TWELVE-INCH BLACK VISTALITE TOM

The tom-tom associated with my mismatched "LudSlinger Kit" is this Ludwig 12-inch Black Vistalite.  Since I am still waiting for the acrylic shell I need to complete my "Jellybean" Vistalite kit, I have been busying myself with other projects that warrant my attention, and this vintage Ludwig drum definitely needed a spot o' polish.

At this time I am assuming I don't need to once again describe the deep-cleaning process to which I submit my drums, as I have done so on too many occasions prior.  Suffice to say, this tom looks spectacular now that I have completely disassembled it, polished every inch of shell and chrome, and put it back together.

There is one minor point that I would like to cover, however, just to help you in your understanding of Vistalites.  This is a black Vistalite drum, which means although it is made of acrylic, it is not "see-through."  Ludwig offered a variety of transparent colors, including red, blue, yellow, green and amber, as well as a colorless "clear."  They also made a hue that was called "smoke," which was sort of a "see-through black."

Too many buyers and sellers on Ebay do not grasp the difference between "smoke" and "black."  Black Vistalites, like their white counterparts, are opaque, meaning "not see-through."  "Smoke" Vistalite drums are see-through and should not be referred to as "black," just as "clear" Vistalites should not be called "white."  There is a difference, and the difference is quite clear.....or in this case, clearly "not-clear."  Are we clear?

Though not nearly as popular as the transparent-colored varieties, white and black Vistalites are still vintage, still collectible and still great-sounding acrylic drums.  I only wish I could round up some other sizes to add to my 12-inch and form an entire kit.

PS - In addition to the colors I listed above, Ludwig also offered an assortment of mulit-colored styles including horizontally-striped, vertically-striped and "swirls."  I have seen many of these pop up on Ebay in all kinds of color combinations, and the prices vary widely.  Here are just a couple of examples of very unique and extremely cool color combinations:

PATTERN "A" THREE-BAND IN BLUE, YELLOW AND GREEN:

PATTERN "C" RED-YELLOW SPIRAL:

And in case you don't remember, Alex Van Halen once played a beautiful (and huge) Vistalite kit that featured Pattern "F" black and white vertical bars:

So HEY!  Know your Vistalites.  They are cool and collectible.
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UPDATE: Here are some more cool color combinations.....

This Pattern "A" Three-band style is generally referred to as a "Tequila Sunrise Pattern":

Here is a very patriotic-looking Pattern "C" Swirl using red, white and blue:

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And this Pattern "B" Five-band is known as a "LifeSavers Pattern":