fbop corporation was a financial services company based in oak park , illinois , united states .

as of mid-2009 , it had $ 18.5 billion in assets and was the 46th largest bank holding company in the united states .

on october 30 , 2009 , fbop 's banking subsidiaries were closed by their chartering agencies and the federal deposit insurance corporation was appointed as their receiver .

the company had over 4064 employees .

the holding company began as first bank of oak park .

fbop started acquiring other banks in 1990 .

in 2006 , first bank of oak park merged with four other co-owned banks in illinois to create park national bank .

fbop operated banks in illinois , california , texas , and arizona , prior to their closure .

u.s. bancorp acquired all nine of fbop 's nine banks on the day of closure , but later sold the three texas-based banks to prosperity bancshares .

fbop corporation

the nine banks were subsidiaries of fbop corporation , oak park , illinois . fbop corporation was not closed and was not subject to today ' s actions .
pension benefit guaranty corporation , intervenor plaintiff , represented by colin b . albaugh , pension benefit guaranty corporation & simon j . torres , pension benefit guaranty corporation .
federal deposit insurance corporation v . fbop corporation et al , no . 1 : 2014cv04307 - document 205 ( n . d . ill . 2017 )
ask a question about working or interviewing at fbop corporation . our community is ready to answer .
federal deposit insurance corporation v . fbop corporation et al , no . 1 : 2014cv04307 - document 205 ( n . d . ill . 2017 ) : : justia
fbop corporation , defendant , represented by edward c . fitzpatrick , faegre baker daniels & kate e middleton , faegre baker daniels llp .
fbop corporation was a great company with lots of good people working there . unfortunately , it was taken over by the fdic and is no longer in business .
— california national bank is a consumer and business bank in the southern california area . overviewcal national bank originally began in 1996 when fbop corporation acquired torrance bank . two years later , fbop acquired five branches of topa… …
but this friday was also a bit different , because all nine banks were subsidiaries of the same company , fbop corporation . us bank of minnesota gobbled up all of fbop ' s deposits and almost all of its assets .
fbop charges that claims made by the pbgc that they are abandoning their pension plan are
knowingly false
and based on facts that the government corporation has admitted are wrong .
the fdic assessed cross - guaranty liability against , and demanded immediate payment from , park national bank and citizens national bank as a result of the failure of affiliated banks in fbop corporation .
a failed oak park bank corporation is trading lawsuits with a government agency , a year and a half after it was shut down .
federal deposit insurance corporation , as a separate and distinct receiver of bank usa , n . a . , california national bank , citizens national bank of teague , madisonville state bank , north houston bank , pacific national bank , park national bank , and san diego national bank , plaintiff , v . fbop corporation , et al . , defendants .
yesterday , the fdic entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with u . s . bank , n . a . , headquartered in minneapolis , minnesota , to assume all of the deposits of nine failed banks . the nine banks were subsidiaries of fbop corporation , headquartered in oak park , illinois .
fbop was still in good shape as the second quarter of 2008 ended . just over a month later , fannie and freddie were seized , reducing the value of some $ 885 million in securities to zero overnight . several weeks later , fbop lost another $ 100 million when wamu failed . fbop had purchased wamu paper when it was rated investment grade . in less than a month , fbop had lost 63 percent of its tier 1 capital .
fbop ' s financial woes extended to its owner as well . on september 30 , 2009 , michael kelly (
kelly
) , fbop ' s president and sole shareholder , caused fbop to lend him $ 6 . 5 million at an interest rate of 3 . 25 % per year . ( id . ¶¶ 335 - 36 . )
with the corporation carrying such a massive debt load and soon to be out of existence , the pbgc believes it won ' t be able to make payments to the 2 , 589 retirees in its pension system .
fbop , in exchange for the liens and its efforts to claim the banks ' tax refunds , received the following : ( i ) jpmc agreed to acquire and forgive the $ 6 million kelly lent himself on behalf of fbop ; ( ii ) jpmc and bmo permitted fbop to pay approximately $ 13 . 7 million in deferred compensation owed to former officers of the banks and fbop ; and ( iii ) jpmc and bmo waived any potential claims they had against kelly and fbop ' s former officers . ( am . compl . ¶¶ 351 - 53 ; dkt . no . 70 at 4 . )
in addition , substantially all loans are subject to a loss sharing agreement with the fdic . u . s . bank will not acquire any additional assets or liabilities of the banks’ parent holding company , fbop corporation . this acquisition is expected to meet or exceed the company’s internal financial hurdles for internal rate of return and earnings per share accretion .
fbop remained in existence as a legal entity , albeit as a bank holding company without subsidiary banks . during the two years following the banks ' failure , fbop received approximately $ 275 . 6 million in tax refunds ( the
tax refunds
) attributable to taxes paid by the banks during the 2004 - 2009 tax years . ( am . compl . ¶¶ 124 - 31 . ) fbop did not return the tax refunds to the banks or to the fdic - r . instead , at the urging of its creditors and in exchange for financial benefits to fbop insiders , fbop asserted ownership over the tax refunds and pledged its asserted rights to its various creditors to the detriment of the original taxpayers : the banks . ( id . ¶¶ 345 , 346 , 358 , 385 , 388 . ) the fdic - r objected to fbop ' s actions and demanded that fbop transfer the banks ' tax refunds to the fdic - r . fbop refused , and the ownership of the tax refunds is now the subject of this lawsuit .
the seventh circuit ' s holding in sentinel is directly applicable to the facts alleged in the fdic - r ' s amended complaint , which the court must accept as true as this stage of the case . fbop , like sentinel , improperly pledged others ' assets to satisfy its own creditors . in sentinel , those assets were ( supposedly ) segregated client funds ; in this case , the assets were the tax refunds that fbop repeatedly represented to regulators as belonging to the banks . fbop , as the banks ' designated tax agent , controlled those assets much like sentinel controlled its clients ' funds . and fbop used its position as the banks ' tax agent to improperly pledge the tax refunds to satisfy its own debts , much like sentinel pledge its clients ' assets to meet bny ' s collateral demand . fbop and its creditors erected a web of liens and side agreements to benefit all of fbop ' s creditors except the fdic - r , and subsequently conspired to subject the banks ' tax refunds to the provisions of the liens and side agreements , rather than immediately transferring the tax refunds to the banks as fbop had done in the past . furthermore , unlike sentinel , fbop did not pledge the banks ' tax refunds as part of a desperate attempt to stay in business . fbop had been insolvent for nearly one year by the time fbop granted the liens to jpmc and bmo , and the settlement agreements expressly called for fbop to be liquidated following the distribution funds to its creditors . fbop ' s motivation , according to the amended complaint , was to grant its creditors access to the banks ' tax refunds in exchange for the creditors ' agreement to forgive the $ 6 . 5 million kelly caused fbop to loan him and to pay certain deferred compensation benefits to fbop insiders . jpmc ' s and bmo ' s arguments that they
inevitably
would have obtained the same liens had fbop not entered into the settlement agreements is irrelevant to the court ' s determination of whether the fdic - r has sufficiently alleged that fbop acted with actual fraudulent intent . there was no suggestion in sentinel that bny ' s lien on sentinel ' s assets was improper . in sentinel , the fraud arose from sentinel improperly subjecting its clients ' assets to bny ' s otherwise valid lien on sentinel ' s assets . here , the fraud arises from fbop improperly subjecting the banks ' tax refunds to the jpmc ' s and bmo ' s otherwise valid liens on fbop ' s assets .
— infobox company company name = fulton financial corporation company company type = public ( nasdaq | fult ) company slogan = a balanced design for growth foundation = 1982 location = lancaster , pennsylvania , usa key people = r . scott smith , jr . ceo… …
on october 31 , 2007 , fbop and the banks entered into an agreement to allocate consolidated federal and state income tax liabilities ( the
2007 tax allocation agreement
) . ( am . compl . ¶ 238 . ) the purpose of the 2007 tax allocation agreement was to allow fbop and the banks to continue filing taxes as a consolidated group , as they had done since 2004 , with fbop acting as the banks ' agent for filing tax returns , paying taxes , and seeking refunds . ( id . ¶ 59 , 60 , 239 , 241 . ) since 2004 , each bank had paid its own tax liability by transferring funds to fbop . fbop then transferred the banks ' tax payments to the irs . ( id . ¶ 65 . ) fbop likewise transferred any tax refunds attributable to banks ' earnings back to the banks upon receiving the refunds from the irs . fbop and the banks envisioned the same arrangement under the 2007 tax allocation agreement and , until the banks failed in 2009 , all of the parties acted as though the banks ' tax refunds belonged to the banks , not fbop . ( id . ¶¶ 242 - 43 , 378 . )
patrick d . cavanaugh , of high ridge partners , inc . not individually , but solely as trustee - assignee under fbop corporation ' s turst agreement and assignment for the benefit of creditors , defendant , represented by thomas p . cimino , jr . , vedder price p . c . , douglas joseph lipke , vedder price p . c . & william w . thorsness , iii , vedder price p . c . .
to those unfamiliar with the institution , park national bank was the name used by the 30 - odd local branches owned by fbop corp . first bank of oak park grew up in our backyard , made smart investments in rtc ( resolution trust corporation ) - seized assets and banks , and put the money to use in expanding a branch network that worked in many urban areas where banking services are scarce . previously , the branches had used the names of the various institutions that fbop had cobbled together when they acquired banks usually at the government ' s urging . names like pullman , cosmopolitan and regency savings . fbop also owned banks in three other states ; its three california banks were each as big as park national was locally . it made loans across the united states . fbop corp . had recently moved into the top 100 in banking size nationally , and it was the largest privately held banking group in the country . locally , fbop - owned banks were historically in the very top tiers of banks in profitability , safety and community lending .
) - - u . s . bancorp ( nyse : usb ) announced today that , effective immediately , its lead bank , u . s . bank national association , has acquired the banking subsidiaries of fbop corporation of oak park , illinois , from the federal deposit insurance corporation . this transaction includes nine different banks with more than $ 18 billion in total assets and 150 branches in california , illinois , arizona and texas . the nine banks that are part of this acquisition are : bankusa , n . a . ; california national bank ; citizens national bank ; madisonville state bank ; north houston bank ; pacific national bank ; park national bank ; san diego national bank ; and community bank of lemont .
on february 8 , 2010 , another one of fbop ' s creditors—bmo—sued fbop in the circuit court of cook county , illinois seeking payment of a $ 43 . 6 million debt arising out of fbop ' s aborted acquisition of pff bank & trust (
