I’ve tracked a lot of kits in my time, and the Gretsch Broadkaster sits in a sweet spot: warm, full-bodied, and musical. But when I bring a Broadkaster into a rock session I don’t want it to sound “vintage museum” — I want punch, attack, and a kit that cuts in a loud mix without losing its character. Over the years I’ve developed a checklist of physical and sonic changes I make before I mic up. Below I’ll walk you through what I change, why I change it, and the practical presets and mics I reach for to make a Broadkaster record-ready for rock.
Why modify at all?
Many drummers expect to just plug in mics and get a great rock sound from a Broadkaster as-is. The bass-kit resonance and rounded midrange are beautiful for jazz or vintage pop, but rock often needs more attack, tighter low-end, and more controlled sustain. Treating the drum physically first saves time in the mix and keeps the tone natural — I prefer to shape the acoustic sound before piling on EQ and samples.
Heads and tuning: the foundation
The single biggest change is the heads I use and how I tune them.
Bass drum: I swap the stock resonant head for a remo Smooth White or Evans EQ3 resonant with a 2" hole if it doesn’t already have one. For the batter I usually put a coated Powerstroke 3 (Remo) or a Hybrid Coated (Evans) to get focused punch and controlled sustain. Tune the batter relatively low — around G to A depending on a 22" or 20" shell — and the reso slightly higher to avoid muddy boom. I add an internal pillow (or a small Zildjian cymbal bag) positioned low and off-center: enough to dampen overtone but not deaden the beater click.Snare: The Broadkaster snare (if using the kit’s snare) benefits from a coated batter like Ambassador or G2 Coated and a crisp resonant head (Evans G1, Remo Ambassador Snare). I tune the batter medium-high for attack (don’t overtighten) and the reso higher than the batter for snap. I usually add some Moongel spots or a small strip of tape on the batter for rock to reduce excessive ring while preserving body.Toms: I replace old coated heads with controlled-sustain heads — G2s or Clear EC2s — on tom batters, and use clear resonant heads (or EQ3 reso for added control). Tune toms in a ladder that’s musical to the song; for rock I go slightly higher pitch than I would for jazz to emphasize attack and note separation.Why these choices? The coated Powerstroke/Hyrbid gives a beefy beater attack for rock while the EQ3/reso heads tighten the low end without choking the drum.
Dampening and resonance control
The Broadkaster’s shells ring beautifully, but uncontrolled ring will become a mess in a rock mix. My favorite dampening approach:
Minimal internal muffling in the kick — pillow or folded blanket off-center. Keep it movable so you can audition placement.Moongels on toms only if necessary; I prefer one or two small gels near the edge to kill metallic ring without killing sustain.A small piece of gaffer tape across the edge on the snare batter (short strip) to tame overtone; adjust to taste.Remove or deactivate any weird sympathetic rattles: loose lugs, rattling badges, or loose mufflers.Hardware and setup adjustments
How the drums sit and how the snare is tuned/harnessed matters more than people think.
Snare wires: I often swap to a slightly heavier wire set (e.g., 20-strand) for rock to get more sensitivity and articulation. Clean and retension wires between takes.Hoops and batter orientation: If the Broadkaster has triple-flanged hoops, consider swapping to die-cast hoops on the batter for added attack. Also rotate the batter head to even out wear and feel.Mounting: Isolation mounts (like RIMS) help the shell resonate more freely than direct mounts; if you don’t have RIMS, place toms on stands in positions that avoid direct clamp contact on the shells.Mic choices and placement for rock
I mic with the acoustic character we’ve created in mind: capture the body, the beater click, and the snare’s crack.
Bass drum: Shure Beta 52A or AKG D112 inside the hole, pointed at the beater for attack. I also place a large-diaphragm dynamic (Electro-Voice RE20 if available) just outside the hole or a condenser (e.g., AKG C414) 3–4 feet out facing the resonant head to capture low-body. Blend attack mic with a body room mic to taste.Snare: SM57 on the top about 1–2" off the head angled to avoid sticks; another SM57 or a small-diaphragm condenser (Shure SM81, AKG C451) on the bottom to capture wires. Gently high-pass the bottom mic to tame rumble.Toms: Sennheiser MD421s or Shure SM57s top-mounted close for attack, with overheads to capture natural sustain.Overheads/room: Matched condensers in XY or spaced pair — I love Neumann KM184 or Rode NT5 for clarity. For rock, the overheads need to be darker and a bit more focused: place them lower and closer to the kit to reduce excessive cymbal wash. Add a stereo room mic (Coles 4038 or a distant condenser pair) for ambience to blend for bigger rock drums.Signal chain and tracking tips
When tracking, I aim for clean, punchy signals that give me options in the mix.
Use high-pass filters on toms and overheads (around 80–120Hz) to clear sub energy.Leave compression light on tracking — a gentle 2:1 on the bass drum with 3–6dB gain reduction can be helpful, but don’t squash dynamics. You can do more coloration in mixing with bus compressors (API 2500-style or SSL) if needed.Clip gain and level management: ensure peaks are healthy but not clipping. I target around -12 to -8 dBFS peaks on individual mics depending on DAW/console workflow.Blending and optional augmentation
Even with good acoustic prep, for full-on rock I’ll often blend in a processed sample for modern punch.
Choose a sample matching the kick pitch and attack. Tune the sample to the song key and use transient shaping to align attack.Layer the sample under the natural kick, using phase/nudge to align transients. Use EQ to carve space: remove sub from the sample if the acoustic already has a good low end, or remove mid-heavy frequencies from the acoustic to let the sample sit.For snare, if I need more crack, parallel compression or an attacky sample blended in at low level works wonders.Final listening and tweaks
After initial tracking I always listen through the full band context. If the kick feels lost, I’ll tighten reso tuning, increase beater attack by adjusting batter tension, or move the mic closer to the beater. If the snare is too boxy, a different resonant head or a small ring of tape can help. Small changes backstage can save hours in mixing.
| Drum | Head choices | Typical tuning / tip |
|---|
| Bass | Powerstroke 3 / Hybrid Coated + EQ3 reso | Low batter, slightly higher reso; pillow off-center |
| Snare | Ambassador/G2 Coated + G1 reso | Medium-high batter, reso higher; tape or Moongel |
| Toms | G2 / Clear EC2 + clear reso | Medium-high; small gels only if needed |
These are the practical, repeatable changes I make every time a Broadkaster gets billed for rock work. The goal is to respect the kit’s warmth while adding clarity, attack and control so it sits where it needs to in a dense mix. Try one change at a time and record quick A/B takes — you’ll quickly hear what’s doing the heavy lifting.
