Vistalights

[Tyman345]

hey my dads buddy back in 79' wanted a ludwig blue vistalight but he found out that they were disscontinued. well just like last month he found a blue vistalight for 500$ from 1979.. its in amazing condition.. and it sounds great!! i just wanted to hear what people thought about the ludwigs and how rare this find is. and if you would sell one for that low of a price

[earldrum]

hey my dads buddy back in 79' wanted a ludwig blue vistalight but he found out that they were disscontinued. well just like last month he found a blue vistalight for 500$ from 1979.. its in amazing condition.. and it sounds great!! i just wanted to hear what people thought about the ludwigs and how rare this find is. and if you would sell one for that low of a price

Hi Tyman:

The blue and clear vistalite kits are the most common colors. You can check ebay and find out that a blue kit in "fair" to "good" condition can be found for under $1000 without a snare drum. Please realize that a very good to mint condition kit will cost you more than $1000. Right now is a good time to buy on ebay because it is a buyers market and vistalite kits are not selling very much. So you may find a deal if you look closely at the market.

I personally own a Green "Big Beat" Vistalite kit (14x22, 8x12, 9x13, 16x16, & 5x14 snare). The kit is from 1972/73 it is an early version kit. They sound very cool, it really has that 70's sound when tuned up. I don't play them very much because I really love the sound of my 1979 Gretsch kit better. But my fist kit was a blue vistalite and I knew I had to have this kit when I found it in 1997. Over the last year I have listed the kit on ebay a few times but no one wanted the kit for my bottom line asking price of $1899. BTW the green vistalite is the rarest of all solid colors because there were only 52 kits made by Ludwig. Anyhow, being a modest drum collector/player means I know what this kit is worth, so for now I am sitting on it until the market changes or someone make a reasonable offer near my current asking price.

Anyhow, I hope you find that magical vistalite kit.

[Tyman345]

well dude i knwo they make them now. but they were discontinued back then. thats what my dads buddy was saying cuz hes in a band. also the new vistilights are not as good as the older ones. iv herd that from countlees music store owners. but all im saying is tha he found it, its what he wanted back i 79', and he just found that same one. thx

[KeefAlmighty]

I am currently on the lookout for a vistalite kit too. Either in the amber or the blue.
Saw some current bands last week and noted how many of them were using clear kits.

Fantastic sound.

[kevin owns at life]

don't know much about vistalites but i do know that i love acrylic drums. my custom spaun acrylic is on it's way! i'm sure some classic drums sound awesome. haven't played any though.

[JP]

didnt those only come in like 5 colors

[goatatl]

I wouldn't trade mine for anything

[skitch]

[quote="earldrum']
I personally own a Green "Big Beat" Vistalite kit (14x22, 8x12, 9x13, 16x16, & 5x14 snare). The kit is from 1972/73 it is an early version kit. They sound very cool, it really has that 70's sound when tuned up. [/quote]

Very cool! I miss my Big Beat Ludwigs; they weren't Vistalites but the Butcher Block finish. By the way, have you ever thought of starting your own drum company and calling it Earl drums or maybe Earl Jam drums. LOL. Bet you have never heard that before! - hint of sarcasm!

[PistolCrockett]

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[PistolCrockett]

Mr. Bill Zickos - that is until Ludwing played big boy on the block and pulled a Bill Gates move on him...Thank Mr. Bill Zickos for you inventions...

[Irish]

Vistalites are beautiful sets. I wish that I had one.

[Steaky]

I love Vista's. I've got a Blue set from the early seventies, and it's the coolest kit. I originally bought 24" kik with 13"14" Toms and 16"18" Floors. Found a 14x5.5 snare and 12" tom on ebay. Now I just need the other 24" kik and I can take over the WORLD HAHAHAHAHAH Got carried away then! I dont use big kits but I think it would suit the Vista. Real 70's Rock kit.

[wormdance13]

I just purchased a mid 70's red Vistalite off ebay for £500. Couldn't believe how cheap i got it!

I'm going to install a gauger rims mount on the rack tom as I have found with most old Ludwigs, the original Ludwig mount really takes away a considerable amount of the resonance of the drum. I'm also considering getting Len Howe to build me a replica 18" floor tom for it with original Ludwig badges/fittings as I can't see one of them coming up on ebay anytime soon...

If anybody out there happens to know of an 18" red Vistalite floor tom for sale please let me know!

[earldrum]

[

Hi Skitch:

Thanks for writing. I found your response by accident, I did request to be notified when a reply is posted, but it didn't do that. Anyhow, I never thought about owning a drum company. I did think about openning a drum shop - maybe someday. Even though I'd probably give away the store ... if I owned one. My vistalites still sound great, but one day I will have to sell them to buy more studio equipment. Until then they get used a few times a year on recordings or just to practice. Rarely do I take them on a gig.

Thanks for the idea,

[Codymunzert]

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im not a fan of the clear shells...