pff b & t
) in 2008 . ( id . ¶ 328 . ) in june 2008 , fbop entered into an agreement to acquire pff b & t from its parent company , pff bancorp , inc . (
pff bancorp
) . ( id . ) fbop agreed as part of the purchase to assume a roughly $ 44 million debt pff bancorp owed to bmo , but only if pff bancorp could not repay the debt itself by june 16 , 2009 . ( id . ¶ 330 ; dkt . no . 68 at 2 . ) on november 21 , 2008 , pff b & t failed and fbop terminated the acquisition agreement . ( am . comp . ¶¶ 331 - 32 . ) fbop likewise refused to assume pff bancorp ' s debt to bmo after pff bancorp failed to repay the debt itself by the june 16 , 2009 deadline .
although fbop had been insolvent since the banks failed in october 2009 , its financial condition hit rock bottom in the summer of 2010 . first , on july 19 , 2010 , judge guzman struck all of fbop ' s affirmative defenses to jpmc ' s federal collection action , leaving fbop with no plausible basis to avoid its $ 247 . 5 million debt to jpmc . see jpmorgan chase bank , no . 09 c 3720 ( dkt . no . 80 ) . second , on august 2 , 2010 , the illinois state court granted bmo a judgment against fbop in the amount of $ 43 . 3 million . ( am . compl . ¶ 340 . )
consistent with fbop ' s and the banks ' larger tax scheme , the banks treated deferred tax assets—when such assets existed—as their own . ( am . compl . ¶ 139 . ) fbop apparently understood the same , because in coordinating the banks ' policies for calculating their individual capital ratios , fbop treated the banks ' deferred tax assets as property of the banks . ( id . ¶ 136 . ) the understanding persisted even after the banks suffered massive gse - related losses and the prospect of sizable deferred tax assets became apparent . 3 throughout 2008 and 2009 , as fbop sought special treatment for the banks ' deferred tax assets as a means of keeping the banks capitalized and staving off seizure , fbop repeatedly told the occ that the banks ' deferred tax assets , including the right to claim tax refunds , belonged to the banks—not fbop . ( id . ¶¶ 163 , 166 - 68 . ) fbop made the same representation when it applied for tarp funds in 2008 . ( id . ¶¶ 169 - 71 . ) and in each quarterly
call report ,
a type of financial health report banks must submit to regulators under 12 u . s . c . § 1817 ( a ) ( 3 ) , each bank—under the direction of fbop—claimed ownership of its respective deferred tax assets through october 2009 . ( id . ¶¶ 172 - 233 . )
on june 10 , 2014 , the federal deposit insurance corporation (
fdic - r
) , as a separate and distinct receiver for eight failed banks , filed a complaint against the banks ' former parent company , defendant fbop corporation (
fbop
) , as well as fbop ' s trustee - assignee and a number of fbop ' s creditors to determine the ownership of a multi - million dollar tax refund currently residing in escrow . ( dkt . no . 1 . ) on august 12 , 2014 , the fdic - r filed an amended complaint (
amended complaint
) ( dkt . no . 35 (
am . compl .
) ) seeking , among other relief , a judgment avoiding security interests that fbop granted to two of its creditors , defendants jpmorgan chase bank , n . a . (
jpmc
) and bmo harris bank n . a . (
bmo
) , because the security interests were actual or constructive fraudulent transfers under illinois and federal law . the fdic - r ' s amended complaint also asks the court to impose a constructive trust on any portion of the tax refund fbop has already provided to its creditors , including jpmc and bmo . jpmc and bmo have moved to dismiss ( dkt . nos . 36 , 40 ) the fraud claims against them ( counts ix through xiv ) and the fdic - r ' s
claim
for a constructive trust ( count xxiv ) pursuant to federal rule of civil procedure 12 ( b ) ( 6 ) . for the reasons stated below , jpmc ' s and bmo ' s motions ( dkt . nos . 36 , 40 ) are granted in part and denied in part .
in june 2009 , eight months after fhfa placed the gses into conservatorship , fbop and the banks remained open but were struggling to meet the demands of creditors and regulators . on june 19 , 2009 , one of those creditors , jpmc , filed a collection action against fbop seeking payment of an overdue loan . ( am . compl . ¶¶ 325 , 334 ) ; see also jpmorgan chase bank , n . a . v . fbop corp . , no . 09 c 3720 ( n . d . ill . ) . jpmc acted as the agent for a syndicated lending group that made revolving loans to fbop under a longstanding credit agreement . ( id . ) fbop failed to make a payment by the due date , causing jpmc to accelerate the payment terms and effectively call in the entire $ 247 . 6 million loan . ( am . compl . ¶¶ 182 , 326 . )
along the way , fbop distinguished itself by doing good . nearly one - third of its 150 branches were in low - to - moderate income areas . six of the banks , including all of the big ones , received
outstanding
cra designations . in 2007 and 2008 , fbop banks made $ 55 million in
community donations and investments ,
kelly testified .
calls and emails to the attorneys representing fbop were not returned immediately . a spokesman for the pbgc declined to comment , but referred wednesday journal to a court filing made on april 29 . the filing basically restates their belief that fbop won ' t be able to fund the plan after it liquidates , and that their tax refund should be used to cover the unfunded liabilities .
the $ 18 . 3 billion - asset fbop had more than half of its balance sheet invested in the preferred stock of fannie mae and freddie mac - a capital strategy that was approved , some would even say encouraged , by federal regulators . when the treasury department abruptly placed the government - sponsored mortgage giants into conservatorship in september 2008 , fbop ' s capital levels plunged .
the fdic ' s board of directors issued notices of assessment of cross guaranty liability against park national bank and citizens national bank . under statutory authority , the fdic may assess affiliated banks for losses incurred by the deposit insurance fund ( dif ) from the failure of other banks , such as those owned by fbop corporation . congress granted the fdic authority in 1989 to reduce the cost to the dif for the resolution of affiliated institutions owned by the same company . the two banks were unable to pay the amounts assessed and were closed by their chartering authorities .
the purpose of fbop ' s claim to the banks ' tax refunds was to divert the tax refunds from the fdic - r and bring them into the pool of money available to fbop ' s creditors . ( am . compl . ¶ 381 . ) once the tax refunds became part of the creditors ' pool , the liens would ensure that jpmc and bmo received first access to the tax refunds . the fdic - r , by contrast , would merely hold a subordinate ( and ultimately worthless ) claim against fbop for the value of the diverted tax refunds . ( id . ¶ 380 . )
here , the fdic - r has alleged that the only possible value bmo offered to fbop in exchange for the lien was its agreement to forbear against pff bancorp , which owed bmo a $ 44 million debt that fbop ill - advisedly assumed as part of its failed pff b & t acquisition , but only if pff bancorp were unable to pay the debt itself . bmo won a judgment against fbop in illinoi state court , but fbop ' s settlement agreement with bmo expressly states that bmo may seek to recover its $ 44 million from both fbop and pff bancorp . accordingly , any assessment of the value of bmo ' s forbearance must include a factual determination of bmo ' s ability to recover from both fbop and pff bancorp . although there are a number of other factors the court must consider in determining reasonable equivalence , the example discussed above illustrates why such a determination is not appropriate at the motion to dismiss stage : assessing reasonable equivalence is an exercise in valuation that relies heavily on facts the court—and often the parties—do not yet have before fact discovery has been undertaken . bmo ' s motion to dismiss the fdic - r ' s claim for constructive fraudulent conveyance in counts xiii and xiv is therefore denied .
at issue is whether oak park - based fbop corp . — whose nine banks were seized by the fdic in october 2009 — can make the required payments under its employee pension plan , which has been in place since 1952 . on one side , the government agency that insures pension plans says no way , and wants an immediate payment of almost $ 52 million to help pay fbop ' s retirees .
the cause of the
failure
of the bank was the take over of fannie mae and freddie mac making the fbop in those companies ' stock worthless . at about the same time the federal government took over gm , later selling new shares . if fannie & freddie are to be again privatized why not repay the original stockholders like fbop and then they can meet their pension obligations and not declare bankruptchy ?
all together , fbop was a sizable bank - holding company , the 46th biggest in the country , according to the federal reserve . it had $ 19 . 4 billion in assets as of sept . 30 .
over the next two years or so , fbop is selling off its remaining assets — which include real estate and a car wash , according to a lawsuit , filed april 26 in federal court by the pbgc .
fbop was purchased by us bank in 2007 . the job was a challenge as there were monthly audits of the department which strengthened my organizational , paperwork skills . workpace environment was professional and good people to work with .
later that same day , fbop ' s nine subsidiary banks - including the $ 4 . 7 billion - asset park national - were seized by regulators and sold to u . s . bancorp at a steep discount .
congress created the federal deposit insurance corporation in 1933 to restore public confidence in the nation ' s banking system . the fdic insures deposits at the nation ' s 8 , 195 banks and savings associations and it promotes the safety and soundness of these institutions by identifying , monitoring and addressing risks to which they are exposed . the fdic receives no federal tax dollars – insured financial institutions fund its operations .
on the other side , fbop says it hasn ' t missed any pension payments since the company was taken over in 2009 , and any accusations that it can ' t fund the pension plan are
arbitrary and capricious .
the federal deposit insurance corporation ( fdic ) entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with u . s . bank , na , of minneapolis , minnesota , a wholly - owned subsidiary of u . s . bancorp , to assume all of the deposits and essentially all of the assets of nine failed banks . the nine banks were closed this evening by federal and state bank regulators , which appointed the fdic as receiver .
the dispute started on april 20 , when the pension benefit guaranty corp . — a government agency that oversees and insures certain defined - benefit pension plans — sent a letter to fbop , demanding that it immediately end its retirement account .
fbop didn ' t get involved in subprime mortgage lending , but did have a knack for turnaround situations and working out troubled loans . attempts to reach kelly for this story were unsuccessful , but in his congressional testimony he noted that the company posted record profits for 25 straight years , and had historical net loan losses that were about one - quarter the industry averages . in their 2008 examinations , all nine fbop banks were well - capitalized with solid regulatory ratings , he added .
around the same time , in the fall of 2009 , fbop was attempting to convince the banks ' regulators , the occ and tdb , to refrain from seizing the banks until president obama signed the workers , homeowners , and business assistance act of 2009 (
whbaa
) . the whbaa eventually extended the two - year limitation on
carry back
nols to five years for banks and other institutions whose losses stemmed from the gses ' failures . if fbop ' s banks had survived long enough to take advantage of the whbaa ' s extended
carry back
