Thanks for taking the time to do this comparison. It was really helpful to hear the differences between the two drum kits, even though they are physically similar. I personally really prefer the sound of the club much more than the renown

One of the best drum comparison videos, i have found! Just playing simple beat and a fill, repeat it and or directly compare it, nothing too fancy, that will distract me from the sound of the toms. Thank you very much! 🙏

Excellent sound comparison. Less crash and ride cymbals being played, so it was much easier to hear the attack, tone, sustain and decay of each drum. Good job. Thanks.

I'm liking the sound of the Catalinas in this comparison! Punchy. The Renowns have more resonance and could probably use a bit of tweaking with the tuning. That being said, I just received my own set of Renowns in 24/13/16!

This video was so helpful! Great to hear each set on its own and then a side by side at the end. Outstanding job! This has actually helped me make my decision as to which sound I like better and which set to get....definitely the Catalinas. And bonus, they're cheaper! Thanks again!!

This how all drum comparison videos should be. Well done

Hey! It's GRETSCH!!!! Love them both. I have a Catalina Club BOP kit, so I'm partial to the Catalinas. Of course it's obvious the Renown is a higher quality instrument at 2x the price. Love that they both have the same fundamental sound, with the renown having a much superior overall resonance and tone Nice comparison

Nice vid! Great comparison! Great playing. Thanks for sharing! Great production values, too.

Both kits sounded great. I am a little bit of a fan boy of Catalina‘s. I did note that the Renowns seemed deeper or lower. They were definitely more resonant. I do find it interesting that both the Renown and the Catalina lines have a long history with Gretsch as you can find early iterations of these brand names in the 1920s and 1930s catalogs.

IMO, a huge difference. Renown has more tone, more clarity, more character, more everything... Catalinas are somewhat pale, fuzzy and muted.

They both sound great! Visually I really like the Renown! 🥁❤

Renown every time!! I have both Renown and USA Custom, there is nothing in it sound wise but the USA kit will always be worth more financially. I think given time the Gretsch Renown kits will increase in value.

Hey Mike, hope all is well. Last year I picked up a renown bop kit. I already owned a cat bop kit. I agree that both kits sound great. I did some comparisons but my bop kit had single ply heads and the Renowns had two ply so it wasn’t a true comparison like yours. Although I can’t say how it affected the sound I think the heavier hardware and 302 rims on the Renowns affects the sound. I think The maple shells vs the poplar shells make a big difference. The Renowns had more sustain and volume. I found The cats are more subtle and warmer. Great video!!

Thank you for bringing this great little clip. For me the sonic sounds of the renown are the greater.

I have both these kits, black ebony with a 8" rack added on the renown and white chocolate on the club. Bigger Renown kit is more of a permanent set at church I play every week. I use the club kit when we play in public park twice a year, easier to set up/ break down to o the park. I Mic up the club kit on the open air stand at the park, it still gets the sound I need in the mix on the board. The black Renown came with a free 8" which I seldom need. Sometimes I take it as a mismatch with theWhite Chocolate club and add it off a cymbal boom. By the way I'm trying to sell the Catalina Club with or without cymbals and booms.

Great comparison video, nice work put into it

Nice comparison video. Too many just show someone doing a groove without a clear hearing of the toms. I like the bass drum sound better on the Renown. To me that extra 2" gives it a little more thump. But I liked the toms on the Catalina. I have a Catalina Club 4 piece in the yellow strata finish and have thought about upgrading. But I have it sounding pretty good to my ears. Rogers has come out with a kit in the champaign sparkle finish which is beautiful. But it is over 3 times what I paid for the Gretsch and not sure it sounds 3 times better. This is actually a great time to be a drummer. Manufacturer processes are better than 50 years ago so more inexpensive kits are pretty good now. I know more expensive kits would hold up better when doing a lot of setup and tear downs when gigging but the sound is not necessarily that much better. And when in a band setting where the drums are just sitting in a wall of sound where many of the nuances of a better kit aren't really heard the difference in price is a consideration. Because you have a more expensive kit doesn't mean you are a better drummer. Maybe it is more a status symbol.

Renown hands down...huge difference!!

Great video, thank you! I would love to hear the Catalina maple kit compared to the renown, as I am shopping for a kit for my studio now.

Hey, great comparison! They are both great, depending on what you are after. The Renown obviously has better hardware, as to be expected. Speaking in the context of sound: Renown is superior for modern backbeat oriented genres of music. For swing Jazz, the Catalina Club is much more ideal. Thanks for posting this.

Catalina are 7ply thin mahogany /Renown being 7 ply maple is a huge tone and volume difference.I've had both and they are equally are amazing but...If you need volume ? Renown are 3x louder especially if your not mic'd. Mahogany has beautiful low end tone but the volume especially on the racks is really not there.the kicks and floor toms shine on the catalina gear.Great Comparison Mike,as alway's.

I own a 24,12,16 70’s Gretsch, 24,13,16 Gretsch Renown RN2 and a Catalina Club Black Galaxy sparkle. All different kits. But enjoy all of them equally.

