Gretsch Drums have been around for decades. They’re a proud American company, with many famous drummers using their products. They’ve never been too well known for their hardware, though.
DW, Pearl, and Gibraltar have always been the big companies that drummers look to for drum hardware. However, Gretsch have a few gems that shouldn’t be looked over. One of them is the Gretsch Drums Pro Throne.
In this review, we’re going to look at what the Pro Throne is all about. We’ll see if it’s a good option to get compared to all the other thrones on the market.
The Gretsch Drums Pro Throne is a standard drum throne with all the features that you’d expect one to have. It has double-braced legs, a 13-inch round seat, and a height adjustment system that is very smooth.
The height adjustment system is the defining feature of the kit. It’s a spindle mechanism, allowing you to rotate the seat to raise or lower the height.
Visually, the standout point of this throne is the artwork on the surface of the seat. It has Gretsch’s name on it, and it celebrates the fact that the company has been making drums since 1883.
The text is bright orange, making this throne stand out vividly.
The Pro Throne is the only high-end drum throne that Gretsch offers. While that limits your options with the brand, it’s worth noting that the quality of this throne is exceptionally high.
Everything about it feels incredibly well-made. The material quality is superb, and it feels as though it will last many years of heavy use.
The thick padding on the seat is quite comfortable to sit on, allowing you to play the drums for hours without feeling any discomfort after a while.
While this doesn’t affect performance, we love the design quality of the throne as well. The bright text on the surface proudly displays the Gretsch name. Not everyone will be a fan of that, but we think it looks great!
The seat on the Pro Throne is 13”. It’s a fairly standard size, and it fits almost all body types very comfortably. If it doesn’t fit, you may need to get a special oversized seat from a brand like DW.
It has thick double-braced legs, making it feel very sturdy. The legs can also be extended out a fair bit, making the base feel very secure while playing.
Certain drum throne legs tend to move closer to the center over time. You don’t get that at all with this throne.
While the rubber feet on the legs aren’t oversized, they feel okay for the most part. We’d love it if they were a bit larger, though.
The main aspect of this throne when it comes to construction is the spindle height adjustment. It’s a screw mechanism where you can rotate the seat to raise or lower the throne.
It works very well, and it makes it easy to dial-in seat height preferences without loosening or tightening any screws.
You can tighten the wing nuts so that it can’t be rotated. We suggest doing that when playing a gig, but it’s okay to leave that nut a bit loose so that different drummers who come to sit on the throne can quickly readjust the height.
The Pro Throne performs brilliantly. It’s a professional drum throne, so it does everything a professional drum throne needs to do.
It’s stable and reliable, and that’s often all you need. While it doesn’t have any fancy features, such as a hydraulic system or backrest, it’s one of the most reliable thrones we’ve reviewed.
If you’re looking for excellent performance, you can’t go wrong with the Gretsch Drums Pro Throne.
The price may be a dividing factor for different buyers. Since this is a pro drum throne, it comes with a higher cost. You’ll be set back just under $200, putting this throne in the upper price range of options on the market.
Beginner and intermediate drum thrones cost between $40 and $150, so you may be considering getting one of those instead.
However, we highly recommend you consider spending a bit more money to get this throne as it will most likely last longer.
A cheaper throne’s spindle height system will get stripped after time, whereas professional drum thrones are built to last decades.
With that being said, there are other thrones with similar prices that offer more in terms of quality and features. Options from DW, Pearl, and Gibraltar are generally full of top-end specs.
So, the value for the money is there with the Gretsch Drums Pro Throne, but you may find more value in competing thrones from other brands.
The Gretsch Pro Throne is an excellent gigging option. It’s superbly built and very comfortable to sit on, but it’s not as heavy as some of the competing thrones out there. That makes it a lot easier to transport.
The throne will work decently in a studio, thanks to its comfort. However, it’s typically better to get heavy-duty thrones to use in studios. They’re the most comfortable thrones to sit on, and they last the longest out of any throne type. So, the Pro Throne doesn’t quite fit that bill if you’re looking for the best option possible.
So, is the Gretsch Pro Throne a worthy contender in the drum throne market? Yes and no. It’s an amazing drum throne. You won’t be disappointed if you get it, thanks to the comfort levels it offers and the durability it has.
However, there are several other drum thrones available with similar prices that offer more. If you love Gretsch, you should get this throne. If you want the best bang for your buck, you should look at the options from Pearl, DW, and Gibraltar.
Drum Teacher
Brett Clur has a Drum Performance Diploma from Trinity College London has been playing drums for over 20 years. He is passionate about advanced concepts and uses his years of experience to teach his students about them. While he is a full-time drum teacher, he is also working on growing a YouTube channel where shares his insights. You can see him playing there, or on Instagram where he posts daily videos.
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