allowance , fbop contends that its nols would have provided an additional $ 200 million to support the banks ' capital ratios and potentially avoid seizure . ( am . compl . ¶¶ 122 , 128 . ) but the occ and tdb ultimately refused fbop ' s request to wait . the regulators seized the banks on october 30 , 2009—one week before president obama signed the whbaa—and appointed the fdic - r as receiver . ( am . compl . ¶¶ 42 , 44 . ) at the time of the banks failure , and probably well before , fbop was insolvent with no ability to pay its creditors . ( id . ¶ 7 . )
item 5 . other events on april 19 , 2001 , pboc holdings , inc . ( the
company
) issued a press release ( the
press release
) announcing that on the same date its shareholders had approved the agreement and plan of merger , as amended , between pboc , fbop corporation and fbop acquisition company . item 7 . financial statements , pro forma financial information and exhibits ( a ) not applicable . ( b ) not applicable . ( c ) the following exhibits are included with this report : exhibit 99 . 1 press release dated april 19 , 2001 . signatures pursuant to the requirements of the securities exchange act of 1934 , the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized . pboc holdings , inc . by : / s / rudolf p . guenzel rudolf p . guenzel president and chief executive officer date : april 20 , 2001 .
the bank failures , estimated to cost the deposit insurance fund $ 2 . 5 billion , set off a controversy in chicago , where fbop founder and chief executive michael kelly worked closely with local leaders on all sorts of community - development projects . david pope , president of oak park , ill . , fbop ' s hometown , has called the firesale of the local franchise to a regional giant headquartered 400 miles away
the largest bank robbery in the history of the united states .
on january 10 , 2011 , fbop brought the sub - debt holders into the fold with similar forbearance and settlement agreements ( the
sub - debt agreements
) . ( id . ¶ 356 . ) the sub - debt agreements purport to grant the sub - debt holders liens on certain assets , including the banks ' tax refunds . ( id . ¶ 358 . ) and unlike the jpmc and bmo settlement agreements , the sub - debt agreements explicitly memorialize fbop ' s obligation to
use commercially reasonable efforts to minimize the value of any payments made to the fdic - receiver on account of its interest in the bank tax refund [ s ] .
( id . ¶ 359 . ) although the sub - debt holders remain subordinate to jpmc and bmo , jpmc and bmo have agreed to reserve up to $ 10 , 150 , 000 for the sub - debt holders if fbop successfully retains the tax refunds . ( dkt . no . 70 at 4 . ) by early 2011 , fbop and its creditors had erected a web of settlement agreements , the effect of which was to ensure that jpmc , bmo , and the sub - debt holders—not the fdic - r—would receive the tax refunds if fbop were successful in asserting ownership .
people ' s preferred capital corporation part ii . other information item 1 : legal proceedings none item 2 : changes in securities none item 3 : defaults upon senior securities none item 4 : submission of matters to a vote of security holders none item 5 : other information none item 6 : exhibits and reports on form 8 - k . no reports on form 8 - k have been filed during the quarter ended june 30 , 2001 . exhibit index exhibit description none 16
kelly and his team immediately committed to raising enough money to get fbop ' s individual banks back to well - capitalized status . at the time , the company ' s credit quality still looked relatively good , and there was serious investor interest in the company .
on september 28 , 2011 , fbop , as agent for the banks and with the fdic - r ' s consent , submitted to the irs a form 1120x for each of the carryback years to claim the banks ' tax refunds . ( am . compl . ¶ 128 . ) on september 30 , 2011 , two days later , fbop and the fdic - r entered into an escrow agreement , under which the tax refunds will remain in an escrow account until the ownership can be resolved . ( id . ¶¶ 414 - 423 . ) the fdic - r later learned that on march 12 , 2010 , the irs issued an overpayment refund to fbop for the banks ' 2009 estimated tax payment in the amount of $ 10 , 303 , 000 . ( am . compl . ¶¶ 28 , 116 . ) although the fdic - r believes that the $ 10 , 303 , 00 overpayment refund belongs to the banks , fbop has refused to place the overpayment refund into the escrow account . 4 on june 10 , 2014 , following the parties unsuccessful attempts to resolve the dispute through good faith settlement discussions , ( id . ¶ 14 ) , the fdic - r followed this lawsuit to adjudicate the ownership of the tax refunds . fbop ' s two largest creditors , jpmc and bmo , have now moved to dismiss the fdic - r ' s claims against them .
regulators have acknowledged the role of the gse conservatorships in the failures of fbop and some other institutions , but say rules are rules , and the fdic ' s primary mandate is clear : maintain the system ' s stability , while minimizing the costs to the deposit insurance fund .
if a federal judge agrees to terminate fbop ' s pension plan , the pbgc — which is funded by premiums , and the assets of the plans it takes over — would continue making payments of up to $ 54 , 000 a year to the 2 , 589 retirees .
fbop ' s troubles began in late 2007 , as the crisis was gaining traction . in her congressional testimony , jennifer kelly described a series of
strategic decisions that , in retrospect , diminished the company ' s financial flexibility and exposed the banks in the company to failure .
fbop will no longer exist after liquidating all of its assets , and will end up having $ 882 million in liabilities versus $ 281 million available to creditors after liquidation , pbgc said . the former bank holding company is also expected to receive a $ 200 million federal tax return in june .
the determinations to place the fbop banks into receivership were consistent with , or required by , the statutory scheme congress put in place to resolve banks . . . at the least cost to the deposit insurance fund ,
senior deputy comptroller of the currency jennifer kelly testified during the january hearing .
under the terms of these transactions , u . s . bank will receive approximately $ 18 . 4 billion of assets and assume approximately $ 18 . 3 billion of liabilities , including $ 15 . 4 billion of both insured and uninsured deposits , of the nine different banks that are part of fbop .
by 2008 , fbop ' s three california banks - california national bank in los angeles , pacific national bank in san francisco and san diego national bank - had almost $ 700 million of fannie and freddie stock on their balance sheets ; park national ' s tally was about $ 100 million , watts recalls .
but fbop had large holdings of freddie mac and fannie mae preferred stock and was hit hard when the government essentially nationalized the two companies last year . fbop made a number of attempts to save itself . first it applied for $ 500 million in tarp money , but was turned down . lately , the illinois - based company has been petitioning the fdic for just a little more time . as the chicago tribune reports , the bank got help in the effort from reps . bobby rush ( d - ill . ) and danny davis ( d - ill . ) and sen . roland burris ( d - ill . ) .
federal deposit insurance corporation , as a separate and distinct receiver of bank usa , n . a . , california national bank , citizens national bank of teague , madisonville state bank , north houston bank , pacific national bank , park national bank , and san diego national national bank , and san d , plaintiff , represented by eric r goodman , baker & hostetler llp , karin scholz jenson , baker & hostetler llp , adam l . fletcher , baker & hostetler llp , erin bolan hines , baker hostetler llp & joseph f . hutchinson , baker & hostetler llp .
when a private - company option became available in mid - november , the office of the comptroller of the currency recommended to the interagency council overseeing applications that fbop be approved . but that council requested additional information . in the interim , the company ' s loan quality began to deteriorate precipitously , and the occ withdrew its support .
while the nation ' s largest banks were allowed almost unfettered access to tarp ( troubled asset relief program ) funds to cover greed and mismanagement that ran rampant through their organizations , fbop corp . was denied these funds . denied when their sin was not one of their own making , as could be argued was the case with bank of america , with citibank , with wells fargo . even u . s . bank , fbop ' s new owner , took tarp money for god ' s sake ( they were persuaded to and quickly repaid it ) . most banks fail because they overreached and imprudently lent money that caused their own downfall . that was not the case here .
with that in mind , fbop began shifting its capital into a more
safe , liquid form ,
that could be sold quickly if the right chances emerged , watts says . that turned out to be fannie and freddie preferred shares , which had a better yield than treasury securities and were rated aaa - minus by the ratings agencies .
i thought that if and when the moment came i would be sad . resigned . depressed . and yet when the news really sank in saturday morning , i became furious . raging . apoplectic . park national bank and its parent corporation , first bank of oak park corp . , had been shut down by the federal deposit insurance corp . regulators swooped in friday night and branches were re - opened saturday under the u . s . bank flag . fdic officials and u . s . bank employees were on hand to calm fears , answer questions and put on a good front for customers and bank staff alike .
after receiving the letter , fbop fired back in its own federal lawsuit on april 26 . they claim they ' ve never missed payments to any of their retirees and have hit all the minimum funding obligations , as required by law . they ' ve worked with investment advisors , according to the complaint , and believe that earnings will allow them to make all payments .
the tribune also notes an unfortunate coincidence for the administration - - and , you might say , a sign of the times we live in . on the morning that fbop was seized , the community development arm of one of its subsidiaries , park national bank , received a $ 50 million award through a treasury department tax credit program , funded in part by stimulus dollars .
all of the banks , especially park national , were reflections of kelly ' s values , and he clearly liked calling the strategic shots . he owned 100 percent of fbop , and sold only debt - mostly trust - preferred securities - but never equity , to maintain control . he also ran at a very low tangible equity ratio , providing relatively less room for error .
court description : memorandum opinion and order : for the reasons set forth in the attached memorandum opinion and order : ( 1 ) the fbop defendants ' motion for partial judgment on the pleadings as to counts i - ii , iii - vii , and xix - xxii of the fdic ' s complaint [ 139 ] , is denied ; ( 2 ) the fdic ' s motion for partial judgment on the pleadings on counts i and ii , 150 , is entered and continued ; and ( 3 ) the fbop defendants ' motion for judgment on the pleadings as to pbgc ' s intervenor complaint , 162 , is denied without prejudice as moot . signed by the honorable thomas m . durkin on 5 / 12 / 2017 : mailed notice ( srn , )
the largest privately held banking group in the nation , the best community bank operation around , had been taken over . and more than $ 2 . 5 billion of taxpayer money is now at risk in support of one of the nation ' s largest banks as they swallowed whole an operation that was shut down not by bad lending , not upper - management malfeasance , not employee theft , nor by any ponzi scheme . no , fbop corp . was felled by its investments in quasi - governmental fannie mae and freddie mac . the common banking industry practice of investing short - term assets , 30 - or 60 - day money in fannie and freddie , lost fbop the majority of its capital base virtually overnight and allowed the government to claim the bank was seriously undercapitalized .
