Excellent sound comparison. Less crash and ride cymbals being played, so it was much easier to hear the attack, tone, sustain and decay of each drum. Good job. Thanks.
Thanks for taking the time to do this comparison. It was really helpful to hear the differences between the two drum kits, even though they are physically similar. I personally really prefer the sound of the club much more than the renown
One of the best drum comparison videos, i have found! Just playing simple beat and a fill, repeat it and or directly compare it, nothing too fancy, that will distract me from the sound of the toms. Thank you very much! 🙏
I'm liking the sound of the Catalinas in this comparison! Punchy. The Renowns have more resonance and could probably use a bit of tweaking with the tuning. That being said, I just received my own set of Renowns in 24/13/16!
The Catalina series is made in the DW drum factory in Taiwan with ownership still under Gretsch. Taiwan quality is amazing for all products! I love my Catalina Club Jazz kit. @@marcros7289
This video was so helpful! Great to hear each set on its own and then a side by side at the end. Outstanding job! This has actually helped me make my decision as to which sound I like better and which set to get....definitely the Catalinas. And bonus, they're cheaper! Thanks again!!
Hey! It's GRETSCH!!!! Love them both. I have a Catalina Club BOP kit, so I'm partial to the Catalinas. Of course it's obvious the Renown is a higher quality instrument at 2x the price. Love that they both have the same fundamental sound, with the renown having a much superior overall resonance and tone Nice comparison
If you own a Catalina, you could buy one or two Renown rack toms for a change of pace. If you do that I wouldn’t get rid of the Catalina rack Tom because it still has its own sound.
Both kits sounded great. I am a little bit of a fan boy of Catalina‘s. I did note that the Renowns seemed deeper or lower. They were definitely more resonant. I do find it interesting that both the Renown and the Catalina lines have a long history with Gretsch as you can find early iterations of these brand names in the 1920s and 1930s catalogs.
It might just be the tuning, but I think I preferred the Catalinas here. The tone felt a bit cleaner and more defined. I really didn't like the sound of the renown floor tom, but that's probably just tuning. Too "wobbly" sounding for me. Overall though, the sound is VERY close.
Renown every time!! I have both Renown and USA Custom, there is nothing in it sound wise but the USA kit will always be worth more financially. I think given time the Gretsch Renown kits will increase in value.
Yeah, I was just at the Chicago Drum Show this past weekend and it got me thinking about how things like Catalina’s and Renown’s will be viewed at once they are old enough to be considered vintage. I feel like everybody has now embraced 80s and 90s kits as “vintage” and somewhat desirable now.
Renown seems to have a bit more 'weight' although they are ringing more than the Catalina's. Both sound really good. I think I'm about to spring for a set of the Renowns.
I have both these kits, black ebony with a 8" rack added on the renown and white chocolate on the club. Bigger Renown kit is more of a permanent set at church I play every week. I use the club kit when we play in public park twice a year, easier to set up/ break down to o the park. I Mic up the club kit on the open air stand at the park, it still gets the sound I need in the mix on the board. The black Renown came with a free 8" which I seldom need. Sometimes I take it as a mismatch with theWhite Chocolate club and add it off a cymbal boom. By the way I'm trying to sell the Catalina Club with or without cymbals and booms.
Hey Mike, hope all is well. Last year I picked up a renown bop kit. I already owned a cat bop kit. I agree that both kits sound great. I did some comparisons but my bop kit had single ply heads and the Renowns had two ply so it wasn’t a true comparison like yours. Although I can’t say how it affected the sound I think the heavier hardware and 302 rims on the Renowns affects the sound. I think The maple shells vs the poplar shells make a big difference. The Renowns had more sustain and volume. I found The cats are more subtle and warmer. Great video!!
Yeah, it's almost a preference for the genre you play. In many settings, a Catalina could be a better fit and more desirable, but I still own a Catalina and a Renown, and they are both fantastic.
Even with decent headphones on they sound pretty similar to me. I don' t think I'd pay the premium for the Renowns, but I do like their wraps way better. They look really good. The Renowns do seem like they have more sustain so I wonder if the bearing edges are the same on both sets of drums.
I love "That Great Gretsch Sound"! My Catalina Club Jazz kit is amazing! I would like to have heard more info on the type of wood (mahogany, maple,, etc.), number of plies and any other info on the shells. Which heads did you use? What size are the snare drums? What size (thickness) are the hoops? Are these identical? Which sticks are you using? By the way, my personal preference from your video is the Catalina Club.
Renowns have better clarity and the mounting metal part is better as in better build quality. The Catalina toms can be better in a song recording if you want the toms a little more controlled or a little more subdued. …For drum solos, the Renowns can be better since they are a little more pronounced and forward sounding.
I have used both kits. Catalina is light weight (thin Shells) and the toms sound and tune up really well. The Catalina snare that I had was a 5.5 and was honestly the weak link on the kit. So get the Cats to save some money, but get a good snare because the 5.5 inch cat mahogany snare really kinda sucks. Forgot to mention, the Catalina hardware is, well, cheap to be blunt.
I have the same feelings on the Catalina's I mostly used them for gigging because they are so light weight to carry around, and also much easier to replace if need be. I bought mine without a snare, so I don't have much experience with the snares, not surprised though. They don't even cut snare beds on most of those student level kits.
What do you think about upgrading the hoops? I’ve had great luck with upgrading student kits to 2.3mm but I haven’t decided what I want to do with my cats. Leave them, or go to 2.3 or 3mm.
They both sound great. Since I started drumming I felt in love with the gretsch usa custom that was shown in my favorite drum shop. Of course far away from affordable at this time. The renown reminds me so much of that sound. Is this comparison appropriate?
That Catalina is PUNCHY! Do you know anything about the Club Maple snare's? I found a gold sparkle 14x6.5 at my local used guitar shop. I was thinking of getting it but i couldn't find any demos on it and it was tuned low and I didn't have a drum key to see how it's sounded tuned high. It was going for $200
$200 feels pretty steep for that drum because in my opinion, when you see stock snares with mid level kits, they typically are not built with a ton of thought and design, sometimes they don't even have snare beds.
