Now, you may be saying to yourself: "Concert toms?! Concert toms totally suck, dude!" I am fully aware of this fact. Single-headed drums are not my favorite either, but if you go on Ebay and peruse a few auctions for vintage Ludwig Vistalite drums, you will be a little more understanding about my choices here. Double-headed Vistalite toms (in good condition) can run anywhere from $150 to $300 depending on the size, and that's assuming you actually win the auction. Floor toms typically start in the $300 range. And by the way, if any of the drums happen to be the "amber" color that Led Zepplin drummer John Bonham played, you definitely can't afford 'em. Everybody wants amber, so the asking prices are set according to demand.
Remember, the only reason I managed to acquire this blue Vistalite bass drum was because it was hidden underneath white paint. Had it been in the condition pictured here, it would have been listed somewhere around the $400-$600 range and I never would have considered buying it.
As I searched around on Ebay, I noticed that the Vistalite concert toms were considerably cheaper and had fewer, if any, bidders with which I would have to compete. So when I came across a guy unloading several drums out of his Vistalite concert tom collection, I decided to jump on a couple of them. In this way I managed to secure my red and yellow drums for about a hundred bucks. And they're in perfect condition.
This collection of multi-colored acrylic drums is what is known in percussionary parlance as a "Jellybean Kit." Though in my early days I once owned a clear Vistalite kit, I now prefer the colored versions much better. The clear Vistalites just look a little plain to me now.
Now it is time for me to add the final piece to this kit: a snare drum. My selection for this position has been made and should be in the mail shortly if not already. I can't wait to see it settled amongst my other Vistalites. My color choice for this drum?
Green.
No comments:
Post a Comment