Drummer Tony Carbone of Syracuse, New York, tells MD that his goal with this beautifully restored vintage project was to buy some older Gretsch shells in his favorite sizes on the cheap and create a road-worn-looking vintage kit that has that oft-referred-to “Great Gretsch Sound.” The set consists of an 8×12 tom, a 14×14 floor tom, and a 14×20 bass drum. “I purchased the shells on an auction website,” Carbone says. “As with most vintage Gretsch drums, it’s difficult to pinpoint the year that they were manufactured. Tags and serial numbers were faded and/or partially torn off, except for the bass drum’s, which has a serial number of 122011. After some research, I believe it was made in 1969.” Carbone says that the condition of the shells varied greatly. Each had its own issues, and none of them came with any hardware or hoops. “The project took more than three […]

October 2019 Issue