@@malonedrum About 10 years ago I found a Ludwig supraphonic all metal in a pawn shop and got the guy down to $90. I put new heads on and a new snare strand. It is my go to for almost all my kits. Easy to tune up or down. I bought the Catalina Club in 2016, 4-pc with the maple snare. Less than $600 for the whole shell pack. $200 for that snare is a bit high. Mine sounds great and easy to tune.
I too prefer the sound of the Catalina over the renown. Much smoother. Two questions: 1. Can you recommend a hoop mm replacement for the cats (2.3 vs 302 hoops). Sound is modern worship low key to high energy in smaller room. Or if you recommend to stick with stock 1.6 that’s cool too. 2. What are the fabric rings you have on your cats in many of your other videos
I’m not sure I can pinpoint a specific mm hoop correlated to a specific genre of music, but I find thicker/heavier hoops tighten up the sound a bit. I use Roots EQ muffling on lots of drums in different situations. Great company and option for muffling.
Catalina are 7ply thin mahogany /Renown being 7 ply maple is a huge tone and volume difference.I've had both and they are equally are amazing but...If you need volume ? Renown are 3x louder especially if your not mic'd. Mahogany has beautiful low end tone but the volume especially on the racks is really not there.the kicks and floor toms shine on the catalina gear.Great Comparison Mike,as alway's.
Can't argue with that. I find that most situations where I need to project, Im mic'd up, but maybe in a big band or concert band the Renowns would help cut acoustically.
Is this a Catalina maple set? Or is it a club series? I did not know a 5 piece configuration was available in the club configuration. Nice comparison. Thanks
Nice comparison video. I had a wonderful set of Renowns but started using a Catalina Club kit instead. The Catalinas are so much easier to get around. (...that's important at my age...-lol) Plus I just Love the sound of Mahogany! By the way... what heads are you using? Thanks!
I’m using Remo colortone heads, which are just clear emperors. Not my usual sound but for this kits function, that’s what was the choice. I actually mostly gig with a Catalina kit because it weighs so much less and if I scratch it, it’s not that heartbreaking considering the price/value
I've got a Renown. Still trying to find heads that I like. Currently they have Aquarian heads...studio x clears over classic clears. Thinking about trying Evans coated G1s over clear G1s. What heads do you have on these? My kits a 13, 16 and 24 with a Dallas Drum aluminum snare.
Hey, great comparison! They are both great, depending on what you are after. The Renown obviously has better hardware, as to be expected. Speaking in the context of sound: Renown is superior for modern backbeat oriented genres of music. For swing Jazz, the Catalina Club is much more ideal. Thanks for posting this.
Yeah, I think you’re probably close to me in my view of the two. Sometimes I actually prefer the lighter hardware and shells of the Catalina’s over the heavier, thicker, higher end Renowns, but it’s all situational for me too.
While the renown were a little more resonant (this could be tuning?) I actually preferred the Catalinas. I didn't hear anything from the renown that would entice me to pay twice the price of the Catalinas for them.
I have both kits. The Catalina kit is light weight and very simple to tune. The snare is a bit weak however. The Renoun projects more volume and is a bit more challenging to tune. The Catalina is great for jazz because it doesnt project big volume. If you are rocker I suggest the Renoun as they are heavier and will project more.
I own a 24,12,16 70’s Gretsch, 24,13,16 Gretsch Renown RN2 and a Catalina Club Black Galaxy sparkle. All different kits. But enjoy all of them equally.
nicely tuned and great sounding recording. i got an older set of catalina, but a terrible room with low ceilings. i'd be stoked if i could get a recorded sound like you have here. i like the sound of the catalina here (i'm biased), although they both sound great..love gretsch
My ceilings are maybe 6.5 ft at most where I record my drums, and it’s probably not ideal, but I’ve certainly not struggled to get a good sound. I think if you worked to treat your room a little bit you could get a very passable room sound!
@@malonedrum yeah brick walls, concrete floor, low ceiling, regular basement..adds lots phase issues and some nasty frequency that does not sit well in any mix without a lot of EQing. the mics on the kit are ok/passable ..it the overheads..it just does not sound good for me at the kit, so it translates into the recording. i gotta research treating the room for sure..cheers
Nice comparison video. Too many just show someone doing a groove without a clear hearing of the toms. I like the bass drum sound better on the Renown. To me that extra 2" gives it a little more thump. But I liked the toms on the Catalina. I have a Catalina Club 4 piece in the yellow strata finish and have thought about upgrading. But I have it sounding pretty good to my ears. Rogers has come out with a kit in the champaign sparkle finish which is beautiful. But it is over 3 times what I paid for the Gretsch and not sure it sounds 3 times better. This is actually a great time to be a drummer. Manufacturer processes are better than 50 years ago so more inexpensive kits are pretty good now. I know more expensive kits would hold up better when doing a lot of setup and tear downs when gigging but the sound is not necessarily that much better. And when in a band setting where the drums are just sitting in a wall of sound where many of the nuances of a better kit aren't really heard the difference in price is a consideration. Because you have a more expensive kit doesn't mean you are a better drummer. Maybe it is more a status symbol.
Love the renown toms but prefer the Catalina bass drum. And yes the tuning is much lower to my ear on the renown shame perhaps tune them closer and redo?
Yeah, I mean I think you have to balance trying to compare things in an exact science, and tuning a drum where it sits I won’t be doing it again for these two kits, but you live, learn, adjust, and repeat.
For me, the 1st kit sounded much better. The second kit has an overtone that sounds like a stretching rubber band. My kit is somewhere in between and I've never really been happy about it. But, I grew up on 60s and 70s "thump." Great comparison.
Catalina has more focus. Have always preferred 20x14 bass drums too. The renown sounds a bit handful but I’m sure it’s wicked! Many drummers prefer it to the USA Custom and Brooklyn
Bass drum on the renown sounds punchier and louder. But to me, maple and birch bass drums always sound louder with more attack than any other wood. It was hard to compare the toms because the renowns had so much more sustain but you warned us about that. If you still have both sets I would love to hear the toms tuned to the same frequency.
Yeah, part of me also thinks it’s not fair to tune drums exactly the same because drum has its own sweet spot based on the build, but I can also understand the desire to have consistency in an experiment.
@@malonedrum Actually part of me just wants to hear the comparison of maple verse mahogany. It's the same manufacturer, same size kit, both 7 ply shells. I assume the same thickness. It would be a real nice comparison. Thanks for taking the time to do the video. Best
Yeah, I think the wood species probably has a lot to do with projection. The maple would be way harder, and the die cast hoops don’t hurt there either.
