Hi

Nice ole Gretsch snare there.

No paper tag and Silver Sealer and 6ply would mean it's 59-61 probably. But, there are exceptions out there.

If it is clear interior and three ply then you're looking at early 50's to 57 maybe.

If it is 3ply, no paper tag, but has silver sealer then it's 58-61 or so.

So....which of the above is it?

Thanks Gary. It has the silver sealer, but I'm not experienced enough to tell how many plies it is. Judging by the thickness, I'm thinking 3. So that would put it in the '58 to '61 range I guess. Any idea of the value? I'm not getting rid of it, but I'm getting ready to insure my collection.

Thanks again. Really appreciate it.

Stephen

When Gretsch switched from 3ply to 6ply they added silver sealer around that time. Most Gretsch people agree that was around 1958.

I have a kit that was bought new in 1960 as a complete kit. Most of the shells are 3ply but the floor tom is 6ply. My drums could have been made in 58 or 59 and maybe even in very early 60 at the latest before being shipped out to the drum store in Nanaimo BC Canada.....and bought by the late Mr. Gary Pearce of Nanaimo in 1960.

I would guess that your drum would be late 50's..........58-59.....and maybe even 60. But like I said before, there are exceptions......could be earlier or even around 61 or early 62.

My money is on 58-59 though.

Is that confusing enough haha.

Nice drum..............I would not sell it for less than $1000 if it is 3ply. I've seen them for sale for a lot more depending on the finish (the anniversary - 1958 Starlight Sparkle for instance = a lot more). The six ply tend to go for less.........more of them around I'm thinking.

Is there a reliable way to count the plies? I've only been into vintage drums for a couple of years, so I still have a lot to learn. Still, I'll insure it for $1K. It's in extremely nice condition. Looks almost new. Like I said, it's a very good-sounding drum as well. I mostly collect larger drums (14 x 7 or 8), but this one feels just right. It needs a new batter head, and new wires - is there a Puresound that would be matched to the drum, I wonder?

Anyway, thanks again and take care.

Stephen

Stephen

If you look down at the bearing edges of the shell when you remove the head you should be able to count the plys. The three ply drum shells are at least as thick and the snares I've seen are thicker than the 6ply shells. It will be very easy to see three vs six. Sometimes it's hard to count all 6 plys in the 6ply. Is the finish Factory do you think? What colour is it?

I'm counting 3 plies, but then again I don't have the sharpest eyes. The color is sorta a mixture of silver and gold sparkle, making me think it was one or the other at some point, and faded somewhat to the color that it is now. I'm confident the finish is original. It even has a Gretsch batter head on it, although it's pretty marked up and shows its age; still sounds good though.

Stephen

Sounds like a nice drum.

Any chance that you could get some nice high res colour photos up here?

I need a much better camera right now. I've got a decent video camera that takes pics, but they're not much good either. I really need to get a good camera, as I have a handful of drums to sell, and I need good pics. I'll post additional photos when I get one (pretty soon).

Stephen

Here are two photos taken with my video camera. Maybe they show the color a little better? Perhaps not.

Stephen