The lead times for Gretsch USA drums can vary wildly. Wrap finishes, on average, can be 3 to 6 months, and expect lacquer finish drums to be up to 12 months. The reason the lacquer finishes take so long is because of the lacquering process. Gretsch uses a nitrocellulose lacquering process with 6 coats of lacquer. After each coat of lacquer, the shell is put on a rack to dry for 6 days. Then it is sanded down, sprayed again, and this is repeated 6 times, so there are 6 actual weeks of drying time. It is not the most efficient method of lacquering a drum shell, but it is gorgeous.
Being that these are custom-made musical instruments crafted by human beings, the lead times are not guaranteed. They are an estimate, and the lead time can and will likely vary.