Ludwig Vistalite

nutty_bar · Posted: Fri Aug 20, 2004 5:19 pm Post subject:

Vistalites just look freakin awesome! Someday im gonan get a Vistalite kit, someday...
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Little Debbie Pride!

paintballer687 · Posted: Fri Aug 20, 2004 5:44 pm Post subject:

ive just heard that sometimes they start to drack if the mounting hardware is mounted directly on the drum... especially on the bigger drums
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"Let he who is free of sin throw the first rock and I shall smoketh it."

"Do you want to know what dog food tastes like? Do you? Well it tastes just like it smells... delicious! - Tyrone Biggums

blackmagicdrums · Newbie Alert Joined: 05 Sep 2004 Posts: 1 Location: USA

Yes;
Ludwig Vistalite Drums definately look cool, and sound cool as well. Little do people know is that they were all hand made. The material was cut with special saws made by Ludwig engineers, heated in a special oven, and then taken by hand with the use of special gloves, and wrapped around a metal form which of stainless steel.

Pattern Vistalites (Rainbow Vistalites) are really called laminated acrylic drums. Since each piece was specially sized, cut, and bevelled, then glued togather to form the rectangular sheet to make a cirtain sized drum, then heated and formed like all other Vistalite shells were.

In fact Vistalite drums were a head of their time. Then they were popular in disco, and are as ever popular today as they were in the 70's.

The Tivoli ligthed Vistalite drums, were just plain mind blowing amazing and awesome too look at! Although with the prices rising on Vistalite drums during the mid to late 70's, they were becoming very expensive to produce and buy by us fellow drummers. Tivoli Vistalite drums was the last incredicable set made by Ludwig in the Vistalite and Rainbow Vistalite series of drums. Even though they were dismissed with many electrical failures, the Tivoli Drums basically caused Ludwig to loose money and with the methods of recording changind, acrylic material prices raising, and the disaster of the Tivoli Vistalite line of drums, it basically spell the end soon.

Although there is great places like Black Magic Drums that specialize in acrylic drum repair and also in Tivoli Vistalite restoration. It's well worth it too keep these drums around, once they are gone, they will not return!

Any Vistalite drum questions let me know!
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I love Vistalite drums, and I am a avid restorer and repairist on these special drums. I've been doing it for many many years, and beat all the others..Ludwig Vistalite drums are special and so are the owners--

The549 · Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2004 10:10 am Post subject:

I thought some companies are still making vistalites?

random white person · Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2004 10:49 am Post subject:

ludwig still makes vistalites. some other companies made acrylic drums back in the day, but they werent called vistalites. now, the only colors available are Amber on the bonham kit, and clear.
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Radialprofan · Grizzly Bear Joined: 29 Mar 2004 Posts: 728