I have both kits. The Catalina kit is light weight and very simple to tune. The snare is a bit weak however. The Renoun projects more volume and is a bit more challenging to tune. The Catalina is great for jazz because it doesnt project big volume. If you are rocker I suggest the Renoun as they are heavier and will project more.

For me, the 1st kit sounded much better. The second kit has an overtone that sounds like a stretching rubber band. My kit is somewhere in between and I've never really been happy about it. But, I grew up on 60s and 70s "thump." Great comparison.

Thankfully l have both these kits...love them equally..Renown sounds alittle richer..but both very nice.😊

I will say.. your technique is VERY good. And your tuning is also good. So you really sell the catalina's further than they may deserve with great technique and good tuning. I think you would make any drum set sound decent with your playing/tuning. I think the difference up against the renowns would be a LOT more dramatic with "average technique" and "average tuning" .. if that makes sense? Haha. Anyway, awesome comparison video!

They both sound great. Since I started drumming I felt in love with the gretsch usa custom that was shown in my favorite drum shop. Of course far away from affordable at this time. The renown reminds me so much of that sound. Is this comparison appropriate?

nicely tuned and great sounding recording. i got an older set of catalina, but a terrible room with low ceilings. i'd be stoked if i could get a recorded sound like you have here. i like the sound of the catalina here (i'm biased), although they both sound great..love gretsch

Catalina's sound thin next to the Renown.

I agree the Renown's have a bit more punch & presents. Please keep tuning drums to were the drum feels comfortable, let it talk let it breathe. Thnx!!

I love "That Great Gretsch Sound"! My Catalina Club Jazz kit is amazing! I would like to have heard more info on the type of wood (mahogany, maple,, etc.), number of plies and any other info on the shells. Which heads did you use? What size are the snare drums? What size (thickness) are the hoops? Are these identical? Which sticks are you using? By the way, my personal preference from your video is the Catalina Club.

Nice comparison video. I had a wonderful set of Renowns but started using a Catalina Club kit instead. The Catalinas are so much easier to get around. (...that's important at my age...-lol) Plus I just Love the sound of Mahogany! By the way... what heads are you using? Thanks!

I too prefer the sound of the Catalina over the renown. Much smoother. Two questions: 1. Can you recommend a hoop mm replacement for the cats (2.3 vs 302 hoops). Sound is modern worship low key to high energy in smaller room. Or if you recommend to stick with stock 1.6 that’s cool too. 2. What are the fabric rings you have on your cats in many of your other videos

I have used both kits. Catalina is light weight (thin Shells) and the toms sound and tune up really well. The Catalina snare that I had was a 5.5 and was honestly the weak link on the kit. So get the Cats to save some money, but get a good snare because the 5.5 inch cat mahogany snare really kinda sucks. Forgot to mention, the Catalina hardware is, well, cheap to be blunt.

It's hard to beat the Renown kits for value for money. They sound every bit as good as the Brooklyns, in my opinion.

Great video my son

Is this a Catalina maple set? Or is it a club series? I did not know a 5 piece configuration was available in the club configuration. Nice comparison. Thanks

Catalina has more focus. Have always preferred 20x14 bass drums too. The renown sounds a bit handful but I’m sure it’s wicked! Many drummers prefer it to the USA Custom and Brooklyn

More build Videos mike. Loving the content

Bass drum on the renown sounds punchier and louder. But to me, maple and birch bass drums always sound louder with more attack than any other wood. It was hard to compare the toms because the renowns had so much more sustain but you warned us about that. If you still have both sets I would love to hear the toms tuned to the same frequency.

While the renown were a little more resonant (this could be tuning?) I actually preferred the Catalinas. I didn't hear anything from the renown that would entice me to pay twice the price of the Catalinas for them.

One thing that always bothers me about KZfaq people that dude drum demos is that they tuner drums tco loose or too low in that case. I tune my drums as you do I'm 56 and have been taught to buy a bigger drum.than to tune loose. I use black or chrome ambassadors on the reso heads. Pinstripes on all but the snare. Either way you gave a fair review.

Nice comparison well done

Hey man awesome video! Is this the 14x5.5 catalinas snare drum or the 14x5.5 renow snare drum? Thanks man

I have the Purewood Hickory and it sounds like canons. Even sounds amazing in a mix recorded on an iPhone.

I've got a Renown. Still trying to find heads that I like. Currently they have Aquarian heads...studio x clears over classic clears. Thinking about trying Evans coated G1s over clear G1s. What heads do you have on these? My kits a 13, 16 and 24 with a Dallas Drum aluminum snare.

Also the price is different.Renown van be compared to Usa custom but much cheaper.

Mike how did you tune The Catalina club? Did use a ddrum dial if so what are the drum dial numbers?

Renown 💯 So the renown is made in Taiwan which makes excellent drums and hardware and also has the 302 3 mm Gretsch hoops and the overall quality is just much better. The Catalina is made in China using the 1.6 mm hoops with low quality chrome. I have a Catalina mahogany kit and it sounds great now that I’ve changed the heads and put Gibraltar 2.3 mm hoops on .

