Vistalites - What level of quality?

[TheIronCobr4]

So I was just sitting around and thinking of possible drum upgrades for the future when I have everything all good and ready. Does anybody here have any experience with vistalite kits? If so I'd be very interested in hearing about their quality compared to acoustic sets and if they are considered pro level. Would I be dissappointed with the sound compared to other kits?

[harryconway]

Let's see. John Bonham, Nick Mason, Ron Bushy, Billy Cobham, Albert Bouchard, Joey Kramer, Mike Portnoy, Tommy Lee and Thomas Lang all come to mind as cats who have or do drive Vistalite and/or acrylic drum sets. Yes, they are pro level. And they are acoustic, also. They are not wood, however.

[razorx]

yupp they are pro level many have used them

[hwy145]

They are pro level, but make sure you play them. They have a sound all their own, and you might be disappointed if you don't know what you getting in to. If you are considering vintage be careful. There are plenty of nice sets out there, but there are plenty that have cracked due to mistreatment. I'm a big fan of Vistalites.

[TheIronCobr4]

Let's see. John Bonham, Nick Mason, Ron Bushy, Billy Cobham, Albert Bouchard, Joey Kramer, Mike Portnoy, Tommy Lee and Thomas Lang all come to mind as cats who have or do drive Vistalite and/or acrylic drum sets. Yes, they are pro level. And they are acoustic, also. They are not wood, however.

Thats what I meant by acoustic; wood shell kits. I just worded wrong. From experience what is the difference the sound a wood kit be compared to acyrlic drums?

[harryconway]

I drove a set of Luddie Vista's for over 25 years. I used Pinstripe heads on them almost exclusively. That cut way down on the overtones. Acrylic shells are very live, loud, and bright. Stepping into, say, my Yamaha Recording Customs from the acrylics was getting into a much more "versatile" set. I'd almost consider the acrylic shells a "one trick pony" as opposed to a good pro-level wood shelled kit.

[XAydMary]

Thats what I meant by acoustic; wood shell kits. I just worded wrong. From experience what is the difference the sound a wood kit be compared to acyrlic drums?

Here's a link to some sound files.

http://www.drummersdigest.com/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=245&Itemid=29

[criz p. critter]

Acrylic shells are very live, loud, and bright.

That's very true. But if you're like me and you like to play hard in a loud band, they can kick some serious ass. As I've said before, Vistalites are an acquired taste. So try playing on a kit and compare to wood kits and see if you like 'em. I have a mahogany kit in addition to my Vistalites, so I get the best of both worlds that way.

If you are thinking of buying vintage Vistalites, do yourself a big favor and educate yourself before you buy. You want to avoid buying a kit with problems, cracks around the lug holes, the seams and bearing edges. Small cracks can be repaired with the correct solvent if you're handy with that kinda stuff.

One more thing: I have a Vistalite snare but I can't say I like the sound that much. Get a Supraphonic or Acrolite snare instead... much better sounding snare, and it'll sound right at home among the acrylic.

[UberDeepName]

I have only owned one kit my entire life. A 1970's Clear Ludwig vistalite. You can get different sounds out of them by using different heads. Coated heads on the toms give a very nice tone and good sustain almost like wood. You might need some Orings to dampen the ring a bit. Ambassadors with no dampening are LOUD and LIVE. like Bonham. Recording with them is different. The toms sound good but I have had trouble with the kick. Avoid acrylic snares. They Suck IMO.

[Deathmetalconga]

Thats what I meant by acoustic; wood shell kits. I just worded wrong. From experience what is the difference the sound a wood kit be compared to acyrlic drums?

Ahem, as I am sometimes annoyingly point out, most drums are made of a wood composite, plywood. They include wood in their makeup, but also glues and resins. Plywood is superior to whole wood in many ways, which is why it has been the dominant form of Western trap drum sets, but plywood is not wood.

In that sense, Vistalites and ply drums are somewhat related. The Vistalites are composed entirely of plastic, while ply drums do have a fair amount of plastic-type glue between the veneers. In addition to the wood type in the ply, other factors affecting the sound of a ply drum include the amount and type of glue used.