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Mystery Vistalites-For all of you Vistalite experts out there

Posts: 1685 Threads: 529

One of my former teachers had a Ludwig Vistalite kit that I always liked, and I want to say it was single headed. Anyway, I have scoured the internet and haven't found any info about his particular kit, so I don't have any photos to provide.

His kit was a light blue and of course it was see through, and it had a "space", "cosmic" or "moon" (not Keith) theme. Different drums had different outer space items on them, like a comet shooting across the sky, an astronaut, a rocket etc. I have never seen another Vistalite kit like this before. Has anyone else seen one? I'm assuming it came that way from Ludwig as maybe a limited edition type thing, but I suppose he could have had the drums custom done, although I don't know exactly how. This was years and years ago, he was my teacher in the late 80's, and he obviously had the kit then.

He was the kind of guy that carried his hardware in a beat up golf bag and carried his hi-hat stand (with cymbals still on it) by itself in the back of his car. I don't think he had cases for any of the drums, so I would doubt he would spend the time or money to have his drums custom done.

I'm sorry I have no photos to provide. Does this ring a bell to anyone out there?

Posted on 13 years ago
#1
Posts: 5227 Threads: 555

From vyacheslav

One of my former teachers had a Ludwig Vistalite kit that I always liked, and I want to say it was single headed. Anyway, I have scoured the internet and haven't found any info about his particular kit, so I don't have any photos to provide.His kit was a light blue and of course it was see through, and it had a "space", "cosmic" or "moon" (not Keith) theme. Different drums had different outer space items on them, like a comet shooting across the sky, an astronaut, a rocket etc. I have never seen another Vistalite kit like this before. Has anyone else seen one? I'm assuming it came that way from Ludwig as maybe a limited edition type thing, but I suppose he could have had the drums custom done, although I don't know exactly how. This was years and years ago, he was my teacher in the late 80's, and he obviously had the kit then. He was the kind of guy that carried his hardware in a beat up golf bag and carried his hi-hat stand (with cymbals still on it) by itself in the back of his car. I don't think he had cases for any of the drums, so I would doubt he would spend the time or money to have his drums custom done.I'm sorry I have no photos to provide. Does this ring a bell to anyone out there?

It sounds like a custom made set.I don't know of any Ludwig set that would look like that..Do you re-call the way the lug's looked on the drums? Mounts? Mikey

Posted on 13 years ago
#2
Posts: 6170 Threads: 255

some dolled up ludwig vistalite combos?

mike

Posted on 13 years ago
#3
Posts: 1685 Threads: 529

I'm sorry the details are so sketchy. I don't know what made me even think of this kit; I just randomly thought about it last night.

I don't recall the lugs off hand, but I know he was using a larger tom as a suspended floor tom and it had a "clip" style Ludwig mount, because I do remember he had to hang a barbell weight off of the other (empty) clip mount so that the stand would be balanced. I know the clip mount was 70's and early 80's, if I am correct?

Just to clarify, I think I am using the right terminology, but when I say "clip" mount, I am referring to the Ludwig Stand with two inverted U-shaped holders/acceptors that are close together on a single post that has a single angle adjustment. Between the acceptors and the angle adjustment was a piece of large, round felt. The drums themselves had holders that simply slid onto the inverted U-shaped acceptors on the stand.

I know it was a five piece kit, but I don't remember how the two rack toms were mounted. I think all of the toms were single headed, because I swear I remember him stacking the small rack tom inside the "floor" tom for transport. I was only about 15 or 16 years old when he was my teacher, and although I loved everything drum related even way back then, I had not yet learned to appreciate the subtleties like lugs, tom mount system etc yet.

Posted on 13 years ago
#4
Posts: 313 Threads: 13

There were certainly concert tom Vistalites in addition to the single-headed Combo offerings, and based on the clip mounts, these sound like regular concert toms. I'll guess that the design was custom painted or etched, I've never heard of Ludwig doing more than wrapping or staining their shells (except for their 1976 bi-centennial kit with inlaid eagles.) Ludwig was never known for their custom work, although the occasional prototype drum/kit has made its way into public hands, so there's a tiny chance they tried something like that once.

Photos?

Bermuda

Posted on 13 years ago
#5
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