That Catalina is PUNCHY! Do you know anything about the Club Maple snare's? I found a gold sparkle 14x6.5 at my local used guitar shop. I was thinking of getting it but i couldn't find any demos on it and it was tuned low and I didn't have a drum key to see how it's sounded tuned high. It was going for $200

I wasn't even looking for you this time! Anyway, the Catalina Club having a 30-degree bearing Edge and mahogany is obviously one of the most user-friendly warm drum sets for my ears and the few times I've played in the music stores I've always loved them but I've heard a lot of quality control issues 10 years ago and I still hear them now from people. What are your thoughts on that? A guy told me today that he had a Catalina and I think a broadcaster and they both had to be fixed or sanded somewhere on the bearing Edge and he even said both had at least one loose lug. I love the way these sound and I really like the 18" BD from Catalina. Btw, I like the Catalina club sound better.

It might just be the tuning, but I think I preferred the Catalinas here. The tone felt a bit cleaner and more defined. I really didn't like the sound of the renown floor tom, but that's probably just tuning. Too "wobbly" sounding for me. Overall though, the sound is VERY close.

Am I the only one that prefers the sound of those cats instead of the renown? Is the catalina a maple or mahogany?

I own a clubrock 24 12 16 and its all attack love my gretsch and the price was right for a weekend drummer

Thanks for the very useful comparison. The Catalina definitely does not have a “pro” sound. Good for students and casual gigging, but not for serious music making.

theres almost nothing between them bt if i had to decide id say the catalina is a little warmer

such a shame there's no renowns with virgin 24 kick. have to go with the catalina then

Love the renown toms but prefer the Catalina bass drum. And yes the tuning is much lower to my ear on the renown shame perhaps tune them closer and redo?

The cats are mahogany I believe while the renowns are maple and with silver sealer. Any shell with sealer is going to project more.

The sound comparison of the drums didn’t really translate to me. BUT, you definitely seemed to show more satisfaction playing the Renown kit

Nice comparison, thank you! The Renowns are my next kit, they sound amazing for a so called budget kit. My Pearl ELX Selects on an ICON rack have been mistaken for a high end kit before, these should be too.

I prefer the Catalina’s, to me they are more pure, clear and punchier while the renowns sound kind of trapped to me if that makes sense to anyone.

Renown sounds (to me) like there's ring residual coming off the toms.

Both kits sound great but the Renown sing a bit more and have a clearer tone. Not to say the Catalina could get the same tone, too, with some tweaking. I'm in the market for a 5 piece Renown kit next week. I use an older chrome Slingerland Krupa snare as my go-to snare drum. Should fit in nice with this kit.

Renow sound more sustain ,but i think is for tom holder , why your catalina doesn´t have suspension tom holder than last models? Its makes a huge difference in sound.... Beautiful kits I have a catalina jazz club , new models and every new model its better , sound like a pro drums... Great video, one more suscriber...

I have them both, the Catalina has an 18in bass and the renown has a 22. Love them both but with proper tuning I think my 18 sounds punchier and boomier than the 22.

Renowns obviously have more resonance, but if you're playing to an audience you may not prefer it (or even hear it in the audience). Renowns are definitely better built... and much heavier. I'd buy used Renowns over equivalently used Cats since they'd be holding up better.

Diferent tunning Renown is lower than catalinas but so similar. I think the finishes, are the difference.

They both sound good; we're you using any muffling/dampening? The Renowns are a bit ringy, I would say. A little too much sustain - most noticeable in the floor tom. Maybe a little moongel could dampen that a tad? All personal preference, I guess.

A more apt comparison would be Catalina Maples to Renowns...please do that next

RN2 wins. I like the sound

The cats have less ring and to me thats a good thing. Especially in the studio. Why spend more.

Gretsch Renown yes 🥁😅🙌🏼

The Catalina’s clearly win here and I was rooting for the Renown’s. The Renown’s are maple and the Clubs are luan (Asian mahogany)? If so this is why the cat clubs sound warmer.

The renown should sound better but they need tweeking. Too much pitch dive right now especially in the floor tom

Renown RN2 Sound and aesthetics

maybe the catalina heads are old and the renow are new

the Cats are tuned better but I play Renowns. (tuned better). I much prefer the DC hoops on the Renowns

Energy vs Renown would be interesting.

The comparison should be made with the same tuning, while the renown is clearly a lower tuning.

Not much in it in the grand scheme of things I prefer the club hands down

The cats sound good, but I do hear a huge difference between the two. Renown is killer.

The renown have that dropped-down kind of tone, reminiscent of old Yamaha RCs... 'Doon, Dooom, Dooooomm."

More punch in Renown

I think you may have just saved me about $4k...

That Renown floor has some weird overtones.

The snare on the Renown sounds better... :))

I am soooo BORED with the maple sound ... They all sound the same. Gretsch would be wise to offer a serious Birch kit .

The snare on the renown is way better. over all the Renown is better here.

True. Renown floor tom out of tune

Sound dead compared to Tama and Mapex.

WTF tunning is this?