@@malonedrum sure, its a taste thing. I'm in the market for a 24/16/13 set, huge kicks look ugly drilled to me. actually having second thoughts now as a renown clearly sounds better in this video, more bloom, mids and that vintage mojo overall. and I really like the oyster wrap
I will say.. your technique is VERY good. And your tuning is also good. So you really sell the catalina's further than they may deserve with great technique and good tuning. I think you would make any drum set sound decent with your playing/tuning. I think the difference up against the renowns would be a LOT more dramatic with "average technique" and "average tuning" .. if that makes sense? Haha. Anyway, awesome comparison video!
I'd certainly agree that a great player could hopefully make almost anything sound good, and it's probably an underrated skill to be able to adjust your touch, and playing to bring out the best in an instrument. I appreciate the nice comments about my playing. They're all great drums to me!
They both sound good; we're you using any muffling/dampening? The Renowns are a bit ringy, I would say. A little too much sustain - most noticeable in the floor tom. Maybe a little moongel could dampen that a tad? All personal preference, I guess.
Yes, they both sound great! and no, I did not use muffling, and I typically would. Usually using the Snare Weight M80s or the smaller version, especially on a floor tom, but for this video I felt if I used muffling, I'm taking away from comparing the actual drums.
@@malonedrum Dear Mike, I though they were Catalina Club Maples shown on your video. Wow. Very nice tuning/mixing. Especially, just an overhead and a kick mic.
Thanks for the very useful comparison. The Catalina definitely does not have a “pro” sound. Good for students and casual gigging, but not for serious music making.
@@malonedrum yes, I can see that. I called the Renown sound “pro” in the sense that its resonance seems to give a lot more room for “engineering” the sound in a studio or amplified situation. In yours and other demos, the toms give very clear pitches. On the other hand, the Catalina sounds “drier” (shorter resonance) and less defined in a way that, as you suggest, evokes old jazz recordings. On another note, how do you feel about the Renown hardware? I’ve seen comments about it feeling “flimsy” or not polished (for the price) but what I see in pics and videos seems different. Unfortunately, there aren’t any Renown kits in my local stores to give it a try.
One thing that always bothers me about TH-cam people that dude drum demos is that they tuner drums tco loose or too low in that case. I tune my drums as you do I'm 56 and have been taught to buy a bigger drum.than to tune loose. I use black or chrome ambassadors on the reso heads. Pinstripes on all but the snare. Either way you gave a fair review.
I have them both, the Catalina has an 18in bass and the renown has a 22. Love them both but with proper tuning I think my 18 sounds punchier and boomier than the 22.
Yeah, to me the Catalina’s having thinner shells and lighter hardware is something that a lot of higher end drums miss due to the association between nicer being heavier duty.
Both kits sound great but the Renown sing a bit more and have a clearer tone. Not to say the Catalina could get the same tone, too, with some tweaking. I'm in the market for a 5 piece Renown kit next week. I use an older chrome Slingerland Krupa snare as my go-to snare drum. Should fit in nice with this kit.
Renow sound more sustain ,but i think is for tom holder , why your catalina doesn´t have suspension tom holder than last models? Its makes a huge difference in sound.... Beautiful kits I have a catalina jazz club , new models and every new model its better , sound like a pro drums... Great video, one more suscriber...
I removed the suspension mounts, I’m a big fan and advocate for DTS (Direct To Shell) mounting. I actually layer on released a video where I removed the suspension mounts from my renown kit and did DTS mounts.
Renown 💯 So the renown is made in Taiwan which makes excellent drums and hardware and also has the 302 3 mm Gretsch hoops and the overall quality is just much better. The Catalina is made in China using the 1.6 mm hoops with low quality chrome. I have a Catalina mahogany kit and it sounds great now that I’ve changed the heads and put Gibraltar 2.3 mm hoops on .
I actually prefer lighter hoops on drums typically. Lighter mass creates a nice sound, but I also dig having a bit more weight tighten up tones at times too.
Nice comparison, thank you! The Renowns are my next kit, they sound amazing for a so called budget kit. My Pearl ELX Selects on an ICON rack have been mistaken for a high end kit before, these should be too.
Thanks for the kind words! If this video reaches you anything I think it shows that you can get a great sound in either student level or entry line professional kits.
@@malonedrum Ear supercedes any particular note. As long as the interval is right and tone. I dont use Tunebot I reference with piano. I arrived at my “tuning technique” by using a Ddrum /triggers back in the 90’s You can change the pitch on the Ddrum module sample. I found when comparing my desired (say 10” ) drum tone/pitch to my drum heros Garibaldi, Enzo Todesco, Vinnie, Bissonette etc they were all very close to D#. So I matched my drums to the samples and didnt have to use much muffling. Hope that makes sense. I like your content I subscribed and invite you visit my youtube chan. As I said it’s not polished or purposed content. Its more for storage and sharing.
The Catalina’s clearly win here and I was rooting for the Renown’s. The Renown’s are maple and the Clubs are luan (Asian mahogany)? If so this is why the cat clubs sound warmer.
Renowns obviously have more resonance, but if you're playing to an audience you may not prefer it (or even hear it in the audience). Renowns are definitely better built... and much heavier. I'd buy used Renowns over equivalently used Cats since they'd be holding up better.
Certainly can't argue with you, but if the drum doesn't sing in the same exact tuning, I'd rather hear a drum where it's sounding balanced and in tune with itself then making sure I'm using some identical setting on a tune bot. But again, I hear you.
@@malonedrum The tuning of the set taken individually is not in question but the fact that they are compared, I repeat in my opinion, if they are not tuned in the same way, a reliable comparison cannot be made.
Interesting is they are actually the same snare. A Gretsch New Classic. I did the comparisons back to back so I can’t imagine the tuning changed at all either. Maybe just blended better with the particular set though.
I can’t say I’ve had the same issue, I’ve always been able to get extremely wide range of sounds/tones just from changing the variable things like heads, muffling, hoops, tuning, etc. I know the different wood specific would make a difference, but I’ve never felt limited to a particular sound based off shell material.
