“When a drum exceeds all expectations it becomes… THE STANDARD” Mike Johnston
Gretsch Drums announced the launch of the Brooklyn Standard snare drum today. The snare is a collaboration with acclaimed educator Mike Johnston.
If you haven’t watched any of Mike’s educational videos, I highly suggest doing so. He is one of the best drum educators on the planet. I recall watching tons of his videos, even back to his days with Drum Lab.
If there’s anyone who knows great snare tone, it’s Mike. And don’t take his word alone—Mike showcases the drum in the video below along with Mark Guiliana and Victor Indrizzo.
All three showcase the Brooklyn Standard Snare in different scenarios.
“I just really wanted to have a standard for my students and myself, for the Gretsch brand. Like if you could take one snare drum with you anywhere you go—what would that be?” —Mike
The answer is the Brooklyn Standard.
Gretsch partnered up with Johnston to create a snare drum specific to both his needs and his students needs, noting that it needed to be extremely versatile, excel in many playing situations, sound great at all tunings, and have a wide dynamic range.
And while we as drummers tend to care about the tonal quality of an instrument first, it still needed to live up to the heritage and look of a traditional Gretsch drum.
The drum has both a vintage and modern design—it’s simple, yet exquisite.
And despite both the name-brand Gretsch and it being Mike’s signature drum, the price is relatively affordable for most—perfect for drummers looking to pick up their first professional-level snare.
After nine months of extensive prototyping and thorough evaluation, the Brooklyn Standard™ was born.
Some of the features that stand out:
- 42-strand snare wires
- Double 45° bearing edges
- Gretsch tube lugs
- Satin Black Metallic finish
- Old-school internal dampener
Each feature and specification has been chosen for the way it affects the tone, dynamics and playability. It’s a must-own for any serious snare drum collector.
The 5.5×14 Brooklyn Standard Snare drum features a 6-ply North American Maple/Poplar shell which has its own unique sound.
The double 45 degree bearing edges allow for a brighter, crispier sound with incredible sensitivity.
The batter side tone control (old-school dampener) provides a supplementary muting option, something that’s making a big comeback as of late. The extra wide 42-strand snare wires give beautiful response, and 302 hoops offer great cross sticking tone.
The Brooklyn Standard Snare Drum features a Satin Black Metallic finish, a Silver Sealer™ interior, traditional Gretsch tube lugs, Lightning throw-off™, and Gretsch Permatone® heads by Remo USA®.
The inside of the drum features a label signed by Mike Johnston, specifying the year of production.
For More information about Gretsch Drums visit www.gretschdrums.com/. To order, visit Sweetwater.
