Gretsch Drums Introduces the Brooklyn Standard Snare Drum

“When a drum exceeds all expectations it becomes… THE STANDARD” Mike Johnston

Gretsch Drums announce the launch of the Brooklyn Standard snare drum in collaboration with acclaimed educator Mike Johnston. When Mike Johnston contacted Gretsch about developing a new snare drum concept, he was very specific about what he wanted it to accomplish. It needed to be extremely versatile, to possess a wide dynamic range, and excel in all playing situations across a wide variety of tunings. Plus, it needed to live up to the look and heritage of Gretsch Drums and be accessible to students and players who were ready to step up to their very first pro-grade snare drum. After 9 months of prototyping, feedback, and thorough evaluation, the Brooklyn Standard™ was born.

Each individual feature and specification has been chosen for the way it affects the sound, dynamics and playability of the drum and make this snare a must-have for any serious collection: The 5.5×14 Brooklyn formula 6-ply North American Maple/Poplar shell has its own distinctive sound and the double 45 degree bearing edges make for a snappier, crisp sound with great sensitivity. The batter side tone control provides a supplementary muting option, the extra wide 42-strand chrome plated snare wires give a beautiful buzz and 302 hoops offer great cross sticking sounds.

The drum (GAS5514-ST) is finished in Satin Black Metallic with a Silver Sealer™ interior which is accentuated with Gretsch tube lugs, Lightning throw-off™ and Gretsch Permatone® heads by Remo USA®. An inside identification label signed by Mike Johnston specifies the year of production.

See Mike Johnston, Mark Guiliana and Victor Indrizzo talking about the new drum and putting it through its paces here: