market wires. Good idea, but go for a more accurate comparison which would be super useful.

Beautiful drums (especially the stop sign kit!), but also beautiful touch yo!!

In watching this video again, I wonder if the fact that one set is wrapped and the other is not, makes a difference.

Thanks for the video, looking to purchase a Gretsch and now I just may thanks to your video.

Hi Julian, technically the same thing, but your bop kit is a Gretsch USA Maple, made in the early 2000s. These were made as pre-configured packs, satin finishes only with basically the same specs as the G. Custom drums, and of course both made in the USA. So def. not an 80s model, but great drums nonetheless.

Very nice playing dude, you really bring out the sound nicely.

The Cats have a softer punch while the USA have that higher sound. Yes, the cats are warmer while the usa can pierce with its higher sympathetic vibrations. I read that the Renown’s are so close to the USA Custom and at a great price….

No particular opinion on those two kits but did appreciate the smooth technique from the player.

With the same heads, we may have a muuuuch closer game going. I Love both kits though. Is that ok to say? Oh well… too late. I very much like the Club Date construction and look of the kit on the right. The natural look of the left kit is a good thing too. Thanks for the video!

#Gretsch love the last shot of the cymbals against the wall and your smile

I listened with the video hidden , they both sound great, and it’s difficult to pull them apart, both are tuned really nicely. Just shows that a cheap kit can be made to sound great when someone knows what they are doing ...

USA customs defnly but the catalina sounds surprisingly good. Even cheap drums can sound half decent with good heads that are tuned properly. Plus how the drum is played contributes to how it sounds.

Absolutely there are the BIG differences between these two kits. Catalina kit sounds not solid and definite enough but the USA custom sounds just gorgeously great as is.

I would challenge any drummer to tell me the difference between 4 sets from different companies, of identical sizes and heads tuned the same. In other words a blindfold test. Lets say...1960's Ludwig, Sonor, Gretsch, and Slingerland kit. I don't believe 99 out 0f 100 drummers could identify them.

I think its very difficult to compare the kits because of the difference un the heads. (Single ply/double ply) those heads sound very different.

The problem is simple: as soon as you mike the kit, it is not acoustic anymore, you can tweak the sound. A lot. Thus drummers hesitate to pay more for drums. Drums ceased to be acoustic instruments, we judge them not by their sound, but how they work when miked, and there is a low we can do with processing: it starts with proximity effect, and leveling the volume, enhancing low end and natural compressing (all together called proximity effect). When comparing the actual sound of drums, we need to mike the drums only with room mikes. And then, the difference between cheap and good drums becomes awkwardly obvious. Or not: many high quality drums are still built semi acoustic, so they are not sounding best when just “room miked”. The dimensions give it away, a 14x6 steel snare is a whopping 10-12dB louder than the rest of the kit, without close miking there is no way to match the volume. We have a problem: there is no word for acoustic drums built to sound good in a room, not only when miked. Semi acoustic for most drummers would be a drum set with preinstalled mikes, which is not a regular drums category...

The USA customs had the warmer richer sound than the Catalina's but no way are the worth 3 grand more IMO. The Catalina's are a great affordable kit for the working drummer!

I listened without watching the video and couldn't hear any appreciable difference except the Custom snare had a little more tone. I think the snares were a little tighter against the snare head on the Catalina snare.

Great video man! Did you record all the drums using just that one mic? it sounds so good

I have always wanted somebody to do this comparison it was great. I wonder what the gretsch USA's would sound like compared to the wood hooped PDP bop set that's maple. Or the new wood hooped Gretsch Catalina Bop kit which is maple and walnut.

I bet the bigger factor here in terms of perceived sounds quality is the flanged vs die cast hoops

To me the Catalina set is very good for the price. I bet they'd sound even a bit better with conventional Remo heads. The Custom Bop kit takes first prize though. This might sound sacrilegious but I think technology has improved the quality of low-priced drums.

The USA Customs sounded better but would an audience or fellow musicians on a gig know the difference? Probably not. It used to be the hardware on the cheap kits wasn't as good but between manufacturer processes and better hardware there isn't much difference. I know applying the wrap to the Catalina kit is less costly than sanding and the finish on the USA Custom. As long as bearing edges are good and you pick the right heads and can tune well, buying the more expensive kit is more a personal choice. I had a Gretsch kit I bought in 1979 and 4 years ago I bought a Catalina Club in the yellow strata wrap and to be honest I think the Catalina was easier to tune, especially the 8x12 tom.

COOL, yeah usa is more resonant and toneful, great comparison, nice jazzy playing

Both sound good, but I was watching TV also, Sorry. The cymbals were particularly nice sounding too I might add. Thank you.

The customs definitely had a better tone but both would work fine.

i realize theyre tuned for jazz but you cant really know how the shells sound all choked up like that. im sure a cheap, little kids kit can sound like that.

Custom does sound better, but I'm not sure they are worth ten times the money. With new heads, the catalina's would sound even better.

I’ve got a USA custom from 1980, the only difference is I have a 15” floor Tom and bass drum is 18X14 I wouldn’t trade that 15” floor Tom for anything

That ride cymbal is great. Details if you may??? And I too have 30 year old USA's. They are a work of art and craftsmanship. I also have a Catalina, different sizes so no comparison, but you notice small things like the quality of the lugs and there's none of that magical grey lining.

Honestly, is anyone going to hear the difference in the mix of a live gig? Or a studio recording? IMHO a lot of 'mid budget' gear manufactured today is of better quality than the 'pro' equivalents of 30-40 years ago ( maybe even more so as CADCAM R&D has filtered down the market?), and nowadays an understanding of shell sizes, head varieties and tuning is more fundamental than brand research. If I were in the market for a bop kit I'd go for a Catelina over a vintage without a doubt, and allocate perceived savings to buying cymbals. Just my thoughts. Cheers.

Great comparison. Like others have said, I'm wondering how the Catalina would sound without a wrap...hhmmm. Also the room location of the sets were different. One in the corner with two walls. The other had an entry way near it. But that's just being nitpicky. Both sound good, but it's hard to beat those USA customs.

I just wondering what kind of mic did you use to take the drums audio?