I Found a Ludwig Vistalite Drum Set And a Slingerland Drum Set in the Woods 

That's so cool!!! That's a great score for sure!! Back in 2010, my sister called me up one day and said "Hey, I found a bass drum and floor tom in the dumpster at my apartment complex." At first I thought "Ok, they're probably some cheap no name drums and I can just maybe salvage the lugs or whatever for spare parts." She then said "No, These look really old." So I went over to her apartment and it turns out they were vintage 1930's Slingerland's with the OG calf skin "Radio King" heads still on them. I cleaned them up as best I could and ended up trading them in at my buddies drum shop for $2,000 worth of brand new cymbals.

I had the blue vista lites. 5 piece back in 70s. Loved them. Didn't have the snare but I had a Ludwig Supraphonic. Still have and use that snare. Been through 3 sets of Ludwigs with the same snare. Got the Ludwig Black Oyster Pearl when I was about 10. Ringo Starr style. I see the same ones on Reverb for $16,500. You really got something there with those vista lites. Very, very nice. I'm Jealous LOL! Nice Find!

Those Vistalites are just an amazing find. Having all of the hardware is just a miracle!

Shawn, this just might be the most amazing drum story of all time. Thank you for sharing this amazing find with us. Who knows what else is hidden beneath the depths of rubbish out there. Maybe wrangle up a few friends and make one more trip out there for one more look-see.❤️🙏❤️🙏❤️

The Bonham '73 kit. Priceless.

I’ve used white vinegar soak the parts and I’ve had amazing success removing rust. Killer find man !

Holy EPIC find, congratulations!!!! I love gear find stories, I’ve been very fortunate myself. I’ll share a drum find story if anyone is bored enough to read this, it’s pretty cool. A friend of mine was driving through an alley in the city I live in, his girlfriend spotted a drum sticking out of a garbage container, my friend turned around and half reluctantly checked it out, it was and old kick drum with a Ludwig badge on it, he’s not a drummer but knew it was cool because it was a Ludwig. He took it home and it sat in his closet for a good 10 years or more. A mutual bass player friend of ours mentioned he wanted to piece together a cheap kit for jams in his basement, so my friend said, “I have this old Ludwig kick I found in the garbage you can have”. So my friend accepted it, got it home and saw that it had been poorly painted black, he carefully and properly removed the paint to reveal a Champagne Sparkle finish, cool. Years later he was playing a bar gig with a drummer from a very famous band, on the break they were chatting over a beer and my friend was telling him about his kit he threw together and the old Ludwig kick our friend had given him. When he told him the story and described how he’d removed the paint to reveal a Champagne sparkle finish, the drummers eyes lit up and he said, “is there small dent on the top of the shell” etc., there was a dent where he described. Turns out it was his stolen kick drum from his original kit that his father had bought him in 1968, it was stolen 25 years earlier. Obviously my friend gave it back to him, what are the odds of that happening? The drummer plays for a very famous band and that kick has been on some legendary recordings and tours.

Killer find!

Heck of a find. Your one lucky frog dude!! 🐸

Just Amazing! the story and everything!!

“I wasn’t gonna go trompsin in the woods looking for drums in that kinda weather.” Words never spoken before in all of human existence. NICE !

Karma, my friend! Good things happen to good people. Great story & amazing find! Be well everyone!

Man that was an insane find!! Even more insane is the fact that there are no breaks or fractures in the acrylic after being out in the elements so long🤯🤯

Great find Shawn and an amazing story. These drums were meant to be found by you. I hope these drums end up with someone who plays the blues or some sludgy doom as they no doubt have a dark story to tell. I picked up a set of late 70's stainless steel ludwigs 22,13,16, very happy with them, interesting drums. Also found a rare gretsch shell rogers dynasonic snare which I hope to pick up this week. All the best man.

I would go to the Sketchiest park in the Seediest town in the Crapiest country to pick up some discarded Vistalites .. Damn Great Find Shawn ...

