MusicRadar

The main kit is in a pattern consisting of three bands of Red, Amber and Yellow, known as Tequila Sunrise.

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• Review

Back in the '70s all the major drum companies produced a see-through kit. The Ludwig Vistalite was the most successful, helped by the fact John Bonham played one. Recently, there's been a resurgence of interest in old Vistalites, which prompted Ludwig into a reissue, with others following suit.

You could be forgiven for thinking the RCI Starlite pictured here is a Ludwig. The Vistalite-style Tequila Sunrise pattern and Ludwig-copy lugs are obviously meant to tempt Vistalite fans. In fact, the kit is made by long-time Vistalite nut Romano Cotone. Years of practical research has culminated in this 21st Century acrylic vision, hand built in RCI's Connecticut factory.

The problem with the '70s Vistalites was the shells. The seams were iffy and cracks not uncommon. Ludwig's reissued Vistalite tackles this weakness with shells glued and strengthened at the seams by a thin Plexiglas strip. Cotone's Starlite Super Duty shells are welded rather than glued.

According to UK Starlite distributor Dave Kirby, "The shell material is a hardened polymer. The review kit has three-part shells with no support tabs or glue involved. The acrylic is geometrically cut at a precise angle and then welded. You can drill through the welds and they won't come apart. The shells are air and watertight. RCI has tried filling other acrylic shells with smoke and watched the smoke seep through, but it doesn't with these."

They certainly feel solid, although the welds do leave tiny, bubble-like blemishes along the angled joins (look closely to spot them). RCI claim that because the shells are welded rather than glued this gives them an acoustic advantage, which it calls 'true continuous vibration'. If you take off the head and tap the shell (à la DW) you get a resonant pitch which seems to point up the solid nature of the construction, like a single-ply wood shell.

Colourama

A great attraction of acrylic drums is the scope for rainbow colours and patterns. RCI have added to the original Ludwig choices with everything you can imagine. These custom-built kits come in Amber, Yellow, Red, Smoke, Blue, Navy Blue, Coke Bottle Green, Emerald Green, Purple and solid Black or White, plus four fluorescent: Orange, Red, Green and Yellow.

Any of these can be used in the various shell patterns, such as the review kit which is a Pattern A, three-colour rainbow. Pattern B is a five-colour rainbow. Pattern C is spiral with two to five bands, Pattern D a three-band swirl, Pattern E a two-band swirl and Pattern F, three-colour vertical bars.

Aside from 'standard' choices, visit www.rcistarlite.com to find flames, fiecks and complicated graphics incorporated into the shell. Prices rise according to the complexity of the finish.