Gretsch · Progressive Jazz · 1958–1977
Gretsch Progressive Jazz Kit
Gretsch introduced the Broadkaster Progressive Jazz outfit as new in its 1958 Diamond Jubilee catalog and called it the exact set Art Blakey played, and Max Roach on the EmArcy records he made with his group. It was a compact kit for small groups, a 20 x 14 bass drum with a 12 x 8 tom and a 14 x 14 floor tom, and the catalog credited the 20-inch bass to Dave Tough and Gretsch. The first snare was the narrow 14 x 4 Max Roach model, and the photo showed the kit in Copper Mist Nitron. By 1961 the shells were described as 6-ply and an 18-inch bass was on offer. By the mid-1960s a 14 x 5½ wood snare had replaced the narrow one, and the 1971 catalog pictures the set in hand polished walnut. The 1977 catalog still lists a Progressive Jazz, by then with the octagonal badge and a chrome metal snare. That's two decades of kits under one name, so decide which era you want first. The 20-inch version is the catalog standard, and its badges, interiors and wrap should agree across all three drums.
With the 14 x 4 Max Roach snare, 4175 (1958 and 1961 catalogs)With the 14 x 5½ 4157 wood snare and the 4160 metal snare as an option (mid-1960s and 1971)Progressive Jazz with the octagonal badge and a 4160 snare, 4157 optional (1977 catalog)With the optional 18 x 14 bass, the kit now sold as a round badge bop kit
Spec at a glance
- Brand
- Gretsch
- Model
- Progressive Jazz
- Family
- Progressive Jazz
- Type
- Kit
- Years covered
- 1958–1977
- Made in
- USA (Brooklyn, New York, then De Queen, Arkansas from 1969)
- Sizes
- 20 x 14 bass (18 x 14 optional), 12 x 8 tom, 14 x 14 floor tom
- Era
- 1950s
Inside the shellProgressive Jazz
- Shell
- Multi-ply
- Construction
- 3-ply molded shell in the 1958 catalog, 6-ply with a silver interior from the 1961 catalog
- Hardware
- Rail Consolette tom holder, disappearing bass drum spurs, Jimmy Pratt bass drum tone control
- Finishes
- Copper Mist Nitron, Champagne Sparkle, Hand Polished Walnut, White Pearl, Black Pearl, Silver Sparkle, Blue Sparkle
How to date one
Gretsch says fires destroyed its serial records, so date one by its parts. The round badge ran until 1971 and the octagonal badge took over in 1972. A natural 3-ply interior fits the earliest sets and a silver-painted 6-ply interior the 1960s. The snare that came with it moved from the narrow 14 x 4 Max Roach model (1958, 1961) to the 14 x 5½ 4157 by the mid-1960s and the chrome 4160 by 1977.
What to check before you buy
Toms and basses from different years get swapped between kits, since the same sizes ran for two decades. Re-wraps and extra holes in the bass drum are the other common problems.
- 01Badges: Look at the badge on each drum in the photos. Round badges fit up to 1971 and octagonal ones the 1970s, and all three drums should match.
- 02Interiors: Ask the seller for a photo inside each shell. The interiors should match drum to drum, with silver paint on 1960s 6-ply shells.
- 03Sizes: Check the listed sizes against 20 x 14 (or 18 x 14), 12 x 8 and 14 x 14. Other tom sizes mean drums from a different outfit.
- 04Wrap: Look at the wrap seams and color in the photos. Even fading across all three drums and tight seams point to original wrap.
- 05Extra holes: Ask for a photo of the bass drum around the tom holder. Original holes only, with nothing filled or added, is what you want.
- 06Bearing edges: On arrival, pull the heads and check each bearing edge and shell. Edges should be smooth and even, with no cracks or loose plies.
- 07Packing: Ask the seller to box each drum on its own with heads on and hardware off, or pick it up locally. A loose kit in one box arrives damaged.
Find one on eBay
We haven’t been through this drum’s listings yet. Search eBay for the exact model and run every listing through the checklist above. Ask for clear photos of the badge, the inside of each shell, the bearing edges and every lug, and ask how it will be packed. Pass on any listing that won’t show them.
Search “Gretsch Progressive Jazz drum set” on eBay ↗eBay searchCompare with
Gretsch · Round Badge
KitGretsch Round Badge Bop Kit
round badge bop kit
- Years made
- 1961–1971
- Era
- 1960s
Specs and what to check →
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KitGretsch Name Band Kit
Name Band
- Years made
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- Era
- 1950s
$2,875–$2,875 typical ask
Gretsch · 4160
SnareGretsch 4160 COB Snare
Gretsch 4160
- Years made
- 1961–1977 (in the catalogs we checked)
- Era
- 1960s
$1,175–$1,200 typical ask
Rogers · Holiday
KitRogers Holiday Kit
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- Years made
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- Era
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$1,050–$1,050 typical ask