I have an opportunity to pick up a Phantom Tube or a Ghost Tube or a Crystal Production Tube. Anyone know the difference between the three?

Without giving away the secret, the Ghost tube is sort of a square circle type trick, where somthing comes from nothing and the crystal tube is a switch from silks to other object candy, flag or whatever else fits the load chamber, both are good and while the ghost tube, I think, is for a little larger (is that an oxymoron) audience, the crystal tube is for parlor type magic... hope this helps..

jeff

I don't want to confuse the issue but aren't Crystal Production Tubes see-thru? Every silk tube or cylinder that I've seen that had the name "Crystal" at the beginning was made out of a see-thru plastic.

As far as I know, Ghost Tubes, Genii Tubes and Phantom Tubes are all solid tubes that are used for productions.

I hope the following is correct, and I hope this helps identify some of the items mentioned.

The Crystal Tube mentioned is likely a version of Grant's Crystal Silk Cylinder. The clear tube containing silks is covered momentarily with an opaque metal tube, and the silks transform to another object(s).

The Phantom Tube is a simple cylinder that is shown empty. The ends may be capped with paper, but this is not always done. Silks or similar items are then produced from it. Phantom Tubes are self contained. Some sources will give a different name, "Ghost Tube" to the device depending on the orientaion of the gimmick (whether it is centered or off to one side). Other sources intermix these names, and other names may have been used at times.

Drumhead Tubes are similar to Phantom Tubes in that the proceedure to operate the trick looks very similar. Drumhead Tubes are not self-contained, but the tube and capping rings may be examined prior to performing the trick. Several sizes of these have been made. One miniature version with a sleight modification in method is called the Goblin Tube.

Genii Tubes work similar to Phantom Tubes, except they are split lengthwise and are hinged along one side, so as to open. These are self-contained.

Hinged Wood Ghost Tubes are much like the Genii Tubes, except they are square tubes, commonly made of wood, not cylindrical metal tubes.

There are many other props that are similar in concept to these including, Square Circle, Organ Pipes, Buddah Tubes, See Thru Cylinders, and many others. They all have their own unique qualities that set them apart from all the others.

~michael

If you want to buy a tube, by all means, go ahead and buy a tube. But the question you ought to be asking yourself is "do I need a tube to do what I want to do?" That means you should first get your thoughts together on what you want the item for. Do you just want to produce a bunch of silk hankies? Or do you want to fill the stage with giant silks and other production items? Do you want to change some silks into some oranges? Why?

Answers to questions like these will help you (and those of us reading this and trying to help you decide which tube to use) determine the best choice for your situation. Maybe you don't need a tube at all. You can do all the things I described above just with your bare hands. But, as I said, if you are determined to spend your money and buy a tube... go right ahead.

I recently picked up a cheap, plastic version of the drumhead tube for a few bucks. My concern is that the drum has to leave the spectator's sight in order to load it since it's not "self-contained." Is this common to all tubes of this type? Or is it just because the one I got is a cheap version? It seems to me that when I put the drum out of sight and bring it back, the audience is going to assume I switched tubes even though that's not the case. Any suggestions?

It is possible to have part of the tube remain visible with a careful arrangement of props on your table. If you can't figure that out, PM me.

Doh... I should have thought of that. But, given the small size of this particular model (and the fact that the printed instructions tell you to set it down out of sight to do the dirty work), it didn't occur to me. I'm not sure how tricky that would be with this tiny version, but I can definitely see how that technique would work well with a better model. I really don't envision using this small "toy" version for performing anyway. I was just curious about it. I figured I couldn't go wrong for a couple of bucks. I will buy or construct a larger, more professional one if I decide to use something like this in my show. I like the idea of decorating it like a drum and tie it into a musical theme. Otherwise, I already have other practical methods for productions.

You can also use a technique such as used with some types of nested boxes. The tube would be set onto the table, at "about" the same time some object obscuring the audience's view of it were pushed to the side. Most would swear it never left sight.

I thought that a crystal production tube was different than the crystal silk cylinder, but I may be wrong. The crystal production tube works on the same
principle as the mirror glass.

Hard to say what the original poster was referring to. A Crystal Tube is also the name given to the blow-tie trick with 3 silks joining in a tube. Crystal Production Tube may very well be the mirror glass principle.