I bought my first RB kit in 1967 brand new at the ripe age of 16 after beating my first kit (Japanese) to crap. I first wanted Ludwig because of Ringo, but then heard some Slingys and wanted them and then Rogers and wanted them. But, unfortunately for me, I then heard Gretsch and was blown away. The toms and bass had a much deeper, penetrating tone. And they were much heavier. The six plys, lack of reinforcement hoops and those heavy die cast hoops made for a very robust drum. Rim shots on the other brands' hoops caused more dents than sharp retorts. But Gretsch drums, even with their admittedly crappy hardware were more money, which was a factor for me and my part time grocery store job plus a little gig money but I had to have them. I still have them though they are not in great condition. I've also bought more in the last year or so. I also have Gretsch from the 70s and I don't think they sound quite as good and I have a current Gretsch USA kit which sounds really good but the shells are thicker now and don't seem to have the same liveliness. Gretsch sold far fewer than Ludwig in the 60s and a great many were modified with better hardware. Finding really nice pieces without mods can be a challenge.

BTW, the wood 4157 snare is a great, great drum and worth the heavy price. I also have the 4160 that came with my original 1967 kit. If you like crisp snares and really sharp rim shots, it's fantastic. I have a Luddy supra which also sounds terrific but can't match those rim shots.

Dave