Eric Moore joins Gretsch | The end of his DW era
Eric Moore has left DW after years on the roster and joined Gretsch Drums, debuting a Renown kit in Champagne Sparkle. Here is what the switch means.
Big drummers do not change drum brands very often. When they do, the whole internet notices.
On 22 January 2026 Gretsch Drums announced that Eric Moore had joined their artist roster — ending a long relationship with DW and starting a brand new chapter.
What happened
The news broke the way most gear news breaks these days: on social media, with Eric posting a video message of his own.
With it came the first look at his new kit. Not a custom one-off, either — a Gretsch Renown in Champagne Sparkle. That is a mid-priced maple kit that working drummers actually buy, which makes the choice more interesting than another hand-built showpiece.
Gretsch have since listed him on their artist roster proper.
Why it matters
Eric had been a DW artist for years. He was in their videos, he demoed their kits at clinics, and if you have watched any of his lesson content from the last decade you have watched him play DW shells.
So this is not a small tweak. It is one of the most-watched drummers online changing the biggest single piece of his setup.
The rest of his rig looks to be staying put. He remains a Paiste cymbal artist, an Aquarian heads player, and a GEWA G9 ambassador on the electronic side — he even has his own signature GEWA digital snare. Sticks come from DopeStickz, which he owns himself.
So what does a Renown sound like?
Renown is Gretsch’s 7-ply maple line, and it carries the “Gretsch sound” — that round, punchy, slightly dry tone that comes from their 30-degree bearing edges and Silver Sealer interior.
For a player like Eric, whose whole thing is enormous dynamic range between a whisper-quiet ghost note and a full-power backbeat, a shell that stays clear when it gets loud makes sense.
We will be watching the clinic footage closely to hear how it holds up under those hands.
Final thoughts
Endorsement switches can be pure business. This one looks like a genuine change of taste, and the fact that he picked a kit real drummers can afford makes it more fun.
See Eric Moore’s full rig, era by era, in the Rig Vault or read our full Eric Moore feature.