ludwigdrummer · Sea Monkey Joined: 10 Sep 2004 Posts: 11 Location: USA

Ludwig Vistalite drums were either liked or not BY THE PUBLIC. PERIOD. THEY WERE ALL HAND MADE - OF COURSE SPECIAL MADE CUTTING SAWS AND BEVELING MACHINES, HEATING OVENS, METAL MOLDS WERE MADE BY LUDWIG ENGINEERS AT THE FACTORY IN CHICAGO ILLINOIS.
IN FACT LUDWIG WAS EXPERIMENTING WITH ACRYLIC AS POSSIBLE DRUM SHELL MATERIAL AS FAR BACK AS THE MID 1960'S, ACCORDING TO A MAJOR LUDWIG DRUM COLLECTOR PAOLO SBURLATI OF TORINO ITALY! IN FACT HIS FRIEND OWNED A SET WITH SOLID WHITE ACRYLIC WRAPPED IN BURGANDY SPARKLE PEARL, AND GLUED IN ROCK MAPLE REIFORCEMENT RINGS! VERY SHARP SOUNDING! NO IT WAS NOT WHITE RESO-COTED WOODEN SHELLS, IT WAS 100% PURE ACRYLIC!
IN FACT LUDWIG MADE A ACRYLIC DRUM OUTFIT BEFORE EVEN BILL ZICKOS!
NOW NOT MANY OF US KNOW THE REASON WHY ACRYLIC DRUMS HAVE SUCH A LOUD PROJECTION OF SOUND COMPARED TO THE WOODEN SHELLED AND METAL SHELLED DRUMS.
MY FRIENDS THIS IS DUE TO THE REFLECTIVE PROPERTIES OF THE ACRYLIC. ACRYLIC DOES NOT ABSORB SOUND WAVES, SO THEY PROJECT THEM OUTWARD INSTEAD, MAKING FOR A LOUDER TONE.
ALOT OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPEMENT AT LUDWIG INDUSTRIES (LUDWIG DRUM COMPANY) WENT INTO DESIGNING A RELATIVELY THIN BET YET STURDY SHELL IN ORDER TO HOLD THE HARDWARE NECESSARY TO MAKE DRUMS OF DIFFERENT SIZES AND DEPTHS.
THE FIRST PRODUCTION VISTALITE DRUMS FROM LATE 1972- EARLY 1975 WERE EXTRUDED SHELLED VISTALITES AND USED A FLAT ANGLE BUTT JOINT WHEN THE SHELLS WERE FORMED INTO THE CYLINDER SHAPE. HOWEVER, WITH THE SMALL AMOUNT OF CLEAR EPOXY RESIN USED IN THE SEAM, THESE EARLY PRODUCTION SHELLS USED TO BREAK APART AT THE SEAM.
BY MID 1975, LUDWIG ENGINEERS AND DEVELOPEMENT DEPARTMENT CAME OUT WITH THE TRUE 45 DEGREE SEAM DESIGN. THIS ALLOWED FOR MORE ACRYLIC RESIN TO BE APPLIED INTO THE SEAM AREA AND MADE FOR A MUCH MORE STURDIER SHELL CONSTRUCTION.
NOW MOST DON'T KNOW THAT THE SEAM POSITION MOVED BECAUSE OF WERE THE HOLES WERE DRILLED IN THE SHELL FOR THE HARDWARE. BY 1978, RACK TOM EITHER MELODIC OR DOUBLE HEADED WERE BI-DIRECTIONAL (WHICH MEANS YOU COULD MOUNT THEM FOR EITHER LEFT HANDED DRUMMERS OR RIGHT HANDED DRUMMERS).
LUDWIG OF COURSE OFFERED THE MOST IN COLORS AND COLOR COMBINATIONS. WHAT EVER WAY YOU WANTED TO COLOR YOUR RAINBOW VISTALITE SET, THEY WOULD MAKE IT FOR YOU IN THAT COLOR CONFIGURATION OR SEQUENCE. MOST THINK IT WAS A PRODUCTION CONTROL PROBLEM, BUT IN REALITY IT WAS THE WAY THAT THEY ORDERED THE COLORS IN THAT SPECIFIC SEQUENCE!
WITH THE RAINBOW VISTALITES, THESE ARE KNOWN AS LAMINATED SHELLS. FIRST EACH PIECE IS CUT AND TRIMMED TO A SPECIFIC SIZE, GLUED TOGATHER, AND THEN HEATED AND FORMED LIKE REGULAR VISTALITE DRUMS WERE.
