Any anniversary celebration is special. But when it’s a double anniversary, that’s extra-special. And when one of those anniversaries marks 130 years…well, that’s unique.
So it was with the Gretsch 130th Anniversary celebration, which was held this past May 4 at Randy Wood’s Pickin’ Parlor in Bloomingdale, Georgia. The location was appropriate, since Bloomingdale is just “down the road a bit” from Pooler, which is where my wife Dinah and I reside. And the Gretsch USA Custom Drums factory is located just across the river, in Ridgeland, South Carolina.
The setting for the event had a somewhat rural... Read More
Fred and Dinah Gretsch Meet CoverBand 2010 Drum Winner
February 09, 2010
Savannah, GA – Fred and Dinah Gretsch—the president and the CFO of Gretsch Drums, respectively—recently enjoyed the chance to meet and congratulate Didi Negron of Northampton, Pennsylvania. Didi was the winning drummer in the CoverBand 2010 contest presented by Musician’s Friend and Latin Percussion. Gretsch Drums was a contributing sponsor for the online competition.
The contest invited individual musicians and vocalists to upload a two-minute video to coverband2010.com between July 15 and September 15 of last year. A public vote determined the finalists; a panel of celebrity judges then selected the winners. Didi’s entry was a mix of Latin, pop, and fusion styles that burned and grooved at the same time. “I love to solo,” says Didi, “but I love a pocket, too. So for my contest entry I decided to show the groove . . . show the chops . . . just do it all!”
A trip to Anaheim, California to perform at the NAMM International Music Products trade show this past January 16 was part of the prize for the seven winning CoverBand members. Twenty-three-year-old Didi also received a brand-new Gretsch Catalina Ash drumkit personally presented by Fred and Dinah Gretsch. Dinah was particularly pleased to chat with Didi, since female participation in music is an issue that’s near and dear to Dinah’s heart. "
Didi is now in her second year at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, where she’s studying with such well-known drummers as Ralph Peterson, Terri-Lyne Carrington, and Dave DiCenso. Not surprisingly, Didi’s goal is to become a professional drummer. “It’s all I’ve ever really thought about,” she says.
GRETSCH 130th ANNIVERSARY
Gretsch Drums is proudly celebrating its 130th Anniversary with a series of Limited Edition American-made drum sets
and snare drums. These drums will be released throughout the year and each will include a specially designed 130th
Anniversary interior shell label and a hand-signed Certificate of Authenticity. The labels and certificates will be numbered
to indicate the production sequence of each drum.
Carefully developed to produce tones that explode a balanced amount of warm low end frequencies
The Catalina Maple series starts with the Gretsch maple formula shell. We carefully developed the maple shell specification to produce tones that explode with attack and volume and project a balanced amount of warm, low-end frequencies. All Catalina Maple shells are 7-ply, 7.2mm.
The Catalina Maples are available in two configurations - a 6-piece shell pack set and a 5-piece shell pack set. Add-on drums are also available to allow for further drum set expansion.