Great story and great find

Cool story Shawn and an even cooler find! Great work! :)

That’s insane. Awesome find. Years ago my cousin was visiting some friends who just happened to have an old barn. Inside he found an old rotted Remo cardboard type drum set. Couldn’t save them , But…. Also a near perfect mid 70s 5x14 Supraphonic. One tiny scuff. He gifted it to me as I was the drummer in the band. Love at first strike. We never know when God will bless…🙏

bro!!! your like a drum whisperer, congratulations

This makes me happy. Hard working dude scores a block of gold in the woods and a beautiful old Vista is saved from becoming a crackhead's toilet.

Un frickin believable A seventies Amber Vistalite Some folks have all the luck Enjoy that restoration You certainly found a gem

What a blessing. 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘

Hoops you had work nice on the bass. Very cool.

I’m glad those drums ended up with you!!! It was meant to be!! 👍👍😎😎

What a crazy find!

Sketchy park, and Boston accent. Definitely thinking Brockton or Fall River 😂

Absolutely incredible story, truly once in a lifetime find. So glad they've been saved and will have a new life with someone who appreciates them. Thanks for posting the story!

Wow! It was meant to be, Shawn! Not even a crack on those vistalites! Can't wait to see what's next!

Glad they ended up with someone who will appreciate em

The fact you don’t have any cracks on the Vistas is amazing. I mean you could easily flip that, but I hope you’ll keep them, heal up soon and get to kicking it!

Having watched many of your videos over the last several months, this find couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy! Enjoy owning (and restoring) this kit… well deserved.

Absolutely amazing story. Definitely those are keepers!

Thank you for saving those drums! That hurt my soul lol

Dude, that is amazing, congrats on the find! I really wanted to hear you play those Vistalites. (maybe another video!)

Nice job on the find video. It was interesting to watch! I'd be out there when things dried up with a giant leaf blower looking for the cymbals!

Awesome story!

Incredible

Talk about some crazy good luck man. What a great find. My luck I'd find a stick and an old coffee can. lol.

Wow! I’m so amazed. And happy for you. What a find. John Henry is up there smiling at you. Wicked, Best, Mark

Awesome find mate.

Wild! Congrats!

Wow! What luck! Great find!

That's amazing. I started taking drum lessons around 1976, and I always wanted a clear 5 piece Vistalite kit I always saw in my local music store.

That was so Awesome!!

Amazing! Can’t wait to hear em🔥🔥🔥

A good friend of mine bought an original double Bass Blue Vistalite second hand in 1978. 2 - 24" Bass Drums, 13" 14" Mounted toms, 16" 18" Floor toms. That set was LOUD and it sounded phenomenal!! That set you found is the Amber color John Bonham made famous in the concert film with Led Zeppelin, " The Song Remains The Same". Or am I stating the obvious...

Shawn so glad to see you get a score like that ! You absolutely deserve it !

I’m obsessed with Acrylic drums, I can’t believe you found these with the original stickers. It’s pretty kool to know that the shells were able to survive out there but the wood shells didn’t, which would have been awesome if they did too

Wow, man! I saw a poscammed. Free drums in the woods somewhere and just assumed it was a scammer. Maybe not related . Either way, this is absolutely crazy!!! What a killer find. Good job tracking it down, man. And hearing you say "pahk" and "pahts" so many times just added to my enjoyment 😂😂😂 Had to get a Boston jab in there as a New Yawkah! So envious on that Vistalite kit.

Thank goodness they are saved !!

So happy for you, friend! Just WOW!!

Man, wish I could find cool stuff like that in the woods. All I ever find are empty beer cans and deer shit.

Shawn, this is amazing. I have watched this several times and so happy you found them. Thank you for cleaning up our country and saving those drums. That is a keeper kit for sure. I just paid $660 for Ludwig classic lugs for a 24/16/13 project I am working on. I will check out the woods down here in Shelbyville Tennessee, who knows.

I’ve seen it all now. You are the drum whisperer! Haha, unreal!

Dude!!! That's really awesome! Great story....great find...great kit! Good for you!

Wow. Can’t wait to see how they come up when restored and to hear them

Finders keepers for sure. That is an exiting score.

That is amazing!!!!!!

What a find!!!! Good for you. Love to see them restored….