WITH THE TIVOLI VISTALITES, THESE WERE BASICALLY STARTED BEING MADE IN 1977, AND DIDN'T GET OUT TO THE DEALERS UNTIL THE VERY FIRST OF 1978, AND LASTED UNTIL THE END OF 1979. BASICALLY MADE FOR 1 1/2 YEARS!
I'VE WORKED ON A NUMBER OF TIVOLIS, AND I MUST SAY, IT WAS A VERY WELL PLANNED AND MADE OUTFIT. VERY CLEAN! FIRST LUDWIG USED A SINGLE TRANSFORMER WHICH IS A LIGHT BLUE TO POWER THE LIGHTS VIA ONE POWER SUPPLY LEAD WIRE, AND BY MID 1978 THEY SWITCHED TO A DOUBLE TRANSFORMER UNIT OF WHICH BY MOST IS THE MOST POPULAR POWER SYSTEM TO BE FOUND AND USES DUAL POWER SUPPLY WIRES. ALTHOUGH NOT MANY WERE MADE, THESE ARE TRUE EXAMPLES OF LUDWIG'S FINEST AND MOST SOPHISTICATED DRUMS EVER PRODUCED, BASICALLY IN TYPICAL WORDS DRUMS BEFORE THEIR TIME.
YES, THEY WERE PLAGUED WITH ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS SUCH AS BURNED OUT BULBS, AND POWER SUPPLIES FAILING DUE TO EITHER OVER HEATING, WIRING SHORTING OUT, AND OR POWER SURGES.
THE TUBING THAT THE LIGHTS WERE PUT INTO WAS JUST TO BRITTLE TO BEGIN WITH AND WITH IN TIME THEY CRACK AND HOLES ARE BURNED INTO THE MATERIAL BECAUSE OF THE LIGHTS. THE TUBING DIDN'T STOP VIBRATION WHICH CAUSED THE FILAMENTS IN THE LIGHT BULBS TO FAIL. THE TRANSFORMER OF THE FIRST VERSION WAS PART NUMBER P-4434 AND THE SECOND VERSION WAS P-4434-A. CINCH JONES PLUGS (SERIES 300) WERE USED FOR THE ELECTRICAL PLUGS AND SOCKETS (THESE ARE FLUSH MOUNTED PLUGS).
YES THIS SAME STYLE OF LIGHTING IS STILL AVAILABLE THROUGH THE ORIGINATOR OF THE THIS LIGHTING SYSTEM (NOT YOUR LIGHTING STORE ROPE LIGHT-NICE IDEA BUT IT'S NOT THE SAME).
THIS SYSTEM OPERATED ON A 24 VOLT DC SYSTEM WITH 55 WATTS MAX.
AS FAR AS BUSINESSES THAT SPECIALIZE IN ACRYLIC DRUM REPAIR MOST USE THE OLD PATCH UP METHOD BY USING NOTHING MORE THAN A OLD TYPE OF POLYMERE BASED ACRYLIC RESIN THAT IS TINTED. HOWEVER EVEN THOUGH IT IS CURED OR DRIED TOTALLY, IN TIME IF THE DRUM SHELL IS STRESSED OR DROPPED THE RESIN WILL CHIP OUT OF THE SCRATCH AND OR CAUSE CRAZING MARKS. IT'S LIKE APPLYING A BAND-AIDE TO THE DRUM SHELL. JUST A CHEAP FIX WHICH COST YOU A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO HAVE DONE YOUR VISTALITE SHELL OR OTHER ACRYLIC DRUM SHELL MAKE.
THE NEWEST METHOD OF WHICH I'VE STARTED TO USE IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND THERE IS NO THREAT OF IT FAILING. OF COURSE THERE IS A LIMIT TO ALL ACRYLIC DRUM REPAIR. SEVERE SHELLS ARE BEST REPLACED WITH BETTER CONDITION ONES AND OR HAVE ONE MADE BRAND NEW BY ACRYLIC SHELL MANUFACTURING COMPANY.
I WILL NOT DISCLOSE MY METHOD OF VISTALITE SHELL REPAIR AND RESTORATION. IT'S INFACT THE BEST AND HAVE HAD VERY VERY VERY GOOD RESULTS.