... Once you play a Sonor SQ1 birch kit ... there is no going back ! ... It is truly in a league of it's own (as far as sound). THAT'S WHY I TRADED IN MY RENOWNS.
@malonedrum well as you should know, I'm not a drum manufacturer. I will say, though they do have hybrid shells. For example, walnut/birch or walnut/maple. Walnut is a great wood come to find out. Especially for attack and cutting through. Also, could be the plies and/or bearing edges... could be many things. One thing about Gretsch is they put coated heads on ALL their kits which could be some of the sound problems. They sound deep most of the time but dead attack most of the time.
@@JoeMo2000 so it’s the heads, not the drums? I think heads influence the drum sound probably more than any other factor including bearing edges or shell construction (though they do have their place).
Excellent sound comparison. Less crash and ride cymbals being played, so it was much easier to hear the attack, tone, sustain and decay of each drum. Good job. Thanks.
Thanks
Thanks for taking the time to do this comparison. It was really helpful to hear the differences between the two drum kits, even though they are physically similar. I personally really prefer the sound of the club much more than the renown
Of course! And honestly, I think this video really highlights how great of a bargain the Catalina’s are.
This how all drum comparison videos should be. Well done
Thanks, I appreciate that!
One of the best drum comparison videos, i have found! Just playing simple beat and a fill, repeat it and or directly compare it, nothing too fancy, that will distract me from the sound of the toms. Thank you very much! 🙏
I’m glad you enjoyed it, thanks for leaving the kind words
I'm liking the sound of the Catalinas in this comparison! Punchy. The Renowns have more resonance and could probably use a bit of tweaking with the tuning. That being said, I just received my own set of Renowns in 24/13/16!
Congrats on your new drums, I bet those things are awesome!
I read a report somewhere where a recording engineer liked the Catalina drums and thought they were DW.
I go for Catalina due to price x benefits...
The Catalina series is made in the DW drum factory in Taiwan with ownership still under Gretsch. Taiwan quality is amazing for all products! I love my Catalina Club Jazz kit. @@marcros7289
This video was so helpful! Great to hear each set on its own and then a side by side at the end. Outstanding job! This has actually helped me make my decision as to which sound I like better and which set to get....definitely the Catalinas. And bonus, they're cheaper! Thanks again!!
I LOVE the Catalina sound.
Just bought a Renown kit. They have the Gretsch warmth, without the price tag. Also, the finishes are incredible for the price!
Congrats on your new kit!
Nice vid! Great comparison! Great playing. Thanks for sharing! Great production values, too.
Thanks, always working to up the production value, so I appreciate the sign of encouragement
Hey! It's GRETSCH!!!! Love them both. I have a Catalina Club BOP kit, so I'm partial to the Catalinas. Of course it's obvious the Renown is a higher quality instrument at 2x the price. Love that they both have the same fundamental sound, with the renown having a much superior overall resonance and tone Nice comparison
I probably prefer Catalina’s as well, I like the light weight of the overall drums, and that helps me get the sound I like for a lot of situations.
If you own a Catalina, you could buy one or two Renown rack toms for a change of pace. If you do that I wouldn’t get rid of the Catalina rack Tom because it still has its own sound.
Both kits sounded great. I am a little bit of a fan boy of Catalina‘s. I did note that the Renowns seemed deeper or lower. They were definitely more resonant. I do find it interesting that both the Renown and the Catalina lines have a long history with Gretsch as you can find early iterations of these brand names in the 1920s and 1930s catalogs.
I was not aware those two series dated back that far.
Great comparison video, nice work put into it
Thanks! 👍
It might just be the tuning, but I think I preferred the Catalinas here. The tone felt a bit cleaner and more defined. I really didn't like the sound of the renown floor tom, but that's probably just tuning. Too "wobbly" sounding for me.
Overall though, the sound is VERY close.
I do totally disagree with you, there’s an argument to be made for triple flanged hoops on thinner shells having a nice sound.
Renown hands down...huge difference!!
Good call, I'm certainly enjoying the Renowns, but the Catalina's were also great too.
I own both. I love them both equally and keep both because of their unique tones for different songs
Great video, thank you!
I would love to hear the Catalina maple kit compared to the renown, as I am shopping for a kit for my studio now.
If I had them, I'd surely be happy to oblige, but I imagine it'd be very similar to these results.
Renown every time!! I have both Renown and USA Custom, there is nothing in it sound wise but the USA kit will always be worth more financially. I think given time the Gretsch Renown kits will increase in value.
Yeah, I was just at the Chicago Drum Show this past weekend and it got me thinking about how things like Catalina’s and Renown’s will be viewed at once they are old enough to be considered vintage. I feel like everybody has now embraced 80s and 90s kits as “vintage” and somewhat desirable now.
Really ? wow...
Awesome video.
Thanks a much!
Thanks for watching!
Renown seems to have a bit more 'weight' although they are ringing more than the Catalina's. Both sound really good. I think I'm about to spring for a set of the Renowns.
Exactly.
Thank you for bringing this great little clip. For me the sonic sounds of the renown are the greater.
My pleasure!
I have both these kits, black ebony with a 8" rack added on the renown and white chocolate on the club. Bigger Renown kit is more of a permanent set at church I play every week. I use the club kit when we play in public park twice a year, easier to set up/ break down to o the park. I Mic up the club kit on the open air stand at the park, it still gets the sound I need in the mix on the board. The black Renown came with a free 8" which I seldom need. Sometimes I take it as a mismatch with theWhite Chocolate club and add it off a cymbal boom.
By the way I'm trying to sell the Catalina Club with or without cymbals and booms.
Both great kits!
Hey Mike, hope all is well. Last year I picked up a renown bop kit. I already owned a cat bop kit. I agree that both kits sound great. I did some comparisons but my bop kit had single ply heads and the Renowns had two ply so it wasn’t a true comparison like yours. Although I can’t say how it affected the sound I think the heavier hardware and 302 rims on the Renowns affects the sound. I think The maple shells vs the poplar shells make a big difference. The Renowns had more sustain and volume. I found The cats are more subtle and warmer. Great video!!
Yeah, it's almost a preference for the genre you play. In many settings, a Catalina could be a better fit and more desirable, but I still own a Catalina and a Renown, and they are both fantastic.
Great video my son
Dad?
