If you're looking for a high-quality and durable jazz drum set that costs less than $1000, the Gretsch Catalina Club is an excellent option. This shell pack doesn't include cymbals or hardware, though, so you'll have to get those separately if you want to play this kit regularly.
Designed to Deliver Classic Tones
The Gretsch Catalina Club series represents the company's commitment to keeping its traditional drum making tradition alive and well. Mahogany shells with 30-degree bearing edges and natural shell interiors give this 4-piece configuration a warm presence and vintage tone.
Toms/Snare feature 1.6mm triple flanged hoops. All drums are fitted with Remo drum heads.
Sound Quality
The Toms/Snare sounded pretty good out of the box, but they did need a bit of fine-tuning to achieve a fuller, more powerful sound. They had a crisp crack with deeper, throaty tones underneath that would be perfect for jazz gigs and other styles of music, too.
Resonance
The Catalina Club bass drums are big and resonant, especially for a low-cost kit, but they do require some muffling materials to keep the kick from getting too deep or loud. They're also very difficult to tune correctly if you're not used to them, because the lugs are so close together and they have a shallow bed that can produce sympathetic rattle when hitting other drums.
The shells have a few different finishes, including a Satin Antique Fade finish that's pretty unique and gives the drums a dark wooden appearance on the top of each shell that fades to black at the bottom. Other options include Bronze Sparkle and Gloss Crimson Burst.