YES VISTALITES DRUM OR ACRYLIC DRUMS FOR THAT MATTER ARE LOUDER THAN YOUR BASIC WOODEN SHELLED DRUMS OR STEEL SHELLED DRUMS. THEY REQUIRE SPECIAL TUNING WHICH CAN EASILY BE FOUND IF YOU TRY IT YOURSELF. THEY REQUIRE A GOOD QUALITY HEADS, WITH CENTER CONTROL FOR THE BEST RESULTS. WITH THE USE OF A 32 CHANNELL EQUALIZER, VISTALITE DRUMS CAN BE TUNED TO SOUND GOOD, IF NOT BETTER THAN ANY WOODEN OR STEEL SHELLED DRUMS!
I REMEMBER SEEING VISTALITE DRUMS IN THE LOCAL MUSIC STORE WHEN I WAS GROWING UP IN THE 70'S, AND I JUST LOVED THE LOOK AND SOUND. I EVEN GOT TO PLAY ON A RED/YELLOW/CLEAR VERTICAL BAR PATTERN 'F' PRO-BEAT RAINBOW VISTALITE OUTFIT WITH A 6.5"X14" SUPER-SENSTIVE MATCHING SNARE. THIS HAD A 26" BASS DRUM WITH 18 AND 20 INCH FLOOR TOMS SPECIAL ORDERED. BEAUTIFUL SET TO SAY THE LEAST, AND THE SOUND WAS DEFINATELY LUDWIG!!
I DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT OTHERS BAD COMMENTS ABOUT VISTALITES ARE...YOU HAVE TO ADMIT THAT THEY ARE A TRUE ICON OF PURE AMERICAN CRAFTSMANSHIP AND INNOVATION IN DRUM OUTFIT MANUFACTURING.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A COLLECTOR TO ENJOY THESE PRECIOUS DRUMS OR EVEN BEING KNOWN ALL OVER THE PLACE FOR VISTALITE DRUMS OR MAKE A DUPLICATE PRODUCT THAT HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME TO MAKE THEM SHINE (OF WHICH I FOUND OUT IS NOT THAT GREAT TO BEGIN WITH). COMPANIES THAT SPECIALIZE IN ACRYLIC PLASTIC HAVE MADE NEW PRODUCTS THAT HAVE OUT DONE ANY OLD OR REDONE PRODUCTS OF THE PAST. REMEMBER IT'S MORE THAN SHINING A VISTALITE SET UP, COLLECTING THEM, MAKING A SO-CALLED GREAT PRODUCT, AND IT TAKES A TRUE LOVE FOR THESE DRUMS TO KEEP THEM AROUND FOR FUTURE DRUMMERS OF EITHER MAN OR WOMEN TOO ENJOY!
I DON'T THINK THE PATTERN RAINBOW VISTALITES WILL EVER BE PRODUCED BY LUDWIG AGAIN, IT WAS EXPENSIVE AND TIME CONSUMING MAKING THOSE TYPE OF DRUM SHELLS, NO MATTER WHAT PATTERN YOU MIGHT CHOOSE, BUT YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT LUDWIG HAS INSTORE FOR US! THEY COULD JUST COME BACK OUT WITH A COUPLE OR JUST EVEN ONE OF THEM!
EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN STYLE, MAKE, MODEL OF DRUM OUTFIT, NOT TO MENTION THEIR FINISHES THAT THEY LIKE AS WELL. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A PERFECT DRUM, EACH ONE HAS THEIR OWN SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTICS THAT MAKE THEM SPECIAL. ACRYLIC DRUMS WERE ONE OF THE BEST EXAMPLE OF WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH ACRYLIC...AND VISTALITE SERIES IS THE BEST EXAMPLE!!!
"LUDWIG..THE MOST FAMOUS NAME ON DRUMS!"
AND YOU CAN TAKE THAT AND SMOKE IT IN YOUR HAT!
IF YOU NEED VISTALITE REPAIR OR RESTORATION CONTACT ME AND WILL GIVE YOU THE BEST QUOTE POSSIBLE AND AVAILABLE.
I'M THE MOST NOTABLE INDIVIDUAL ON VISTALITE DRUM INFORMATION
ANY QUESTIONS JUST LET ME KNOW BY E-MAIL!
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THE MASTER