Man, what a find! Truly a gorgeous set. Cheers from Hamburg/Germany Michael

I am glad you found such an interesting set of drums. Who knows what would happen if they were left any longer in the weather? Glad you have them.❤

love it, cool kit! I have orange Ludwigs also that a dude gave me when i drove by and he was putting them at the side of the road ‘cause he had gone to an electronic kit and said his landlord had been giving him a hard time about drumming. I have all kinds of drums i’ve gathered over the years but i mostly play sampled kits that i make my self out of industrial sounds, sound effects, cut up old movies, and samples out of the software, Battery.

Amazing!! A super classic vistalite with rail is just dreamy!

You are truly blessed man. Congratulations. I have a clear vista lite kit with an amber snare, 24,13,16,5x14 I love vista lites. I remember seeing your first videos on YT, you’re living the dream.

Congratulations on the drums that is one beautiful drum set someone had to be crazy to throw something that valuable in the trash You're the guy that can bring it back to life glad you recovering from your accident always enjoy watching your videos keep up the good work.

Wow, literal weather king heads

Again just amazing fine,you were meant to have them!

This is insane! You deserve this find. I wanna be you when i grow up haha

Congrats on the amazing find! Im surprised you didn't grab the black bass drum the 2nd time round when you grabbed the snare. Its totally amazing you got the set!

What a great find. Congratulations Shawn.

Wow! Great episode ! You have incredible luck and one handed as well!! Love that you inserted the live video and pictures thru out the story. Look forward to the next one…

Absolutely Amazing!

unbelievable... that's insane

What!!!! You are one lucky man!!! I can’t believe it… But I believe your good luck 👍 wow I want that set … Trash the shells on the Slingerland set and keep the hardware. Good luck I look forward to seeing for Sale 😊

Crazy! 👏🥁Thx for sharing!

Mate that's fantastic..What a find..Love it

Man I was all in on the hunt and when you found them I was like 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

Congratz to you...an amazing find.

CLR will work amazingly with the hardware. Used it with major success many times.

Great find,! I just saw some vistilites at my local pawn. 2 toms , floor Tom and bass for 1150$. No hardware ,wow!!!

This is crazy! Good for you man!

awesome find! congrats. its sad to see drums end up in the woods but sh!t happens. but glad you found & restored them. tommy 2stixx pnw drummer transplant from amine after 20 years in the navy. loved my previous ludwig kits, now have a natural centennial j/b kit. butting together. cheers.

Crazy! Nice find !@😎

I'd be looking for cymbals too. Awesome find brother 🤙🏼

You have to keep us posted on the progress!!

Cool find

i dream about finding stuff like this...like cases of old jazzmasters lol

I Have a band there with the elves. How are we supposed to practice now ;)

Nice score, Amazon will have all new rims + hardware , Show a photo after you rebuild them I'd like to se them,

Here I was thinking I lucked out finding an old Slingerland snare at a garage sale down the street, then Shawn dunks on me. 😅

Love them and the slingetland

Hi,great find.you Had to work a little hard to get those sick vintage drums,well done! The Drum Gods were definitely on your side.

Just discovered your channel. Wow! What a find! Great video. Thanks for sharing. And we'll done. Looking forward to more Great content. I also subscribed. I'm also a drummer.

Dude wtf you always come across good stuff.its ridiculous. It'd take 50 years to even find a pair or sticks in the woods

Great find!!👀😎👍 I would do some searching for a re-chrome company for the rims………👍 #worthashot #greatvideo #🙂👏👋✌️🇨🇦

Wow! What a score!!! I've restored 3x early 80s Yamaha Recording Custom drumkits. The hardware had severely tarnished. I was advised to use ultra fine 0000 steel wool to polish all the chromed parts. It's the best way to polish them, in my opinion. All the best with your restoration. ❤

Amazing! great job all around!

Wow what a rare find! A mounted Vistalite Tom with top and bottom mufflers?. I’ve never seen one like that. Does the floor Tom have 2 as well??

Wow! 🤘😎🥁🔥👍

Really dude? What a story!! They were meant for you. I work at Ludwig so I'll check into the gold silk inlay you mentioned for your bass hoops.