the company grew its loan portfolio 35 percent during the year ended in the third quarter of 2008 , filling a gap in a commercial real estate market that other banks thought too risky . it also bumped up loan participations among its various banks . in hindsight , such moves
limited fbop ' s financial flexibility and ability to absorb losses ,
the occ ' s jennifer kelly testified .
whether fbop is a good choice for the role of industry martyr is another matter of debate . the company made its share of strategic mistakes , before and during the crisis , and got some help from nongovernmental sources . an ongoing lawsuit , for instance , accuses jpmorgan chase & co . of sabotaging the company ' s capital - raising efforts last may by calling a $ 246 million loan prematurely .
ely also is unmoved by the capital woes of fbop and other banks snared by collapses of fannie and freddie . while the regulators had approved the holdings , the gses ' potential demise had been rumored for months .
the question should be , ' why were they so heavily invested in the stocks of those two companies ? '
he asks .
you can ' t let the regulators make decisions for you .
altogether , the plan is about 52 percent funded , according to the pbgc , with $ 106 . 8 million in liabilities , and $ 55 million in assets . the pbgc is worried that the longer it waits , the worse the unfunded gap is going to get . as such , they want the plan terminated as of april 21 and a payment of $ 51 . 8 million from fbop to cover the alleged shortfall .
what galls watts and other observers most is an apparent lack of flexibility on the government ' s part . fbop ' s franchise included seven banks in california , arizona and texas that were undercapitalized . under the so - called cross - guarantee provision of firrea , the federal deposit insurance corp . is required to seize all banks in a holding company if that appears to be the most cost - effective solution for the deposit insurance fund .
just when it was looking like the company would raise the money , however , tarp ' s capital purchase program was announced . the cpp created confusion in the market , and ground most capital - raising efforts to a halt . most agree that fbop would have been a strong candidate for early tarp funding that october . but treasury didn ' t have an option for private companies , because warrants were a big part of the equation .
signatures pursuant to the requirements of the securities exchange act of 1934 , the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned , thereunto duly authorized . people ' s preferred capital corporation / s / david b . bretoi - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - david b . bretoi chief executive officer / s / gregory a . mitchell - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - gregory a . mitchell chief operating officer date : august 14 , 2001 17
while fbop was bigger than the typical community bank , its tale has emerged as exhibit a in a growing national debate over washington ' s handling of troubled small banks . in january , a congressional subcommittee used its collapse as the centerpiece of a hearing - subtitled
examining the failure and seizure of an american bank
- that brought testimony from kelly , several regulatory officials and west side community development leaders , some of whom bussed all the way from chicago .
in early september , the fdic began marketing the seven banks on a standalone basis and in combination with each other . to test the waters , park national and citizens were offered , without a loss - share agreement , but no takers were found . on october 20 , the agency received 41 bids from 18 bidders for some or all of fbop . the best deal for the seven banks in immediate danger would have cost the dif $ 1 . 85 billion .
while u . s . bancorp has pledged to meet most of kelly ' s commitments in the short - run , it also has shareholders to answer to and runs an efficiency - based banking model - not better or worse than fbop ' s , just different . it has announced plans to shutter some branches and likely won ' t be making zero - interest loans to schools or waiving fees for nonprofits . in the end , saving the deposit insurance fund money comes at a cost , too .
as discussed above , the fdic - r has alleged that fbop pledged the banks ' tax refunds to jpmc and bmo in october 2010 , nearly one year after fbop became insolvent with no ability to restructure or survive . the only question that remains is whether fbop received reasonably equivalent value in exchange for the lien granted to bmo .
whether ` reasonably equivalent value ' has been given is typically a question of fact .
wachovia secs . , llc v . neuhauser , 528 f . supp . 2d 834 , 859 ( n . d . ill . 2007 ) ( kendall , j . ) ( citing in re zeigler , 320 b . r . 362 , 374 ( bankr . n . d . ill . 2005 ) ) ; see also in re image worldwide , ltd . , 139 f . 3d 574 , 577 ( 7th cir . 1998 ) ( recognizing that determination of reasonable equivalence will depend on facts of each individual case ) . although there is no fixed formula for assessing reasonable equivalence , other courts have used the following factors :
( 1 ) whether the value of what was transferred is equal to the value of what was received ; ( 2 ) the market value of what was transferred and received ; ( 3 ) whether the transaction took place at arm ' s length ; and ( 4 ) the good faith of the transferee .
neuhauser , 528 f . supp . 2d at 860 ( citing image worldwide , 139 f . 3d at 577 ) .
park national bank was known for caring deeply about its local community . the flagship bank of fbop corp . donated 28 percent of its profits to chicago ' s west side communities , made zero - interest loans to schools and , at the height of the housing crisis , committed $ 20 million to a foreclosure rescue plan . on a rainy , unseasonably warm friday last october , treasury secretary timothy geithner himself came to town and awarded the bank $ 50 million in tax credits to expand its nonprofit community development agency .
people ' s preferred capital corporation june 30 , 2001 report on form 10 - q table of contents page no . part i financial information item 1 . financial statements 3 statements of financial condition - june 30 , 2001 and december 31 , 2000 3 statements of earnings - for the three months and six months ended june 30 , 2001 and june 30 , 2000 4 statements of cash flows - for the six months ended june 30 , 2001 and june 30 , 2000 5 notes to financial statements 6 item 2 . management ' s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations 8 item 3 . quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risk 15 part ii other information item 1 : legal proceedings 16 item 2 : changes in securities 16 item 3 : defaults upon senior securities 16 item 4 : submission of matters to a vote of security holders 16 item 5 : other information 16 item 6 : exhibits and reports on form 8 - k 16 2
fbop had banks in illinois , california , arizona and texas , the pieces of a company built up over three decades . the largest in california was california national bank , followed by san diego national bank and pacific national bank . in texas , there was north houston bank , madisonville state bank and citizens national bank . in illinois were park national bank and community bank of lemont , and in arizona , there was just one , bank usa . all together , the fdic said the failures will cost the agency $ 2 . 5 billion .
accordingly , under the seventh circuit ' s recent decision in sentinel , fbop ' s pledging of the banks ' tax refunds to jpmc and bmo , the natural consequence of which was to render the tax refunds unavailable to the rightful owner of the tax refunds , the banks ' receiver , constitutes actual intent to hinder , delay , or defraud the fdic - r . jpmc ' s and bmo ' s motions to dismiss the fdic - r ' s actual fraudulent transfer claims , as pled in counts ix , x , xi , and xii , must be denied .
where was the proper government oversight in fannie and freddie ? why no bailout for banks who lent money to fannie and freddie as short - term investments and saw these assets frozen ? why were the nation ' s largest banks allowed to appropriate your money and mine to save their sorry behinds ? why wasn ' t the same opportunity available to fbop corp . ? and why wouldn ' t the fdic give the bank the extra week they requested to raise the funds the fed claimed were absolutely needed to capitalize the operation correctly ? why are taxpayer needs better served by putting us potentially on the hook for $ 2 . 5 billon , rather than by giving the bank another week ? would bank of america be treated the same way ? why did it make sense for the federal government to give fbop $ 50 million on friday morning to help it continue its wonderful investment in the west side and then shut down the operation on friday night ? will u . s . bank follow through and use these funds for local initiatives ? fdic officials i spoke to at the main branch on saturday claimed answers to such questions
were above their pay grade .
great . just wonderful . accountability at its finest .
some outside consultants , and even some bankers , don ' t have much sympathy for fbop ' s position , or the bigger argument that smaller banks aren ' t getting a fair shake .
i don ' t understand what the gripe is ,
says bert ely , a regulatory analyst in alexandria , va .
if you ' re insolvent , you ' re insolvent . . . . just because some companies are too - big - to - fail and no one can figure out what to do with them doesn ' t mean that you compound the problem by bailing out community banks .
this press release contains forward - looking statements about u . s . bancorp . statements that are not historical or current facts , including statements about beliefs and expectations , are forward - looking statements and are based on the information available to , and assumptions and estimates made by , management as of the date made . these forward - looking statements cover , among other things , anticipated future revenue and expenses and the future plans and prospects of u . s . bancorp . forward - looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties , and important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated . global and domestic economies could fail to recover from the recent economic downturn or could experience another severe contraction , which could adversely affect our revenues and the values of our assets and liabilities . global financial markets could experience a recurrence of significant turbulence , which could reduce the availability of funding to certain financial institutions and lead to a tightening of credit , a reduction of business activity , and increased market volatility . stress in the commercial real estate markets , as well as a delay or failure of recovery in the residential real estate markets , could cause additional credit losses and deterioration in asset values . in addition , our business and financial performance could be impacted as the financial industry restructures in the current environment , by increased regulation of financial institutions or other effects of recently enacted legislation , and by changes in the competitive landscape . our results could also be adversely affected by continued deterioration in general business and economic conditions ; changes in interest rates ; deterioration in the credit quality of our loan portfolios or in the value of the collateral securing those loans ; deterioration in the value of securities held in our investment securities portfolio ; legal and regulatory developments ; increased competition from both banks and non - banks ; changes in customer behavior and preferences ; effects of mergers and acquisitions and related integration ; effects of critical accounting policies and judgments ; and management’s ability to effectively manage credit risk , market risk , operational risk , legal risk , and regulatory and compliance risk . finally , there can be no assurance that we will realize the anticipated benefits of the acquisition of the banking subsidiaries of fbop corporation .