nutty_bar · Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2004 1:54 pm Post subject:

nice information, but PLEASE take off the caps lock!
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Little Debbie Pride!

ludwigdrummer · Sea Monkey Joined: 10 Sep 2004 Posts: 11 Location: USA

- 1970'S & 2001 - 2004
* LUDWIG VISTALITE - 1970'S - NINE COLOR CHOICES
* RAINBOW VISTALITE -1970'S - SIX COLOR PATTERNS
* TIVOLI LIGTHED VISTALITE BIG BEAT - 1978-1979 MID YEAR.

Twisted Evil

2001 -

LUDWIG 'CLEAR' VISTALITE BIG BEAT
LUDWIG 'AMBER' VISTALITE BONHAM REPLICA

MID 1970'S TO EARLY 1980'S:

SONOR - ACRYLS - RED/SMOKE/BLUE/CLEAR

1974 -
PEARL - CRYSTAL BEAT - RED/CLEAR/PINK

1970'S -
ROGERS - NO NAME MENTIONED - SMOKE

1969 - 1974
ZICKOS - CLEAR

2000 - PRESENT - ZICKOS - VARIOUS COLORS, SETS, AND HARDWARE OPTIONS

1970'S SLINGERLAND - PHANTOM - CLEAR

1970'S - PREMIER - SMOKE

1970'S - PRESENT - HAYMAN CLEAR
1970'S - CARDINAL - RED
1970'S - FIBES - CRYSTALITE - BLUE/CLEAR/SMOKE/RED
1990'S - PRESENT - FIBES - CRYSTALITE - MANY COLORS
1970'S -PRESENT - MAXTONE - CLEAR
1970'S - TAMA - CRYSTAR
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THE MASTER

Mr. Funky

nutty_bar

ludwigdrummer · Sea Monkey Joined: 10 Sep 2004 Posts: 11 Location: USA

Believe it or not. Clear was the top most common color sold in all Vistalite production. Blue was second, followed by amber, red, yellow, and finally green. Smoke, Solid White, Solid Black were colors that just really click with Vistalite owners. However, they unique being non-transparent, and they are a little cheaper and easier too find than the first 6 introduction colors in 1973. Green Vistalite drums are rare find no matter what. Even cracked they are very well worth purchasing because you can have them repaired with the means of new acrylic solvents available and tintable resins (which is how it's been done since the 70's).
I've had a call from a guy who had been told too cut each individual band of 5-band Rainbow Pattern "B" Vistalite kit polish out the scratches, abrasions, ect. and then glue the bands back togather. Luckily he contacted me on it, and that disaster never happened. His son owned the kit and then found another one through me that had larger drums, and turned it into a awesome double bass kit.
In Tivoli Vistalites, yes, the original connectors are still available! but are 100% better than the version used in the 70's on Tivoli Vistalite drum kits. In fact Ludwig used 2 versions of the control box for the Tivoli Vistalite drums. Series one : Light Blue in Color: Used a single 110 A.C. to 24 volt D.C. transformer and a single Cinch Jones (new part number P-302-cct) female connector which gave one lead of power to the main Cinch jones connector or power distribution plug in link with a on/off switch. Later on, buyers were complaining about control boxes failing due to overloading and overheating. So Ludwig engineers developed a bigger unit which was a boxed unit, housing 2 transformers, same 24 D.C. (55 watts maximum output) and also linked in a 3amp slow blow fuse coupler in between the two transformers to help save them during a possible power surge or overload from overheating and shorting out wiring. This box is usually grey with dual P-302-CCT female connectors on each side fo the slow blow fuse link. On the top will be the Ludwig linear logo silver over black and the front may have the logo as well, and or will have a black wrinkle finish over the fascia of the control box.

One transformer supplied power to rack toms, snare, and floor tom, and the bass drum was powered by the second power supply. However, these wiring and powering specification can tend to vary, depending on the time era of your Tivoli Vistalite kit. All were connected to the on/off switch.
Ludwig's part number for the second series control box was P-4434-A of which you could upgrade if wanted or replace on if it failed. I'm sure Ludwig seen lot of returns of the series one transformer assembly.
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THE MASTER

Premier · Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2004 3:33 am Post subject:

Fibes also makes "Crystalite" drums. Years ago I got the chance to play an amber Bonham replica kit made by Fibes and it sounded real nice. Very loud, not as warm sounding as wood of course but it still had a nice sound.

http://www.fibes.com/crystalfin.htm#

bytor · Admin Joined: 12 Aug 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Kansas

Personally, acrylic drums have never seemed even remotely interesting... but that's just me. Neutral