Even with decent headphones on they sound pretty similar to me. I don' t think I'd pay the premium for the Renowns, but I do like their wraps way better. They look really good. The Renowns do seem like they have more sustain so I wonder if the bearing edges are the same on both sets of drums.
I’d agree with ya
I love "That Great Gretsch Sound"! My Catalina Club Jazz kit is amazing!
I would like to have heard more info on the type of wood (mahogany, maple,, etc.), number of plies and any other info on the shells.
Which heads did you use?
What size are the snare drums?
What size (thickness) are the hoops? Are these identical?
Which sticks are you using?
By the way, my personal preference from your video is the Catalina Club.
I don’t go into all of that because it’s all easily available online x in this demo the snares are the same drum, and I’m using Remos colortone heads.
IMO, a huge difference. Renown has more tone, more clarity, more character, more everything... Catalinas are somewhat pale, fuzzy and muted.
Could also be recording/tuning, but I do agree the Renowns tone is a little clearly
Renowns have better clarity and the mounting metal part is better as in better build quality. The Catalina toms can be better in a song recording if you want the toms a little more controlled or a little more subdued. …For drum solos, the Renowns can be better since they are a little more pronounced and forward sounding.
Tuned up properly and mic'd; mine sound great.
I have used both kits. Catalina is light weight (thin Shells) and the toms sound and tune up really well. The Catalina snare that I had was a 5.5 and was honestly the weak link on the kit. So get the Cats to save some money, but get a good snare because the 5.5 inch cat mahogany snare really kinda sucks. Forgot to mention, the Catalina hardware is, well, cheap to be blunt.
I have the same feelings on the Catalina's I mostly used them for gigging because they are so light weight to carry around, and also much easier to replace if need be. I bought mine without a snare, so I don't have much experience with the snares, not surprised though. They don't even cut snare beds on most of those student level kits.
What do you think about upgrading the hoops? I’ve had great luck with upgrading student kits to 2.3mm but I haven’t decided what I want to do with my cats. Leave them, or go to 2.3 or 3mm.
They both sound great. Since I started drumming I felt in love with the gretsch usa custom that was shown in my favorite drum shop. Of course far away from affordable at this time. The renown reminds me so much of that sound. Is this comparison appropriate?
Thanks for checking it out! Renowns and Catalinas would be great for a more economical way to get a great Gretsch sounding kit.
yes Renowns are the best kept pro secret. built overseas to Grtsch USA specs. The working budget drummers USA’s
That Catalina is PUNCHY! Do you know anything about the Club Maple snare's? I found a gold sparkle 14x6.5 at my local used guitar shop. I was thinking of getting it but i couldn't find any demos on it and it was tuned low and I didn't have a drum key to see how it's sounded tuned high. It was going for $200
$200 feels pretty steep for that drum because in my opinion, when you see stock snares with mid level kits, they typically are not built with a ton of thought and design, sometimes they don't even have snare beds.
@@malonedrum it was actually pretty light feeling as well. Thanks for the input 👍
@@malonedrum About 10 years ago I found a Ludwig supraphonic all metal in a pawn shop and got the guy down to $90. I put new heads on and a new snare strand. It is my go to for almost all my kits. Easy to tune up or down. I bought the Catalina Club in 2016, 4-pc with the maple snare. Less than $600 for the whole shell pack. $200 for that snare is a bit high. Mine sounds great and easy to tune.
I too prefer the sound of the Catalina over the renown. Much smoother. Two questions:
1. Can you recommend a hoop mm replacement for the cats (2.3 vs 302 hoops). Sound is modern worship low key to high energy in smaller room. Or if you recommend to stick with stock 1.6 that’s cool too.
2. What are the fabric rings you have on your cats in many of your other videos
I’m not sure I can pinpoint a specific mm hoop correlated to a specific genre of music, but I find thicker/heavier hoops tighten up the sound a bit.
I use Roots EQ muffling on lots of drums in different situations. Great company and option for muffling.
Catalina are 7ply thin mahogany /Renown being 7 ply maple is a huge tone and volume difference.I've had both and they are equally are amazing but...If you need volume ? Renown are 3x louder especially if your not mic'd. Mahogany has beautiful low end tone but the volume especially on the racks is really not there.the kicks and floor toms shine on the catalina gear.Great Comparison Mike,as alway's.
Can't argue with that. I find that most situations where I need to project, Im mic'd up, but maybe in a big band or concert band the Renowns would help cut acoustically.
They both sound great! Visually I really like the Renown! 🥁❤
This guy gets it!
Nice comparison well done
Thanks Johnny! Glad you enjoyed it.
Is this a Catalina maple set? Or is it a club series? I did not know a 5 piece configuration was available in the club configuration. Nice comparison. Thanks
It's a club series, but I got the 10" tom after the shell pack, both used actually.
More build
Videos mike. Loving the content
Got a number of drum DIY project videos coming up in the queue, surely some more gear reviews and comparisons as well.
Hey man awesome video! Is this the 14x5.5 catalinas snare drum or the 14x5.5 renow snare drum? Thanks man
It' the same Gretsch New Classic snare in both videos, neither kit came with a snare in the variation I bought.
Mike how did you tune The Catalina club? Did use a ddrum dial if so what are the drum dial numbers?
I just tune by ear and feel, never tried out any of those tuning gadgets.
Nice comparison video. I had a wonderful set of Renowns but started using a Catalina Club kit instead. The Catalinas are so much easier to get around. (...that's important at my age...-lol)
Plus I just Love the sound of Mahogany!
By the way... what heads are you using?
Thanks!
I’m using Remo colortone heads, which are just clear emperors. Not my usual sound but for this kits function, that’s what was the choice. I actually mostly gig with a Catalina kit because it weighs so much less and if I scratch it, it’s not that heartbreaking considering the price/value
I prefer my mahogany cats also!
@@malonedrum great demo! I’m looking at getting a set of renown or brooklyns.. why is the renown so much heavier than the Catalina?
@@philipcullin983 hardware, shell thickness.
I've got a Renown. Still trying to find heads that I like. Currently they have Aquarian heads...studio x clears over classic clears. Thinking about trying Evans coated G1s over clear G1s. What heads do you have on these? My kits a 13, 16 and 24 with a Dallas Drum aluminum snare.