gretsch drums is a drum kit manufacturing company , based in oxnard , california .

the company is part of the gretsch company range of musical instruments from its founding in 1883 .

gretsch drums kits have been used by many notable drummers , including phil collins .

current 's company motto is " that great gretsch sound ! "

gretsch drums

this web site is not affiliated with fred gretsch or gretsch drums . it is a web site dedicated to gretsch drums and gretsch drum history . we have an extensive collection of gretsch catalogs and scans of gretsch snare drums and gretsch drum sets . we also have a gretsch badge timeline and ways of dating gretsch drums .
we have an extensive section devoted to gretsch drums over on our vintage drum guide web site . there is an entire section devoted to gretsch drums , including the history of gretsch drums , drum badges , catalog pages on their snare drums as well as drum sets .
gretsch drums is an iconic american drum brand manufactured in ridgeland , south carolina .
gretsch drums catalina maple 6 - piece shell pack with free 8 in . tom
open quick view dialog for gretsch drums blackhawk snare with 12 . 7 mm mount
gretsch usa custom round badge drums have served as the foundation for “that great gretsch sound” for over 65 years .
thank you hal leonard corporation for the great display of gretsch drums at # summernamm .
we expect more from gretsch drums soon . reserve yours now , risk - free .
pls note - once we sell out of gretsch drums d - addario australia will take over distribution australia wide ~ pls discuss all gretsch drums with them - thanks pma .
the iconic american drum maker drum workshop ( dw drums ) acquires the rights to develop , produce , market and distribute gretsch drums from fender .
gretsch drums energy 5 - piece drum set blue sparkle with hardware and zildji . . .
gretsch drums broadkaster 135th anniversary 4 - piece shell pack with 22
kic . . .
gretsch brooklyn series drum sets have a distinctive sound associated with the neighborhood of gretsch ' s origin . these hand crafted drums reflect the warm open tone gretsch . . .
open quick view dialog for gretsch drums catalina maple 6 - piece shell pack with free 8 in . tom
special thanks to dan boucher for some detailed drum and gretsch history . for more info on gretsch and other drums visit the drum resource site .
gretsch artist @ didi _ negron dropped by the gretsch lounge to say hello and test out a few drums . always great to see you didi !
the rolling stones tour the united states with drummer charlie watts playing gretsch drums . over 50 years later , watts still plays gretsch with the stones .
gretsch makes drums . period . not jazz drums , not rock n roll drums , not country drums . but drums . how you tune them , play them etc will determine if you are a metal drummer . switch out the bass drum head for a tama head and you ' ll be cool . no one will know . they also make guitars and i bet some of them can be used for metal .
{
pageurl
:
guitarcenterapp : / / productlistingspage
,
pageparams
:
srcurl = / gretsch - drums / drums - percussion . gc ? n = 22354
}
so , what does the future hold for gretsch drums ? brand manager , mike nieland , spoke to reverb about the partnership between gretsch and drum workshop .
kaman music ( kmc music ) becomes the exclusive , worldwide distributor of gretsch drums . two years later , kmc is acquired by fender musical instruments along with the rights to develop , produce , market and distribute gretsch drums and guitars .
brooklyn , new york and gretsch drums share an inseparable legacy that is reflected in the gretsch brooklyn series . shell interiors are finished with classic gretsch silver sealer . brooklyn toms and sn . . .
gretsch straight - sided gts with g9025 bracket gretsch g4825 floor tom brackets with 12 . 7mm diameter legs gretsch g9013 bass drum spurs gretsch 4946mt bass drum mounting plate key - style tension rods gretsch gth - slc single tom holder gretsch lightning throwoff
1 according to peter guralnick and ernst jorgensen in elvis day by day 2 courtesy herb brochstein and pat brown of drum sticks . 3 info courtesy gretsch drums * according to steve maxwell vintage and custom drums
used : lightly used newer sets , snares and drums , plus all vintage gretsch can ship worldwide and will ship immediately .
* due to random grain patterns and color disparities in natural maple , drums may vary slightly in appearance . add - on drums are most susceptible to these inconsistencies .
gretsch’s ready - to - play energy drum set now has more signature gretsch features .
gretsch permatone drumheads have been the culminating ingredient in producing “that great gretsch sound™ . ”
in 2012 , gretsch introduced the american - made brooklyn series . the drums are six - ply north american maple / poplar shells , yet thicker than gretsch’s usa custom drums . while the set is considered “classic gretsch , ” the sound is considered distinctive from the other gretsch series , with its own unique sound personality . in 2013 , with the release of several limited - edition drum sets , the company brought back the gretsch round badge and celebrated its 130th anniversary . finally , in 2015 , drum workshop ( dw drums ) acquired the rights to develop , produce , market and distribute gretsch drums .
even though
that great gretsch sound
hasn’t changed over the years , gretsch drums have featured a variety of iconic badge designs . each badge is unique and in its own way has become a classic over time . here is an overview of the badges used on gretsch drums throughout the company’s history .
gibraltar hardware is a maker of drumset and percussion hardware . various artists use gibraltar hardware on their drums , including lamb of god’s chris adler and luis conte . gibraltar hardware packs are standard for current gretsch drums kits .
gretsch usa custom round badge drums have served as the foundation for “that great gretsch sound” for over 65 years . earn your badge ! a classic silver sparkle gretsch usa custom drum kit ! 6 ply maple / . . .
gretsch straight - sided gts with g9025 bracket gretsch g4825 floor tom brackets with 12 . 7mm diameter legs gretsch g9013 bass drum spurs gretsch 4946mt bass drum mounting plate 24 - inch bass drum is not drilled key - style tension rods gretsch gth - slc single tom holder gretsch lightning throwoff
you can customize your gretsch usa custom toms and snare drums with different brackets , tom holders , internal mufflers , and snare throw - offs .
each shell includes an interior ply scarf joint that supplies added structural integrity to thin , musical shells . like all usa - made gretsch drums , shell interiors are finished with classic gretsch si . . .
i am curious if there is some sort of timeline for gretsch drums and the company ' s manufacture use of jasper drum shells - like - what year did gretsch drums start using jasper shells in their drum lines / manufacture ? ? - to - what year did gretsch drums stop using jasper drum shells in their drum lines manufacture ? i am seeing alot of people using that
jasper
moniker to sell their vintage gretsch drums lately and i thought if there is some sort of timeline of usage , i could pick out the fakers from the real deals . thanks for any help on the subject in advance .
it was also around this time that gretsch introduced its usa custom line of drums . the handmade drums are made of the gretsch six - ply formula : maple / gum shell with die - cast hoops and some of the highest quality finishes available , gretsch says . these kits are considered to be among the finest in terms of quality , durability and styling .
gretsch usa custom round badge drums have served as the foundation for “that great gretsch sound” for over 65 years . you’ve earned your badge . 965 forest ave . the grmtgthslc single tom holder and moun . . .
some drummers also feel it was the die - cast hoops that contributed to the gretsch sound . “it’s true , ” says charlie persip . “the toms and bass drums sounded great , but the snare drums required work . ” don lamond felt it was the lack of reinforcement that impaired the sound of the snare drums . “i just couldn’t get a good sound from the snare drums . in fact , i got in trouble when gretsch management would show up at my gigs . they’d be upset because i’d be playing a rogers snare drum . ”
thomann is a major retailer of gretsch and we have all the important models at fantastically low prices in our selection . you can have all the products by gretsch in the drums and percussion displayed as a convenient list .
fred gretsch , jr . retires and sells the gretsch company to baldwin music company . his nephew , fred w . gretsch , vows to buy the company back .
the original gretsch round badge design was the first badge used on gretsch drums going all the way back to 1883 . the badge was round with gretsch written across the top and drum makers since 1883 along the bottom . the older version of the round badge used a carpenter’s tack to attach the badge to the shells while later version used the standard brass grommet to affix the badge . final production of gretsch drums with the round badge was in 1971 .
friedrich gretsch , 27 , who emigrated from germany at 16 , opens a small music shop in brooklyn , n . y . , making banjos , drums and tambourines .
i’m putting up my gretsch usa custom square badge kit bought new from fork ' s in january 2009 . i love the sound of these drums ( and gretsch in particular ) and they are a dream under any recording mics .
welcome to the gretsch drum history page . this page has different sections to help you determine what your gretsch drums are . the gretsch round badge was used for many years , so the best way to date vintage gretsch drums is to look at the interior of the shells . natural or silver sealer , then we can look at the number of ply ' s in the shell . finally if they have paper tags or not on the inside . all of these dating tid bits help us get to a close date range of your drums date of manufacture . gretsch snare drums catalog pages * and gretsch drum set catalog pages * is a great place to start your research . if you are having a hard time and need more help then visit our drum forum which is the largest vintage drum forum on the internet become a member and ask your gretsch questions there .
direct - to - shell clip mount tom suspension gretsch g423vmt floor tom brackets with 9 . 5mm diameter legs gretsch batter and resonant mufflers gretsch g4966mt vintage bass drum spurs gretsch gvrmmt rail mount consolette with clip mount gretsch g5454tmt t - handle bass drum tension rods gretsch g5430mt resonant bass drum muffler , g5463 die cast bass drum claws , gretsch microsensitive throw - off , snap - in drum key holder in snare drum
gretsch enters an historic partnership with master drummer and inventor billy gladstone . the gretsch - gladstone drum line is introduced .
you can customize your gretsch usa custom bass drums with different hoops , t - rods , claw hooks , mount plates , cymbal holders , internal mufflers , and logo heads .
gretsch marketed their drums with the slogan “that great gretsch sound , ” which drummers associate with gretsch shells . initially , gretsch fabricated their shells like all other drum companies , with reinforcement rings on the inside top and bottom . but during world war ii , gretsch began experimenting with plied shells with the seams or joints of the plies located at spaced intervals . this gave the unit strength without the uneven interior surface that reinforcement rings created , and possibly contributed to the gretsch sound .
