Modern Ludwig Vistalite and Atlas mounts

sillypilot

Junior Member
Hi all - Has anyone used or know if the current Atlas Tom mounts are safe to use on a Vistalite Tom? The wheels feel sturdy enough but I haven’t seen anyone try it.

thanks!
 
I've not seen anyone try it, and while I don't care for RIMS-style suspension mounts like the Vibrabands Ludwig uses, I'm inclined to baby acrylic shells a bit more out of fear of cracking.
 
You are talking about the Atlas mount that can be used to replace a lug, correct? I used one on a vintage vista tom but I did not use it on a lug for fear of possibly too much pressure that high on the shell. Mine had a traditional Ludwig tom-mount on it near the center of the drum. I used the atlas mount to replace that for better resonance and I had no issues. Vistalites are heavy drums so I was a little skeptical at first.
 
You are talking about the Atlas mount that can be used to replace a lug, correct? I used one on a vintage vista tom but I did not use it on a lug for fear of possibly too much pressure that high on the shell. Mine had a traditional Ludwig tom-mount on it near the center of the drum. I used the atlas mount to replace that for better resonance and I had no issues. Vistalites are heavy drums so I was a little skeptical at first.
I'm curious about Atlas mounts also. Do you feel you got the same level of improvement in resonance as if you used a Vibra-band or other RIMS-style mount?
 
I think there is a reason that you don't see it, even on the Ludwig site. What you DO see though, is Vistalite using Vibrabands. I had a John Bonham Vistalite kit in Orange. I got tired of the 26" bass drum and thought about making a shell bank by getting a different bass drum and a few more tom sizes. But the thing that gave me pause, was a good mounting solution. I am not really a big fan of the aesthetics of the Atlas myself. That, AND it gets pretty goofy when you try to fit an Atlas mounted whatever (see floor tom) into a hard case or bag. Heck, even the Keystone style floor tom mounts were really pushing it as far as what could fit in a Protection Racket case. Same goes for curved bass drum spurs. It added a lot of little things that I didn't want to think about or have to deal with. But if I had to pick between the two, I'd go for the Vibrabands.
 
There's a simple answer to the Atlas in PR bags dilemma: buy a bigger bag. My CM 16 floor and 14 floor, both with Atlas, go into 18 a & 16 bags, respectively. Easy and costs no more for bags. Plus, no unsightly bands around the drums.
 
Oh, and sillypilot, I'm talking about your old kit. It's getting love and use all the time ;)
 
If I was getting some Vistas, I would just mount the rack tom on a snare stand. I love the idea of Vistas, but I don't think I could ever spend good money on a set and NOT worry about them when gigging. I know people have done it for decades, but I think I'd just worry too much. Love those tubs though.

There's a simple answer to the Atlas in PR bags dilemma: buy a bigger bag. My CM 16 floor and 14 floor, both with Atlas, go into 18 a & 16 bags, respectively. Easy and costs no more for bags. Plus, no unsightly bands around the drums.

Yup, this a secret I've been keeping from everyone! ;)

I use a 16" bag for my 14" floor tom, and I use a 22" x 18" bag for my 20" x 14" kick. Why? First, it's what I happened to have. Second, a little extra room comes in handy whenever you are trying your best to pack up quickly at dark-thirty in the morning and your dead-dog tired from playing a 4-hour set at a sketchy club 2 hours from home. The little bit of extra room helps tremendously when slipping the bag over floor tom leg brackets and especially kick drum spurs. I've been doing this for about 6 months now, and it works great. The drums don't swim around as much as you think they will in these cases, especially if they are well-padded.

Another packing secret I do is I don't put the drum in the bag. I set the drum down, open the case, and cover the drum in the case, flip it and zip it. It takes just a few seconds.
 
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