I had Remo Colortones on these kits.
Hey, great comparison! They are both great, depending on what you are after. The Renown obviously has better hardware, as to be expected. Speaking in the context of sound: Renown is superior for modern backbeat oriented genres of music. For swing Jazz, the Catalina Club is much more ideal. Thanks for posting this.
Yeah, I think you’re probably close to me in my view of the two. Sometimes I actually prefer the lighter hardware and shells of the Catalina’s over the heavier, thicker, higher end Renowns, but it’s all situational for me too.
While the renown were a little more resonant (this could be tuning?) I actually preferred the Catalinas. I didn't hear anything from the renown that would entice me to pay twice the price of the Catalinas for them.
I agree that once you get past student level kits/mid level kit, the increase in price compared to increase in quality diminishes.
I have both kits. The Catalina kit is light weight and very simple to tune. The snare is a bit weak however. The Renoun projects more volume and is a bit more challenging to tune. The Catalina is great for jazz because it doesnt project big volume. If you are rocker I suggest the Renoun as they are heavier and will project more.
I think the snare on any of those students kit are really just the bare minimum to be passable.
I own a 24,12,16 70’s Gretsch, 24,13,16 Gretsch Renown RN2 and a Catalina Club Black Galaxy sparkle. All different kits. But enjoy all of them equally.
I couldn’t agree more as somebody with multiple Gretsch kits!
nicely tuned and great sounding recording. i got an older set of catalina, but a terrible room with low ceilings. i'd be stoked if i could get a recorded sound like you have here. i like the sound of the catalina here (i'm biased), although they both sound great..love gretsch
My ceilings are maybe 6.5 ft at most where I record my drums, and it’s probably not ideal, but I’ve certainly not struggled to get a good sound. I think if you worked to treat your room a little bit you could get a very passable room sound!
@@malonedrum yeah brick walls, concrete floor, low ceiling, regular basement..adds lots phase issues and some nasty frequency that does not sit well in any mix without a lot of EQing. the mics on the kit are ok/passable ..it the overheads..it just does not sound good for me at the kit, so it translates into the recording. i gotta research treating the room for sure..cheers
I agree the Renown's have a bit more punch & presents. Please keep tuning drums to were the drum feels comfortable, let it talk let it breathe. Thnx!!
Totally agree with you, thanks for the kind remarks!
Nice comparison video. Too many just show someone doing a groove without a clear hearing of the toms. I like the bass drum sound better on the Renown. To me that extra 2" gives it a little more thump. But I liked the toms on the Catalina. I have a Catalina Club 4 piece in the yellow strata finish and have thought about upgrading. But I have it sounding pretty good to my ears.
Rogers has come out with a kit in the champaign sparkle finish which is beautiful. But it is over 3 times what I paid for the Gretsch and not sure it sounds 3 times better.
This is actually a great time to be a drummer. Manufacturer processes are better than 50 years ago so more inexpensive kits are pretty good now. I know more expensive kits would hold up better when doing a lot of setup and tear downs when gigging but the sound is not necessarily that much better. And when in a band setting where the drums are just sitting in a wall of sound where many of the nuances of a better kit aren't really heard the difference in price is a consideration. Because you have a more expensive kit doesn't mean you are a better drummer. Maybe it is more a status symbol.
Well said!
Am I the only one that prefers the sound of those cats instead of the renown?
Is the catalina a maple or mahogany?
I think it’s not too much different, but sometimes I enjoy the sound of a lighter shell, with lighter hardware like on cheaper drums.
@@malonedrum I like the phatter tone also instead of the bright renown’s
Yeah, I think the die cast hoops really accentuate that feature
@@malonedrum so are your cats maple or mahogany?
@@SwordCymbal79 Mahogany I believe
Love the renown toms but prefer the Catalina bass drum. And yes the tuning is much lower to my ear on the renown shame perhaps tune them closer and redo?
Yeah, I mean I think you have to balance trying to compare things in an exact science, and tuning a drum where it sits I won’t be doing it again for these two kits, but you live, learn, adjust, and repeat.
@@malonedrum Thanks Mike very useful in any case.
It's hard to beat the Renown kits for value for money. They sound every bit as good as the Brooklyns, in my opinion.
Yeah, I think once you get into the high quality parts like hoops, shell material, and attention to craftsmanship they are all pretty great.
I have the Purewood Hickory and it sounds like canons. Even sounds amazing in a mix recorded on an iPhone.
Hickory is really hard, not surprised to hear that.
@@malonedrum You’re absolutely correct. Usually reserved for making drumsticks but this kit is next level thunder.
Thankfully l have both these kits...love them equally..Renown sounds alittle richer..but both very nice.😊
I totally agree!
Catalina's sound thin next to the Renown.
Certainly a different sound.
For me, the 1st kit sounded much better. The second kit has an overtone that sounds like a stretching rubber band. My kit is somewhere in between and I've never really been happy about it. But, I grew up on 60s and 70s "thump." Great comparison.
I think they are both great kits, but I also lean towards the first.
Catalina has more focus. Have always preferred 20x14 bass drums too. The renown sounds a bit handful but I’m sure it’s wicked! Many drummers prefer it to the USA Custom and Brooklyn
I just picked up a Brooklyn kit with a 20" x 14", so more Gretsch videos to come I guess...
Bass drum on the renown sounds punchier and louder. But to me, maple and birch bass drums always sound louder with more attack than any other wood.
It was hard to compare the toms because the renowns had so much more sustain but you warned us about that. If you still have both sets I would love to hear the toms tuned to the same frequency.
Yeah, part of me also thinks it’s not fair to tune drums exactly the same because drum has its own sweet spot based on the build, but I can also understand the desire to have consistency in an experiment.
@@malonedrum Actually part of me just wants to hear the comparison of maple verse mahogany. It's the same manufacturer, same size kit, both 7 ply shells. I assume the same thickness. It would be a real nice comparison.
Thanks for taking the time to do the video. Best
The cats are mahogany I believe while the renowns are maple and with silver sealer. Any shell with sealer is going to project more.
Yeah, I think the wood species probably has a lot to do with projection. The maple would be way harder, and the die cast hoops don’t hurt there either.
