VINTAGE 1956-1959 Gretsch Round Badge 6ply "Name Band" Outfit in Copper Mist - 14x22, 9x13, 14x14

VINTAGE 1956-1959 Gretsch Round Badge 6ply "Name Band" Outfit in Copper Mist

• Vintage Drum Set.  

• Sizes: 14x22, 9x13, 14x14. 

• Details & Notes:

• Background: Not all treasure is gold. Sometimes it's copper and comes in the form of a lovely vintage Gretsch Round Badge. Typically when discussing 50's vs 60's Gretsch, the topic centers on whether the drums have a 3ply shell (50's) or a 6 ply shell (60's). It is widely assumed that all 50's drums used 3 ply shells and all 60's drums used 6 ply, however though largely true, this is not always the case. Though introduced in the 1961 catalog along with the introduction of paper tags, the 6ply shell was being phased in as early as 56' while silver sealer was starting to make appearances on shells as early as 54'.  That brings us to the uniqueness of this set. Copper Mist on it's own is a rare bird, being one of the rarest finishes Gretsch produced. Now add 6 ply shells with original silver sealer. 

• Finish & Condition: As mentioned, Copper Mist is an extraordinarily rare Color to see on an old Round Badge. Copper Mist was most often seen as a lacquer paint covered by a protective clear wrap. The wrap would typically age changing the hue of the drums. Sometimes Gretsch would intentionally or unintentionally omit the protective wrap(or maybe they just did this because they had a drum ready to fill the order). This kit features said protective wrap on the bass drum and 13" tom. The 14" floor tom however never received the wrap and only the lacquer paint. Due to this, there is a slight color difference between the floor tom and the rest of the kit from the wrap aging on the bass drum and 13" tom. The floor tom has also received several scuffs and has suffered a decent amount of chipping. Unfortunate yes, however given the rarity of the drum, this isn't a flaw of too much concern. There is mild ply separation and paint deterioration inside of the floor tom shell, but nothing that should cause worry. The interiors of the rest of the drums looks great and the edges are good to go. The gold sparkle hoop inlay that would have been on the bass drum is long gone except for a small strip that measures about two inches. It has been lovingly taped on as a keepsake. The green lacquer on the hoops is almost completely gone on the outer portion of the hoops but is most precent on the inner portion. All hardware is present and original on these wonderful drums. 

• Head Fitting: Per that Great Gretsch charm, the bass drum heads fit tight, however they will go on and should take oversized modern heads like the Remo Classic fit no problem. The tom heads came on and off without issue.

• The Floor Tom: If you know Gretsch, then you know that a 14" Floor tom is not part of the "Name Band" outfit and should be a 16". With that said, Gretsch never had any written rules and was known to produce kits with a 13", 14" configuration per request, though it is likely that this particular 14" was paired with the kit post production. 

• The Sizes: Despite the interesting size pairing of 22", 13", 14", this configuration is surprisingly both incredibly comfortable and versatile. The pitch difference between the 13" and 14" is not too close despite only a one inch diameter difference. The 14" sounds lower than we expected it to, fitting more of the role a 16" would encompass. We were able to get both an extraordinary even, low pitched tuning out of these drums for rock and big band, as well as a perfect bop tuning. It was almost like having a 20", 12", 14" and a 22", 13", 16" at the same time.
  

• *Used and Vintage Drum Sets are on display in our showroom. Sets may show fingerprints or stick marks on heads from being tested and demoed, or disclosed signs of wear from previous owners*

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