vistas are great... however more info is needed here. what type of music do you play,vistas color, slingy finish/ sizes etc.

i play everything from wedding jazz to the occasional metal. i own two other kits, a yamaha maple custom and a starclassic birch. i just want an older kit to go with my 11 snares. the slingy is a 60's blue sparkle 13,20,16. a 6.5 out of 10 (guitarcenter rating) for 747.43 out the door.

i've always wanted a vista for the Bonham lover in me. and i can't afford a 71 green sparkle kit. the deal is, i can get the vista for 9. what year do you think it is? blue olive pointy badge, 7 digit serial starting with 161. oh yea, they're smokey black.

To my knowledge, smokey black isn't one of the most collectable finishes, so bear that in mind if you're looking at this kit as an investment. Also consider that vistas are heavier than wood drums, so they're not the world's most practical drums if you're looking to gig them frequently without breaking your back.

That said: I love vistas. I had a set and still kick myself for letting them go. They're loud, resonant, and cool as hell.

The Slingies are a different story altogether. I've never played a Slingerland kit, but there are forum members who swear by them. (RogerSling, I'm looking at you.)

If it were me, I'd take the vistas, just because I already have two vintage wood kits (a 50s Gretsch and a 60s Club Date) and would love the variety. That's assuming the vistas are in great shape--pics would be needed.

Since you don't have another vintage kit, I think you need to identify a few things: first, are both kits well-priced? (Again, pics are needed for this.) Second, what kind of vintage vibe are you going for? If you seek a classic 60s vibe, the Slingies might be a better choice. But vistas have their own special kind of cool. Lastly, the vistas would give you a broader musical palette, since there are just more drums there. How much do you like big kits?

Lots to think about. Good luck!

This is pretty close to the kit you're looking...

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/msg/2501154056.html

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/msg/2505117279.html

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/msg/2519625482.html

If you have the Bonham bug then I would simply save till you could afford one of the well known (replica) kits you want, be it natural maple, green spakle, amber vistalite, or stainless steel.

wow thanks for the response man. i like the versatility of more drums. i would never gig with a 7 piece, so i'm not worried about that. tthe slingys are priced alright in my opinion. the vistas are priced great! that set would probably sell for 1100 easy after a good cleaning. their not an investment to me. i'd play them and keep them probably forever. i'm looking to do the refurb thing later in the year with different sets.

http://used.guitarcenter.com/images/products/106782803_lg.jpg (slingys)

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/msg/2485929893.html (vistalites)

yea except the ones i'm eyeballing have bottom heads.

I have one of the re-issue Bonham amber vistalite kits and also a 60's Slingy kit. I love both. The vistas look great and are big drums with a big sound. That said, they cant touch the sound of my Slingerlands. To be honest, I dont think you could go wrong with either, but if I could only choose one (and thankfully i dont have too :)) I would probably choose the Slingerlands for the sound. Good luck!

James

I realize this is going to sound out of character ... but ... between those two kits, the vistas are the better choice. The Slingy kit is missing the 12 inch Tom and has the double clip pole with only the 13 hanging on it. That's going to be a very unstable setup if you play with any conviction. Plus, those vistas are very cool drums. Smokey was my favorite color.

I'll make a deal with you. If you get the vistas and they are in very good condition with no cracks and you find you don't like them ... I'll trade you a set of Slingys for them.

Whoa, can't go wrong with that! Mr Sling has a nice blue agate kit that I covet.