I own a clubrock 24 12 16 and its all attack love my gretsch and the price was right for a weekend drummer
Agreed!
such a shame there's no renowns with virgin 24 kick. have to go with the catalina then
I don’t like a virgin kick, but if it’s important to you, I guess you gotta go a different route.
@@malonedrum sure, its a taste thing. I'm in the market for a 24/16/13 set, huge kicks look ugly drilled to me. actually having second thoughts now as a renown clearly sounds better in this video, more bloom, mids and that vintage mojo overall. and I really like the oyster wrap
I will say.. your technique is VERY good. And your tuning is also good. So you really sell the catalina's further than they may deserve with great technique and good tuning. I think you would make any drum set sound decent with your playing/tuning. I think the difference up against the renowns would be a LOT more dramatic with "average technique" and "average tuning" .. if that makes sense? Haha. Anyway, awesome comparison video!
I'd certainly agree that a great player could hopefully make almost anything sound good, and it's probably an underrated skill to be able to adjust your touch, and playing to bring out the best in an instrument. I appreciate the nice comments about my playing. They're all great drums to me!
Also the price is different.Renown van be compared to Usa custom but much cheaper.
Renowns are great, but Catalinas are a huge bargin. Also the prices have changed drastically (along with most everything) since I released this video.
They both sound good; we're you using any muffling/dampening? The Renowns are a bit ringy, I would say. A little too much sustain - most noticeable in the floor tom. Maybe a little moongel could dampen that a tad? All personal preference, I guess.
Yes, they both sound great! and no, I did not use muffling, and I typically would. Usually using the Snare Weight M80s or the smaller version, especially on a floor tom, but for this video I felt if I used muffling, I'm taking away from comparing the actual drums.
If 5he floor had been tuned evenly it would have sounded a little better. But both kits are great 👍
A more apt comparison would be Catalina Maples to Renowns...please do that next
Send me a set of Catalina Maples and I’ll get right to it! I’d love to.
@@malonedrum Dear Mike, I though they were Catalina Club Maples shown on your video. Wow. Very nice tuning/mixing. Especially, just an overhead and a kick mic.
Thanks for the very useful comparison. The Catalina definitely does not have a “pro” sound. Good for students and casual gigging, but not for serious music making.
I feel like maybe what you consider “pro” sound, I would interpret as “modern” sound.
@@malonedrum yes, I can see that. I called the Renown sound “pro” in the sense that its resonance seems to give a lot more room for “engineering” the sound in a studio or amplified situation. In yours and other demos, the toms give very clear pitches. On the other hand, the Catalina sounds “drier” (shorter resonance) and less defined in a way that, as you suggest, evokes old jazz recordings. On another note, how do you feel about the Renown hardware? I’ve seen comments about it feeling “flimsy” or not polished (for the price) but what I see in pics and videos seems different. Unfortunately, there aren’t any Renown kits in my local stores to give it a try.
@@WxkR I find the renown hardware plenty robust and high quality, it’s just heavier, so for me maybe not as ideal for gigging.
@@malonedrum thanks!
The sound comparison of the drums didn’t really translate to me. BUT, you definitely seemed to show more satisfaction playing the Renown kit
Yeah, I like them both. In studio, the Renown, but for gigging, I'd probably prefer the Catalina.
Diferent tunning Renown is lower than catalinas but so similar. I think the finishes, are the difference.
I certainly have a preference on finish, but yes, I think they both sound great.
theres almost nothing between them bt if i had to decide id say the catalina is a little warmer
I like the Catalinas
One thing that always bothers me about TH-cam people that dude drum demos is that they tuner drums tco loose or too low in that case.
I tune my drums as you do I'm 56 and have been taught to buy a bigger drum.than to tune loose. I use black or chrome ambassadors on the reso heads. Pinstripes on all but the snare. Either way you gave a fair review.
I try my best, but everybody has a personal preference when it comes to tuning a drum, so of course there's some bias in how I do, and everybody else.
I have them both, the Catalina has an 18in bass and the renown has a 22. Love them both but with proper tuning I think my 18 sounds punchier and boomier than the 22.
I love playing an 18” bass drum on louder gigs. They pack a punch!
I prefer the Catalina’s, to me they are more pure, clear and punchier while the renowns sound kind of trapped to me if that makes sense to anyone.
Yeah, to me the Catalina’s having thinner shells and lighter hardware is something that a lot of higher end drums miss due to the association between nicer being heavier duty.
Renown sounds (to me) like there's ring residual coming off the toms.
I do think due to the build, they speak a little more and resonate.
RN2 wins. I like the sound
They’re both awesome choices!
Both kits sound great but the Renown sing a bit more and have a clearer tone. Not to say the Catalina could get the same tone, too, with some tweaking. I'm in the market for a 5 piece Renown kit next week. I use an older chrome Slingerland Krupa snare as my go-to snare drum. Should fit in nice with this kit.
Yeah, I think either kit would serve you well.
Renow sound more sustain ,but i think is for tom holder , why your catalina doesn´t have suspension tom holder than last models? Its makes a huge difference in sound.... Beautiful kits I have a catalina jazz club , new models and every new model its better , sound like a pro drums...
Great video, one more suscriber...
I removed the suspension mounts, I’m a big fan and advocate for DTS (Direct To Shell) mounting. I actually layer on released a video where I removed the suspension mounts from my renown kit and did DTS mounts.
Renown 💯 So the renown is made in Taiwan which makes excellent drums and hardware and also has the 302 3 mm Gretsch hoops and the overall quality is just much better. The Catalina is made in China using the 1.6 mm hoops with low quality chrome. I have a Catalina mahogany kit and it sounds great now that I’ve changed the heads and put Gibraltar 2.3 mm hoops on .
I actually prefer lighter hoops on drums typically. Lighter mass creates a nice sound, but I also dig having a bit more weight tighten up tones at times too.
Nice comparison, thank you! The Renowns are my next kit, they sound amazing for a so called budget kit. My Pearl ELX Selects on an ICON rack have been mistaken for a high end kit before, these should be too.
Thanks for the kind words!
If this video reaches you anything I think it shows that you can get a great sound in either student level or entry line professional kits.
Renown RN2 Sound and aesthetics
Can’t argue with you, clearly I made my choice
Gretsch Renown yes 🥁😅🙌🏼
👍👍👍
the Cats are tuned better but I play Renowns. (tuned better). I much prefer the DC hoops on the Renowns
I’d love to hear how yours are tuned!
