It's really not rocket science. The toms and snare for Kent drums were 2 ply all maple. Gretsch didn't work with 2 ply shells. The bass drums were 6 ply all maple. Gretsch didn't work with all maple shells. Later on, Kent shells were imported Asian cheap Luan. There's no mystery here. The only connection Kent drums had to Gretsch was when Bill Kent worked for them back in the 40's or so. That's pretty much it. I spent some time living and playing in Buffalo. If you want serious details, check with Paul at Buffalo Drum Outlet. He's a pulse kinda guy ... as in "kept his finger on".

This is one of those things that can't be verified so it will probably remain unsettled.

Part of the premise is the proximity of Gretsch and Kent (both operating in NY state for part of their histories).

With Jasper shells made in Indiana, I think that shoots the proximity concept out of the water. Unless there were some coherent proof that Kent and Gretsch had business dealings, it seems unlikely that these two very different companies would share much.

I don't know where, but I recall reading recently about some Kent shells being spooled veneer rather than ply layups.

Patrick

Whatever the answers are regarding the shells,there is no denying the similarities in the sound of these 2 brands.I,ve played them side by side [RB] and without looking you cant tell the difference in the bass and toms.The Gretsch snare is a tad dryer sounding,but thats it.:2Cents:

A two ply shell is excessively thin and will sound warm and responsive and resonant. It's the nature of the beast. Some of those bearing edges were crap or just plain non-existent. That should clue you in on the importance of the shell layup. It was not a Gretsch layup, but it was such that it naturally promoted those factors that Gretsch thought important. It doesn't sound like the other companies because they did not put as much value on those factors, hence the 3 ply m/p/m layup. It is what it is. And yes, there were shells that were more wound than plied.

I have a snare shell from a friend and it's begun to "unravel" - So they may indeed be rolled shells. I also doubt highly that they were made in Jasper, due to the quality and workmanship of the shells. Gobs of brown glue frequently and messily smeared all over the inside of the shells tells me that they probably were not made by the same company that Gretsch got their shells from.

Does anyone know *for sure* who cut the edges on Gretsch drums? Was it the shell maker or Gretsch? Just wondering.

Oh... and yes, they do sound good with decent edges on them :)

From what I know (not much) being from Indiana there was a company named Jasper Wood Products in Jasper IN. Thats an area of the state that has a lot of German woodworkers and lots of wood items are/were made in that part of the state. In fact I'm sitting at a desk at Indiana State University that was made by the Jasper Desk Co. Kimball still makes furniture in that part of the state. The story I have heard is that drum shells were a very small part of the wood cylinder production at Jasper Wood Products and in fact the drum companies bought the cylinders in long tubes and they cut them up in drum shell sizes. Most of the wood tubes were used in the building industry. The layup of the plies was what Jasper offered and the drum companies bought what was available. I think it was that the drum companies bought what was already a product not that the drum company specified how they were made. You have to remember that no matter how big drums are in our lives it is really a small industry, especially BR (before Ringo). Several years ago (1990's) when Jasper Wood Products went out of business Tommy Robertson from Austin Texas' Tommy's Drum Shop bought all the left over wood tubes and the wood tube making machinery. He made Fibes Drums out of those tubes and from what I know couldn't use the machinery because of it's age and condition. I know none of this has anything to do with whether Kent used the same shells as Gretsch but both could have bought wood tubes from Jasper to make drums. A two ply tube would have been cheaper than tubes with more plies. I'm sure there are other people here with more information than I have given but this is a little insight into wood tube (drum shell) manufacture at Jasper.

Here's a fun little bit of pepper to add to this soup.

Gretsch bought Slingerland and had Jasper make the shells for those drums. So, you have Slingerland drums made by Jasper for Gretsch.

And no, they weren't the Gretsch layup.

Isn't this fun...

Ok this may or may not help but a few years ago I spoke with one of the Kent brothers regarding the company and it's history. I was trying to write an article. He said that he and his brother worked for Gretsch and presented the idea of a low cost drum set to be made by Gretsch. The company wouldn't have it, so they resigned and started the Kent line. He seemed to imply that they did not leave on good terms but that is just the vibe I got. In addition he said they made all their own shells until it became too much, so they began buying Japanese made shells. He also said their bread and butter was not actually the drum line but tamborines.

Mcdrummer;;;thats interesting about them pitching it to Gretsch.I,ll best they wish they had accepted the idea after they made that garbage called Blackhawk line...What a disgrace.