we are here to answer your gretsch drum history questions . if you are learning about your gretsch drum set or gretsch snare drum and want help then please ask the drum experts .
the gretsch golden age came to an end in 1967 , when fred gretsch jr . retired and sold the company to baldwin music company . fred w . gretsch , the nephew of fred gretsch jr . , vowed to purchase the company back . in the meantime , in 1969 , charlie watts played gretsch drums on the rolling stones tour for the first time and continues to play them with the band nearly 50 years later .
gretsch celebrates its 130th anniversary with usa - made limited edition drum sets and the original gretsch round badge makes its return .
you look good behind your gretsch drums . i talked to someone who worked in the office at jasper wood products for 50 years in the inside sales area . he confirmed my thoughts that the drums we made were of sweetgum inner plies and the two outside faces ( inside and outside ) were hard maple . he also confirmed we did make drums in the 50 ' s and 60 ' s for gretsch . this was before my time there so he would be the one to know .
following the war , gretsch resumes instrument production . phil grant , master percussionist and innovator , joins gretsch . gretsch and louis bellson team up to introduce first production double bass drum kit .
{
evar4
:
shop : drums and percussion
,
pagename
:
[ gc ] shop : drums and percussion : gretsch drums
,
reportsuiteids
:
guitarcenterprod
,
evar3
:
shop
,
prop18
:
skucondition | 0 | | historicalgrossprofit | 1 | | hasimage | 1 | | creationdate | 1
,
prop2
:
[ gc ] shop : drums and percussion
,
prop1
:
[ gc ] shop : drums and percussion
,
prop17
:
sort by
,
evar51
:
default : united states
,
prop10
:
category
,
prop11
:
drums & percussion
,
prop5
:
[ gc ] shop : drums and percussion
,
prop6
:
[ gc ] shop : drums and percussion
,
prop3
:
[ gc ] shop : drums and percussion
,
prop4
:
[ gc ] shop : drums and percussion
,
campaign
:
gcdirectsourcecode1
,
channel
:
[ gc ] shop
,
linkinternalfilters
:
javascript : , guitarcenter . com
,
prop7
:
[ gc ] category
}
the gretsch company , one of the world’s most well - known drum and guitar manufacturers , will celebrate its 125th anniversary in 2008 . throughout the year , gretsch will celebrate by introducing new lines of limited edition anniversary drums , guitars , and other gretsch products ; conducting an online search for the world’s best unsigned artists called next gretsch greats ; and hosting a major concert event in new york city featuring an illustrious lineup of “gretsch greats . ”
new gretsch drums : in stock items such as our shell bank drums , snares , and full drum sets are shipped within the us and will ship immediately . special orders typically take 12 - 14 weeks to arrive from the factory and then we ship . check our in - stock items and save the long wait !
{
pageurl
:
guitarcenterapp : / / productlistingspage
,
pageparams
:
srcurl = / gretsch - drums / drum - hardware - stands . gc ? n = 22354
}
i was looking for anything connected to jasper and gretsch drums . i got in touch with former jwp worker philip gramelspacher . he eventually sent me some more literature and a jasper wood products advertisment brochure .
gretsch quickly became known as an innovator in the field of drum - making and changed the face of modern drum production — for the first of many times — by creating the first “warp free” drum hoop in 1918 . in 1927 , gretsch produced the gretsch - american drum series , the first drums produced with multi - ply shells , which would become part of gretsch’s signature sound and remain so to this day .
130th anniversary internal shell labels . it includes the 4 drums , as well as the mounting bracket for the rack tom . we are an authorized dealer of gretsch products - product includes full manufacturer . . .
i personally know two guys who play pretty extreme forms of metal who play catalina maples . they are great drums , no better or worse , in my opinion , than other major maunfacturers higher end kits . i am curious why you ask ? is it because you play metal and like gretsch drums . but are afraid of being mocked by the metal community ? if so i wouldn ' t worry . if you can play nobody will care what brand of drums you are playing .
in 1883 german immigrant friedrich gretsch opened his first shop in brooklyn manufacturing banjos , drums and tambourines . in 1916 gretsch opened it ' s iconic 10 story factory in brooklyn . for the next century such legends as the gladstone and broadcaster were born . today gretsch continues to deliver top of the line instruments enjoyed by musicians from all walks of life .
gretsch has been a family business for all but 18 years of its history , starting when third - generation owner fred gretsch , jr . sold the gretsch company to baldwin music company in 1967 – a period much maligned by gretsch aficionados . without the family commitment that had driven the business for so many years , the company faltered . as a testament to his passion for the family business , the company’s current president , fred w . gretsch , vowed to one day regain control . in 1985 , he made good on his promise and bought the gretsch company back from baldwin . he moved operations to savannah , ga . , where the revitalized company began to offer new , vintage - styled gretsch guitars and classic gretsch drums .
as always , we are learning and researching and adding new items to this web site . since we can ' t list it all here , our vintage drum guide houses all the research and history on gretsch drums and that is the place to gain more information about your drums ! there are a lot of ways to pinpoint a range of dates in determining the age of your drums . the silver interior paint , gretsch paper tags and the number of plys in the shell . so if you are not sure or need more help visit the vintage drum forum and post a photo .
rt @ gretsch : unofficial # gretsch spokeskitty simon says . . . have a great weekend , purr - ferably with # gretschguitars and # gretschdrums include…
the absolute gretsch best seller is the following product gretsch g9500 jim dandy flat top . this item has been sold more than 2 . 000 times .
gretsch started in 1883 , when friedrich gretsch founded the company the gretsch company . the head office of the company are in savannah ( usa ) . the german office is the company fender musical instruments in düsseldorf ( d ) .
that was the popular combination for the smaller drums produced by gretsch . those sizes were developed with the jazz players in mind and the jazz players were the ones on whom gretsch focused their principal marketing efforts . the real reason for the smaller drums is for fitting into tight gig spaces , i . e . , crowded jazz clubs and also into ny taxi cabs . they weigh less and take less space and are , therefore , more convenient in many circumstances .
the aesthetic , the vibe and sound of the drums are all world class . the sound ? it’s instantly recognizable . the craftsmanship ? it’s classic . ”
“i love gretsch drums . the aesthetic , the vibe and sound of the drums are all world class , ” says stanton moore , drummer for the jam band galactic . “being a gretsch artist , i feel like i’m part of a long history that includes some of the best — and some of my favorite — drummers in the world . i’m thrilled to be a part of that lineage . the sound ? it’s instantly recognizable . the craftsmanship ? it’s classic . ”
gretsch purewood 100 % black walnut renown double bass drumset . the bass drums are cannons that will hit you in the chest ! the toms are big , fat , and warm and practically tune themselves . they will not . . .
gretsch drums were born in brooklyn , new york in 1883 . they were proudly crafted in the vibrant city for the better part of the 20th century . it is a shared legacy that cannot be duplicated . coated gr . . .
gretsch round badge era kits we always have a supply of gretsch round badge kits ready to go . these are the drums that helped make jazz drumming history in the hands of such players as jo jones , philly joe jones , mel lewis , max roach , elvin jones , art blakey , and many more .
catalina maple is a favorite among players that want a terrific sounding gretsch drum .
the remarkable tony williams is officially added to an already illustrious gretsch artist roster .
gretsch drum night at birdland
is recorded by four lengendary gretsch drummers : art blakey , charlie persip , elvin jones and
philly
joe jones .
gretsch usa formula 6 - ply maple shell is the cornerstone of
that great gretsch soundtm .
. all shells are straight - sided , with hand cut and hand sanded 30 - degree bearing edges and gretsch silver seale . . .
gretsch 302 double flanged 12
5 hole rim . stick chopper style ! !
gretsch 302 double flanged 13
6 hole rim . stick chopper style ! !
gretsch 302 double flanged 14
8 hole rim . stick chopper style ! !
founded in 1883 , gretsch is one of the oldest american music companies still operating today , and its early history reads like a classic american success story . at the age of 27 , german immigrant friedrich gretsch opened a music store in brooklyn , new york , where he made and sold drums , banjos and tambourines .
from its sleek , innovative hardware designs and legendary gretsch - formula shell , catalina maple is a favorite among players that want a terrific sounding gretsch drum set with ergonomically satisfying playing experience and a fresh , contemporary look . catalina maple’s mounting hardware includes a round “gas cap” bass drum mount plate and an ultra - low profile gts mounting system . gretsch t - wing screws and bolts are included on all fittings for drummer - friendly feel and rubber isolated die - cast bass drum claws help keep bass drum hoops looking new . the 7 - ply gretsch - formula maple shell has 30 - degree bearing edges and natural shell interiors . bass drums include telescopic bass drum spurs and matching maple wood bass drum hoops . toms and snare drums feature 2 . 3mm triple flanged hoops . all drums are fitted with remo® drum heads .
gibraltar hardware are a maker of drumset and percussion hardware . it is most famed for making drumset frames and cages , but it also makes everything from hi - hat stands to drumset thrones . gibraltar hardware packs are standard for current gretsch drums kits .
fred gretsch , sr . retires from the company , leaving the day - to - day operations to his sons , fred gretsch , jr . ( left ) and william “bill” gretsch ( right ) , both of whom had been active in the business since 1927 . gretsch stops instrument production to assist in war efforts . after a brief term at the company’s helm , fred gretsch , jr . leaves the company to serve as a commander in the u . s . navy . bill gretsch becomes president .
it ' s hard to see , but the drums don ' t have the
silver sealer
, and there is not label / serial number inside the shells .
we are a full line gretsch dealer . we stock more usa custom drum sets than any other gretsch dealer in the world . we specialize in bebop size gretsch usa custom kits and have several kits and snares in house and more always on the way . we even stock shell banks in popular colors so you can mix and match and get your drums immediately . lots of choices for you . we have these in house and ready to go . we will also let you choose your tom mounting option . most of our bass drums are undrilled , and we will custom install the gretsch tom holder of your choice , or you can leave them undrilled and use the gretsch suspension mount provided with each small tom . and , if you want a special order , no problem !