I currently tune them to proximity pitch as follows. MB Drum Kit :
SD-435 Bb/F
Gretsch renown
8” - G#3 207.65 Hz
10” - D#3 155.56 Hz
12” - Bb2 116.54 Hz
14”- F2 87.31 Hz
16”- C2 65.41 Hz
@@MikeBixby that’s cool, I’ve never been one to use gadgets like the tunebot to tune a drum, much more trying to balance feel/sound to my ears.
@@malonedrum Ear supercedes any particular note. As long as the interval is right and tone. I dont use Tunebot I reference with piano. I arrived at my “tuning technique” by using a Ddrum /triggers back in the 90’s You can change the pitch on the Ddrum module sample. I found when comparing my desired (say 10” ) drum tone/pitch to my drum heros Garibaldi, Enzo Todesco, Vinnie, Bissonette etc they were all very close to D#. So I matched my drums to the samples and didnt have to use much muffling. Hope that makes sense. I like your content I subscribed and invite you visit my youtube chan. As I said it’s not polished or purposed content. Its more for storage and sharing.
@@MikeBixby thanks for your explanation, I’ll check out your channel!
The cats have less ring and to me thats a good thing. Especially in the studio. Why spend more.
I sometimes prefer a thinner shell as well.
The renown should sound better but they need tweeking. Too much pitch dive right now especially in the floor tom
To each their own, I’ve since also switched to different heads for this kit. Like the warmer tone of coated heads more typically.
maybe the catalina heads are old and the renow are new
Patches?
@@malonedrum heads, in mexico patches are drum heads.
Energy vs Renown would be interesting.
You buy and send me the Energy kit, I’ll do it. Already bought the Renown, so you’re getting the much better deal.
@@malonedrum ok I'll let you know soon.
The Catalina’s clearly win here and I was rooting for the Renown’s. The Renown’s are maple and the Clubs are luan (Asian mahogany)? If so this is why the cat clubs sound warmer.
I love the thinner/warmer shells of Mahogany. Very underrated in comparison to higher end drums.
Renowns obviously have more resonance, but if you're playing to an audience you may not prefer it (or even hear it in the audience). Renowns are definitely better built... and much heavier. I'd buy used Renowns over equivalently used Cats since they'd be holding up better.
I’ve never had an issue with Catalina’s “holding up” but I understand your comment.
That Renown floor has some weird overtones.
Yeah, I went by ear what sounded best to me, and left them wide open, so I'm sure there's some of that between the two kits.
@@malonedrum Same heads right?
@@MultiSkyman1 yes
@@malonedrum Thx
The comparison should be made with the same tuning, while the renown is clearly a lower tuning.
Certainly can't argue with you, but if the drum doesn't sing in the same exact tuning, I'd rather hear a drum where it's sounding balanced and in tune with itself then making sure I'm using some identical setting on a tune bot.
But again, I hear you.
@@malonedrum The tuning of the set taken individually is not in question but the fact that they are compared, I repeat in my opinion, if they are not tuned in the same way, a reliable comparison cannot be made.
@@astrofranco Sorry this video can't be helpful to you! Hope you didn't have to waste too much of your time or resources into watching it!
The snare on the Renown sounds better... :))
Interesting is they are actually the same snare. A Gretsch New Classic. I did the comparisons back to back so I can’t imagine the tuning changed at all either. Maybe just blended better with the particular set though.
@@malonedrum I was joking 😁
You never know on the internet these days… anyways, cheers mate!
Almost sounds like single ply heads on renown and double ply on Catalina.
Same heads, but interested observation.
More punch in Renown
Sure, I could see that.
The renown have that dropped-down kind of tone, reminiscent of old Yamaha RCs... 'Doon, Dooom, Dooooomm."
Probably a tuning thing, I feel like that comes with the top head being tighter than the bottom
@@malonedrum actually, the opposite.
@@tomkelsey2303 what do I know
The cats sound good, but I do hear a huge difference between the two. Renown is killer.
Thanks, I imagine you have some serious hands on experience with these Renown’s to speak from experience…
Hi, what's the different between the 2 kits ?, 👍
Not much in it in the grand scheme of things
I prefer the club hands down
I’m a huge fan of the Catalina’s as well!
I am soooo BORED with the maple sound ... They all sound the same. Gretsch would be wise to offer a serious Birch kit .
I can’t say I’ve had the same issue, I’ve always been able to get extremely wide range of sounds/tones just from changing the variable things like heads, muffling, hoops, tuning, etc. I know the different wood specific would make a difference, but I’ve never felt limited to a particular sound based off shell material.
... Once you play a Sonor SQ1 birch kit ... there is no going back ! ... It is truly in a league of it's own (as far as sound). THAT'S WHY I TRADED IN MY RENOWNS.
@@Es-ch3nn I’m sure glad you found what works for you!
NOW THIS IS "PUNCHY" ... th-cam.com/video/wLKIpCgoOrQ/w-d-xo.html
The snare on the renown is way better. over all the Renown is better here.
They’re the same snare
@@malonedrum well it does sound better in the renown clips🤷🏽♂️
I think you may have just saved me about $4k...
Feel free to repay me through Venmo
True. Renown floor tom out of tune
Ehhh, I’d argue that the way I tuned them may be a personal preference, but I don’t think it’s necessarily “out of tune”
WTF tunning is this?
High to low from smallest to largest drum
Sound dead compared to Tama and Mapex.
Hmmmm, can't say I share the same sentiment.
@malonedrum Well of course not because you're a Gretsch guy. The attack and response isn't there with Gretsch.
@@JoeMo2000 ok, what specific construction/compenant factor makes Tama/Mapex have more life?
@malonedrum well as you should know, I'm not a drum manufacturer. I will say, though they do have hybrid shells. For example, walnut/birch or walnut/maple. Walnut is a great wood come to find out. Especially for attack and cutting through. Also, could be the plies and/or bearing edges... could be many things. One thing about Gretsch is they put coated heads on ALL their kits which could be some of the sound problems. They sound deep most of the time but dead attack most of the time.
@@JoeMo2000 so it’s the heads, not the drums? I think heads influence the drum sound probably more than any other factor including bearing edges or shell construction (though they do have their place).