Gretsch 18/12/14/5x14" Brooklyn Drum Set - Exclusive Cameo Coral

Here we have the first Gretsch Brooklyn 14x18/8x12/14x14/5x14" kit in Cameo Coral. This is a very rare finish from the fifties that has been re created and is now available exclusively through Maxwell Drums. Read below for details on how these kits came to be!

Steve’s Notes: The rarest Gretsch finish ever! Cameo Coral! About a year ago I finally came across a complete set in incredible condition. Prior to this set surfacing we had never seen or heard of an original Cameo Coral Gretsch drum, much less a complete kit. I have seen a few "fakes" in my day, which shall we say were poor attempts to "cash in". But, this was 100% original and the "real deal".
Some background: In the 50s between 1954-circa 1958, Gretsch added three new finishes: Cadillac Nitron Green (only offered with gold hardware), Copper Mist, and Cameo Coral, which is a salmon-like color. Before these finishes, Gretsch had the traditional wraps of the day - red, green, blue, silver, gold sparkle, white marine pearl, midnight blue pearl, and black diamond pearl.

These three new finishes were only in the color line for a very short time, so all are extremely rare. Also, it should be noted that these three finishes started as paint (whereas all other Gretsch finishes offered at the time were plastic wrap). As time progressed between 1954-1958, Gretsch then switched away from the paint because it would chip badly. Their solution was to use a clear wrap with the color on the underside of the wrap. The original set that I have is the early version with paint on the shells, which makes the superb condition of this set even more remarkable. All of these three finishes are extremely rare, but I have handled at least 7 caddy green sets and know of at least 6 more, and I have handled about the same number of copper mist, and know of several others. However, no one has ever seen Cameo Coral. My guess here is that the finish just wasn't a color that "grabbed" players, and given the quality of the catalog print material at this time, the catalog color swatch wouldn't be a great color representation.

After seeing how great the original was, we shipped the snare drum to Paul Cooper at Gretsch to swatch and reproduce this gorgeous finish for brand-new Brooklyn, USA Custom, and Broadkaster drum kits. Available exclusively through us in Satin and Gloss finishes, these kits look absolutely stunning!

Brooklyn, New York and Gretsch Drums share an inseparable legacy that is reflected in the Gretsch Brooklyn Series. Proudly hand-crafted in Gretsch’s Ridgeland, SC, USA factory, Gretsch Brooklyn produces a sound that is immediately recognizable, yet distinctively reinvented. Brooklyn drums feature 6-ply North American maple/poplar shells and are made slightly thicker than Gretsch’s USA Custom Drums and have a 30-degree bearing edge. Shell interiors are finished with classic Gretsch Silver Sealer. Each shell comes with a distinctive Brooklyn internal shell label that identifies the drum shell model number and serial number.

Brooklyn toms and snares feature the distinctive Gretsch “302” hoop. Its 3mm thick and double-flanged and is reminiscent of hoops used by Gretsch until the mid 1950’s. Brooklyn delivers classic Gretsch tones that are full, punchy and warm. Brooklyn’s innovative specifications created a new Gretsch tonal characteristic that is slightly more open and satisfyingly ambient. There is no denying that Brooklyn drums possess the sound of classic Gretsch drums, but deliver their own sonic personality.

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