Recently found: Savannah magazine featured an article on Gretsch Drums on September 12, 2019, an article by Jessica Leigh Lebos.
This is an interesting read, that is short containing many photos of the how the drums are made with input from production manager Paul Cooper.
You can read the article for yourself HERE.
Here is an excerpt:
“Located just over the Talmadge Bridge in the bucolic town of Ridgeland, SC, the low-slung, beige warehouse looks like it might produce something banal, like shoelaces, or maybe uncomfortable office furniture.
You could drive by it for years and never guess what tremendous magic lies within. In fact, the only clue that this humble building contains the potential to bring stadiums of 20,000 people to their feet is a small, partially rusted sign that reads “Musical Instruments.”
Founded in 1883 by German immigrant Friedrich Gretsch in Brooklyn, the family-run drum-and-guitar maker was sold to the Baldwin Piano Company in 1967, which relocated manufacturing to Arkansas before the Gretsch family bought back the company in 1985 and re-headquartered the drum plant in Ridgeland. These days, though the family still maintains owner/operator rights, the Gretsch Drums name is licensed by California-based Drum Workshop.”
Gretsch website: HERE
