Gretsch Blackhawk 5-pc. Drum Set Reviews 
5 / 5 based on 1 reviewsMy father bought it on eBay off of drumnetwork.com for $500.00 (orignal retail: $770.00). My old Mark II drumset lasted me for 4 years and finally needed to be replaced. In that case, I went to this set because Gretsch is and has been one of the most exclusive equipment makers on the market.
I can't see why they would consider this a beginner set. I have playing for almost 6 years, am a semi-pro drummer, and, by far, these drums take every bit of abuse that I can throw at them. They look excellent, too. I recieved mine in a Wine Red nitron finish that is as durable as it is handsome. The toms and tom arms are also easy to adjust. This set is just absolutely wonderful for beginners all the way to experts on a budget!
I have a couple of problems and they're very small. The stock heads on these drums are not up to par. I would recommend getting Remos for new heads (Pinstripes for the toms, Clear Ambassadars underneath toms and snare, and Powerstripe 3 for bass). Plus, I would have personally gotten the custom-colored kits with Gretsch's Mini-GTS tom system just for my own personal set-up, but the original set-up is just fine, just what I actually need!
The shells on these drums are made out of 6-ply Phillipine mahogany, a very common type of construction on many entry-level kits. The nitron finish on my kit is durable as far as scrathes go (none to date on my kit). I do have on small dent on it, but it doesn't effect it at all. This set is absolutely rock solid. The qualtiy and feel of this set is absolutely upscale.
This set is THE set to buy. Though there aren't a whole lot of color coordinations to choose from, there are a lot of available options for it (suchas a standard/fusion set up, Mini GTS set-up, custom special-edition finishes). In my opinion, for the beginner just starting or a long time expert on a budget, this kit is an absolute steal. Compare this to a TAMA Swingstar, Mapex V and Pro M Series, Pearl Forum and Export Series, Yamaha Rydeen and StageCustom sets, and many others in that class, and I would say this THE kit to get.
Cameron \"Too Happy to Wear Pants\" Alidor rated this unit
on
2004-06-18.