 if you have drums to report to make future editions of these guides even better , please send your information in the forms accessed by clicking the link below . report your drums if you have purchased one or both of the guides and want to keep up with revisions and news , click the link below . updates & revisions to the guides
bill gretsch dies from illness . fred gretsch , jr . assumes control of the business , kicking off a new age of prosperity for the company–the age of rock ‘n’ roll .
among our top sellers there are 95 gretsch products at the moment e . g . in the following product categories semiacoustic guitars , shell sets ( without hardware ) , resonator guitars , folk guitars , 14
wooden snare drums , lefthanded guitars and 18
floortoms .
i have owned close to twenty 80 ' s era gretsch kits and always suspected a few rogue drums were different . thanks for confirming . nonetheless , the kit i am thinking about had a thinner 12
shell than the 13
shell and sounded absolutely amazing .
from the 1920s through the 1950s , gretsch flagship drum set was the legendary broadkaster series .
more information about the gretsch company’s 125th anniversary celebrations can be found at urltoken and urltoken .
great tone , perfect balance - - gretsch renown continues its rich legacy with high performance features . the tone is impeccable . gretsch renown has a powerful reputation of to . . .
the catalina maple 7 - piece drum kit is a proud part of gretsch ' s legacy in american music . everyone knows gretsch electric guitars and drums , but did you know that got their start in 1883 as a banjo company ? it wasn ' t long before gretsch was making mandolins , ukuleles , and eventually flat - top guitars , contributing to the very roots of american music . so when you play a gretsch instrument , you ' re playing more than a great axe , you ' re playing a piece of american music history .
“the future of gretsch drums is in a better place than it’s ever been under the stewardship of drum workshop inc . , ” nieland says . “there’s a lot of synergy between dw and gretsch in that they are both family - owned , american musical instrument brands with a shared passion and dedication to creating world - class drums . but there’s also an inherent respect for gretsch’s 133 - year heritage and uniqueness that we will continue to foster and build upon . it ' s always been about ‘that great gretsch sound . ' but now with the advent of the brooklyn and broadkaster series and the larger array of options we offer , we can cater to an even larger palette of tastes , styles and , of course , sounds ! ”
fred gretsch , president of gretsch co . , discusses the importance of balancing manufacturing innovation and legacy products , and the importance of music education to the future of the musical instrument industry .
the gretsch catalina maple series starts with 7 ply 7 . 2mm maple shell . take these shells and combined them with classic gretsch hardware and 30 degree baring edges and the . . .
as for the drums themselves , taylor said , “even the [ gretsch progressive jazz ] drums i use are old … when musicians hear them they say , ’man , those drums sound great . ’ it’s not that i tune them any better than anybody else , it’s just that it’s old wood and it has another sound . ” makes you want to run out and find one , doesn’t it ? good luck ! this kit in excellent condition commands a price tag of $ 1 , 400 and up for one with a 20″ bass drum ; $ 2 , 000 and up with an 18″ bass . that is , if you can find one .
gretsch forges a relationship with the legendary birdland jazz club in new york , n . y .
notice : this site is not associated with gretsch , fred w . gretsch enterprises , ltd . , ludwig drum co . ludwig industries , conn - selmer , inc . , selmer , inc . or the owners , successors and assigns or any licensees of the gretsch or ludwig trademarks .
the gretsch catalina maple series starts with 7 ply 7 . 2mm maple shell . take these shells and combine them with classic gretsch hardware and 30 degree baring edges and the s . . .
at the moment we have 421 gretsch products in our product range - 321 of them are available in stock and 4 offers are in our current hot deals . we ' ve had gretsch products in our range since 1995 . gretsch was brand of the week on 02 . 02 . 2015 .
with two major fires at the gretsch factories in the past , most of the historical records were destroyed including any documents referencing serial number details for drum production . since these records are no longer available , they are unable to provide detailed production years of individual drums based on serial numbers . 3
did you know that there are at least seven different styles of gretsch round badges used from the 1930s through the 1960s ? learn more by clicking the link below .  gretsch round badge variations paper
for years , gretsch renown has always revered for its rock - solid craftsmanship and superior sonic performance .
company introduces historic gretsch - american drum series , featuring the industry’s first multi - ply drum shell .
gretsch 18 / 12 / 14
catalina club drum set - gloss antique burst $ 599 . 99
if you would like to see a list of all products from gretsch , then please click here .
i also traded some emails to jasper wood products when i bought my 58 gretsch in sept 2009 .
in this video gibraltar hardware ' s ken fredenberg giving a tour of the gibraltar booth from the namm show 2014 . highlights include the new g class double bass pedal , g drums bags , upgraded drum thrones , and more . gibraltar hardware is a maker of drumset and percussion hardware . various artists use gibraltar hardware on their drums , including lamb of god ' s chris adler and luis conte . gibraltar hardware packs are standard for current gretsch drums kits . the namm show is the world ' s largest trade - only event for the music products industry . it is one of the two largest music product trade shows in the world . for more from modern drummer magazine subscribe to our youtube channel here : urltoken
gretsch had pioneered small drum sizes after world war ii . duke kramer was vice president of the chicago gretsch office . kramer polled drummers at the new york jazz spots during one of his visits to the gretsch home office in brooklyn , new york . “we asked the guys what they were looking for . from those meetings we concluded smaller drums were in order . they could easily be transported from club to club in new york city . ” vice president of marketing phil grant credits davey tough with the small bass drum . “davey came to us in the late ’40s asking us to make a 20″ bass drum . the other artists saw it and wanted one , too . the 14″ x 4″ snare was max roach’s idea . it wasn’t new . most drum companies had 4″ drums during the early part of the century , but they [ 4″ drums ] fell out of favor . max wanted to bring it back . ”
jasper wood products is the company you are looking for . unfortunately , they went out of business around january of 2002 . i worked there for 23 years . we made drums for gretsch i believe up through the 1990 ' s . i hope this helps to answer your questions . good luck with your efforts .
this gretsch silver series 14
x5
is the cornerstone of any drum rig . this 10 ply maple shell uses the gretsch silver sealer to give this drum a warm familiar tone . with di . . .
to maximize the grain appearance , the log is quarter - sawn , then processed into the veneer form . this technique reveals the full and visually stunning effect of ribbon mahogany . all drums are finished . . .
after wwii , gretsch began to lay the groundwork that would result in a period of growth and prosperity . gretsch partnered with jazz drummer louis bellson in 1946 to develop a double bass drum kit , another first for gretsch and the music industry . the following year , in ‘47 , gretsch established a relationship with the iconic birdland jazz club in new york city , a partnership that would serve the company well for years to come .
i have owned just about every drum kit on the market and paid up to $ 5 , 000 . 00 . so , i was amazed at the quality and the sound performance of these modestly priced drums . i turned the drums into a hybrid kit using roland side triggers and a mimic pro module and was blown away at how good they sound . would strongly recommend checking these out whether you are on a budget or not !
in this video gibraltar hardware’s ken fredenberg giving a tour of the gibraltar booth from the namm show 2014 . highlights include the new g class double bass pedal , g drums bags , upgraded drum thrones , and more .
due to a heavy flood , we are currently out of office . unfortunately all our loved gretsch us - made drum kits ( usa custom , broadkaster and brooklyn ) got damaged . we will not be able to sell them anymore . out of that reason we have to take our european stocklist offline for a moment . within the next weeks , new gretsch drums - made in the usa . will arrive . thank you for your understanding .
i don ' t think what you ' ve got there is any second rate lower class gretsch , i think that ' s the top of the line in the mid 1980 ' s vintage . ( 1985 to 1989ish ? ) i had a set in ebony and i wish i ' d never gotten rid of them , 2 of my close drumming buddies still have their 1980 ' s gretsch drums , and all with the same badge .
to mark this milestone , we proudly present the limited edition gretsch 135th anniversary drum set and commemorative snare drum .
gretsch introduces the steve ferrone signature drum set , a usa - made maple kit finished in 1955 cadillac green .
in celebration of a century of drum making , gretsch releases a very special limited edition birdseye maple drum set .
gretsch 18 / 12 / 14 / 5x14
135th anniversary drum set - mahogany $ 4 , 499 . 29
nobody was concerned about shell layups or sourcing back in the day so i suppose a shell was a shell . drums were made of
wood
and that was about as deep as anyone delved into things back then .
the gretsch g5454t bass drum t - rod is a classic . over the years you are bound to lose a t - rod or two . keep that gretsch bass drum looking factory new with the real deal . . . .
the catalina maple sounds just like you ' d expect from a classic gretsch kit , thanks to 30 - degree bearing edges ( where the hoop meets the shell ) . at 30 - degrees , the surface area between the hoop and shell is maximized , which optimizes the transfer of vibration . that gives gretsch drums a fast response , warm tone , and punchy impact , and you ' ll hear it in every drum in the catalina maple drum kit .
the toneis super punchy and direct with a very tunable focused note . these drums arevery musical and , with the sizing variety , can cover any kind of gig . the setincludes all the toms have had the gret . . .
gretsch 18 / 12 / 13 / 14
ssb drum set - 1970s champagne sparkle $ 3 , 495 . 00
fred gretsch , jr . , enters business with father son of head of prominent musical merchandise house recently graduated from cornell university fred gretsch , jr . , oldest son of fred gretsch , head of the fred gretsch mfg . co . , manufac - fred gretsch , jr . turer , importer and wholesaler of musical merchandise , 60 broadway , brooklyn , n . y . , graduated last month with a bachelor of arts degree from cornell university , and has entered the firm to learn the business . young mr . gretsch , who is the third fred gretsch in the history of this forty - three - year - old concern , achieved scholastic distinction at cornell and promises to make good in business rapidly . while at the university he was manager of the varsity hockey team and otherwise prominent in undergraduate activities . at the present time
