From an upcoming DRUM! magazine article "Saul Leslie Beimel/Billy Gladstone Set Restoration": "My impression is that the set was built for Joe Morello. Yes, both Morello and Roach were using silver sparkle drums but diverse sizes. Roach was into the smaller 20, 12, 14 “Bop” sizes while Morello used the standard 22, 13, 16 sizes. OK, so maybe Gladstone put together a silver sparkle set for Roach in the sizes he was making. He did not offer the small sizes of Bop sets. But it seems to me that Morello’s playing style lends itself more to what Gladstone’s technique is purported to be. Now don’t all you Max Roach fans get your panties in a bundle. I love Max’s melodic playing. Roach was a fabulous player but his technique and Morello’s were quite different. I tried to interview Roach for the Gretsch book but he declined, saying he was in negotiations with a publisher and didn’t want to squirrel the deal. Still, I asked him what his experience was with Billy Gladstone. 'None' he said. Joe Morello, on the other hand had much experience with Gladstone, 'I met Billy in 1954 when he came to see me at the Hickory House (in New York with the Marian McPartland Trio). I talked to him about taking lessons. At first he didn’t want to teach me. He said, "You and Buddy Rich, you don’t need this." I said "But I really want to take some lessons from you." It was an incredible thing that put the finishing touch on my technique. (During) my first lesson, he wanted to make me (a drum), but I wanted it in silver (sparkle) pearl. That was my trademark. Billy said ‘Oh, I can’t do that. I don’t want to put plastic on the drum.’ He wanted to make a drum in black lacquer but I wanted something to match the drumset. So that was it, no animosity, he just didn’t believe in anything covering the drum.' I noted that Gladstone did make some drums with pearl coverings. Morello responded 'Well, he didn’t do it for me! If I had bugged him long enough maybe he would have.' So here’s my interpretation. If Gladstone spurned Morello’s request for a pearl covering, would he not have some influence over a student? My take is Gladstone reconsidered Morello’s offer of buying a silver sparkle snare and built him an entire kit when Morello’s fame grew. For whatever reason the deal was not consummated and Gladstone sold the set to Beimel. Sheer speculation but it makes for a great story."
