Fred Gretsch remembers Louis Bellson

February 18, 2009



With the passing of Louie Bellson, drumming has lost a genuine innovator. Drummers around the world have lost a sweet and gentle man who was at once an icon and a comrade. And the Gretsch family has lost a cherished friend.

When Louie was making his mark on the drumming scene in the 1940s and ‘50s, playing with the great bands of Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, and Harry James, he did it on Gretsch drums. When he wanted a unique double bass drum setup with a totally unprecedented tom-tom configuration, he brought his design to the Gretsch factory in Brooklyn, New York. There, the Gretsch craftsmen made Louie’s vision a reality. And Louie went on to make drumming history.

Everyone at Gretsch is proud to have been a part of Louie Bellson’s history. We mourn his passing, and our hearts go out to Francine Bellson and the rest of Louie’s family. But at the same time, we join drummers everywhere in celebrating Louie’s greatness, as well as his unparalleled contribution to the art of drumming.

Sincerely,
Fred Gretsch
Fourth Generation Drum Maker

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.

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Catalina Maple

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.

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