in the 1950s and ‘60s , the company enjoyed a “golden age . ” a number of legendary musicians became gretsch artists , including max roach in 1950 , art blakey in ‘54 , and tony williams in ‘66 . and the drums were featured on iconic recordings . jimmy cobb played them on kind of blue with miles davis in 1959 , and gretsch drum night at birdland was recorded in 1960 with art blakey , charlie persip , elvin jones and
philly
joe jones .
some of the most sought after vintage drum kits today are the small “round badge” gretsch jazz sets from the ’50s and ’60s . known as the progressive jazz outfit , this kit , introduced in the 1955 gretsch catalog , included a 20″ x 14″ bass drum , 12″ x 8″ and 14″ x 14″ toms and a 14″ x 4″ snare . the sound produced by these drums suited the bebop jazz styling of the day . gretsch had literally cornered the endorsement market in the jazz scene . artists like max roach , kenny clarke , art blakey , shelly manne , elvin jones , art taylor , mel lewis , charlie persip and philly joe jones were featured in gretsch print ads , many towering over these diminutive kits .
vinnie colaiuta signature - signature drum set made of 6 - ply maple / gumwood shells . the set includes white wash high glass lacquer finish , black chrome plated lugs , brackets , and hoops , gretsch ' s gts tom suspension system , and vinnie coliauta ' s signature badges . this kit was discontinued in early 2012 when vinnie abruptly switched to ludwig drums .
fred gretsch , sr . develops revolutionary multi - ply drum lamination process resulting in the world’s first “warp free” drum hoop .
the hard maple we used in the drums is also referred to as sugar maple . we purchased the maple from mills in the upper parts of wisconsin and michigan . these areas grew lots of nice white color maple that the drum companies wanted .
moore owns several gretsch kits and his love for the brand runs deep . “i have an early ‘60s round badge bop kit , 12” , 14” , 18” ; a ‘70s stop sign badge big sizes kit , 14” , 16” , 18” , 26” ; three usa custom kits , one lacquer , one wrapped and one with glass glitter . they all have the same maple / gum shell formula with die cast hoops . whether it’s the small drums tuned higher for jazz or the big drums tuned medium / low for heavier stuff , they all sound great and fit all the various musical situations i find myself in . ”
selling my gretsch kit that i bought a few months ago . left my house once . mint condition , looks brand new . sold in usa custom in special finish ,
twilight glass
. comes with the gretsch head that was . . .
as be - bop makes it ' s rise in popularity , the uncomparable max roach is officially introduced as a gretsch artist .
these all new accessory bags are an excellent way for the true gretsch enthusiast to show their passion for their favorite drum maker .
i used to play a ludwig set years ago back in the days when the three major drum complanies were ludwig , rogers , and gretsch . ( 1970 ' s ) i got back into music seeing the other brands from japan and other places anf felt that in some cases the porduct was very over priced . having more of a back ground in jazz i leaned toward the gretsch product after studying the market , and i am glad i did . it sounds great and looks good . i have a 7 piece kit done in the walnut glase . there is something to be said about a company that has been around for a while making good drums . if i ever go to buy another set of drums this company will be my first second and thrid choice .
from the 1920s through the 1950s , the gretsch flagship drum set was the legendary broadkaster series . it featured a thin , three - ply shell and produced what was to be , “that great gretsch sound . ” today , in the gretsch drum factory in ridgeland , south carolina , usa , with the help of advanced drum - making techniques , the broadkaster has returned , bringing with it all of sonic brilliance of its namesake . broadkaster shells are made with a north american maple / poplar / maple formula . each shell includes an interior - ply scarf joint that supplies added structural integrity to thin , musical shells . like all usa - made gretsch drums , shell interiors are finished with classic gretsch silver sealer . the shell is hand finished with the exclusive reverse roundover bearing edge , which allows greater surface contact between the bearing edge and drumhead . the result is tone that is incredibly deep and warm .
the gretsch catalina maple seven - piece drum kit sports maple shells for explosive sound and balanced , wide - ranging tone . the fast response and vibrant sound make this an exceptional kit for any style , and a great setup for recording studios . you get three rack toms and two floor toms , a 6
x 14
snare , and an 18
x 22
kick drum . catalina maple rocks seven - ply shells with 30 - degree bearing edges , which give you that lively round tone gretsch drums are known for . no matter what you play , you ' ll groove on the gretsch catalina maple seven - piece drum kit .
in 1985 , 18 years after the company was sold to baldwin , fred w . gretsch made good on his word to purchase the gretsch company back and restored it to family ownership . the company partnered with fender in 2003 to handle development , distribution and sales .
usa broadkaster - professional drum set made of 6 - ply maple shells . the set includes gretsch ' s gts tom suspension system .
eighteen years after the company was sold to baldwin , fred w . gretsch , great - grandson of the company founder , fulfills his promise to buy the company back and return it to the family fold . gretsch establishes drum manufacturing center in ridgeland , s . c .
for more than 130 years , our award - winning company has been providing
that great gretsch sound
to drummers around the globe .
david chiverton in the studio with rn2 10 , 12 , 16 , 20 and gretsch hand hammered brass 6 . 5x14 snare . # gretschdrums
gretsch introduces the original broadkaster series , which eventually grows into one of the world ' s most revered drum sets of all - time .
really an all maple keller is closer to what gretsch was advertising when they did mention shell material ( 6 ply maple shell ) . there was never any mention of gum wood in the catalogs or ads . it seems that the gum is important though , being part of the jasper formula . i don ' t think that gretsch simply bought dedicated concrete forms and then made drums out of them . . . just that maybe jasper originally made similar wooden tubes for that usage and gretsch ( who were already buying wooden guitar parts from jasper ) had them make the appropriate diameters ( or perhaps slightly over the appropriate diameters since heads don ' t always fit so well ) for drum shells .
just fyi . . . . you can play metal , jazz , rock , country . . . in fact any genre of music . . . . . . on any brand of drums . anyone that says differently , dosen ' t know what they ' re talking about .
i hope this answers your question and if you need any other information , feel free to ask . i will do the best i can to help get the answers . in the meantime , keep the sweet sounds coming off of your vintage drums and enjoy them . take care ,
catalina stage - semi - professional drum set made of 6 - ply mahogany shells . the set includes gretsch ' s gts tom suspension system .
catalina elite - semi - professional drum set made of 6 - ply mahogany shells . the set includes gretsch ' s gts tom suspension system .
the nitron colors were lacquer on the earlier 3 ply drums and then some of the later 6 ply were a wrap . the nitron finishes were cadillac green ( which was the only one with gold hardware ) , copper mist , black and white and were ' 50s era finishes available only for a few years . the green used for cadillac nitron green was taken from the color gretsch used on one of their guitar models . *
gretsch catalina club 14
snare drum . gloss antique burst . works great . excellent , rarely used condition . a few minor signs of wear .
“it’s quite exciting to reach this remarkable milestone , ” said president fred w . gretsch . “we owe our many years of success to four generations of gretsch owners and the dedicated men and women on their team who were – and are – passionate about great music and high - quality instruments . ”
gretsch’s usa custom series is completely hand - crafted in gretch’s ridgeland , sc factory by highly experienced and skilled drumsmiths . the gretsch formula 6 ply maple shell , 30° bearing edges , silver sealer , die - cast hoops and custom finishes all combine to make a classic sound , with clear timbre , balanced tone , and explosive projection . you can customize gretsch usa custom drum sets “a la cart” by choosing your desired drum sizes , colors and hardware options .
that great gretsch sound , for less ! the original owner just traded it back . the kit features the following options 16
x 16
floor tom .
the gretsch catalina club jazz drum set blends classic bebop configurations and sound with sleek , contemporary hardware innovations . catalina club 4 - piece configurations ar . . .
the gretsch catalina maple series includes new innovative and sleek hardware designs . each component is designed for functionality , performance and style . the overall resul . . .
the gretsch catalina club jazz drum set blends classic bebop configurations and sound with sleek , contemporary hardware innovations . catalina club 3 - piece configurations ar . . .
the gretsch catalina club rock blends a classic rock and roll configuration and sound with sleek , contemporary hardware innovations . catalina club 4 - piece configurations ar . . .
i don ' t personally know any metal players who use gretsch but it ' s not like you couldn ' t slap some new heads on the drums and make them badass for metal . at the end of the day , the sound difference between that and another equally priced drum with similar wood and build specs is marginal . . . no one ' s going to think it doesn ' t sound
right
if you play with good technique and take care of them like any other drum .
the gretsch marquee series delivers explosive , open tones , professional features and rock solid performance at an accessible price . marquee shells combine 7 - ply north ameri . . .
special pricing on satin walnut glaze with free gibraltar flat - based hardware pack . the gretsch catalina club jazz drum set blends classic bebop configurations and sound wi . . .
actually , they would use shells from jasper and keller . their main source was jasper but they would fill in with keller . with all of the edges i have cut over the years i have seen many keller shells on gretsch kits . i have also seen bass drum shells used as floor toms and floor tom shells used as bass drums . i have seen an entire kit made out of jasper shells and the 12
tom is a keller . i think the quality assurance guy took many days off . bd
here ' s a handy sweetwater refresher course on tonewoods : whether you ' re talking drum shells or electric guitars , maple is an amazingly musical tonewood . it ' s got a fast , explosive response that ' s also very dynamic , allowing the subtle details of your playing to shine through . and maple has a wide - ranging tone that ' s suitable for any musical style , and perfect for recording in the studio . all these qualities make gretsch catalina maple drums a superb choice for your next drum kit .