Gretsch Catalina Maple Snare Drum [Review]

Posted in Drums | Last Updated on May 1, 2020

Good Value and Sound to Match!

Not everyone needs or wants a professional grade snare drum or kit. Many hobbyist drummers love to play for pleasure, maybe gig for fun with some friends or make themselves available for their cousins wedding. You get the point. Gretsch Drums does, too, and offers the Gretsch Catalina Maple Snare Drum as part of their value priced maple drum kit. They didn’t say “cheap”, and neither did we.

# Pros

A thin or “vintage” shell is made of 9-plys of quality North American maple, matching wood hoops, with solid die-cast hardware. The 45-degree bearing edges provide good, responsive contact, and the tones delivered by the maple snare are warm, earthy and rich.

The tuning range allows for a crisp snap at the top end, and punchy reverberations when tuned low. In between, it’s classic 8-lug, 5.5X14 snare sound with plenty of pop and projection.

The Gretsch Catalina Maple Snare Drum is richly finished with natural and painted maple tones in UV gloss lacquers, giving it a professional look, even at a moderate price.

#Cons

You may need to spend a bit more time tune it up, but if you are patient everything will be alright.

#Conclusion

Drummers using the Catalinas cover the musical spectrum, but those playing folk, classic rock, country, bluegrass, and R&B seem to appreciate its tones the most. You’ll want to switch the heads, most likely, to a set of your favorites, and keep it tuned regularly. The snare should hold up very durably, even with moderate to heavy play.