Trixon - the best drumsets... known to man?

lwk

Junior Member
So i'm lurking through my local craigslist, posting an add for an acoustic guitar, and of course i'm looking to see if there are any deals, when I stumble on this gem...

http://wausau.craigslist.org/msg/1045716379.html

The listening price isn't too bad, but then they say the new price is $750! Having never heard of this brand, i do some investigating.

Apparently they are a German drum making business, and do have some kits listed at around $700, but they aren't this kit. So I'm looking through some of their kits and I find a few with bass drums like this...
1tspeed.jpg

1speci22.jpg


Can anyone tell me why some of their bass drums are amoeba shaped? Anyone played on one like this?
 
That's a Trixton Speedfire (probably a 0/???-5 kit, the set with 3 backwards mounted toms was the Trixton Speedfire 0/700-3 kit). Easily recognized with the five toms (mounted backwards) and the elliptical bass drum. The bass drum had a divider inside. You would mount two bass drum pedals on the flat bottom - wacky hu! The drums were designed by Karl-Heinz Weimer of Hamburg, West Germany in the 1960's.

If you have a chance to buy a Speedfire kit for $700 as a "collector" kit - I'd go for it. It's a great piece of Rock-n-Roll drum history. See "The Drum Book" A history of the rock drum kit by Geoff Nicholls

See photos below.
Hope this has been of some help

Kona
 

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From what I know, the old Trixon drums were made in Germany and were good sets. They stopped making them some time ago. Recently, a new batch of Trixon sets have shown up on ebay. They're advertised as maple shells but I don't think they're made in Germany. I read a blurb somewhere recently from a guy in Germany who commented that the new ones have nothing to do with the older Trixon. He believes they are made in China. I don't know if this info is correct. Maybe we can try to find out - if we care to.

Just took a look at the picture in lwk's post. Definitly one of the new sets. Probably over priced. IMHO.
 
Did a little checking. Check out www.jimlaabsmusic.com. Just so happens they're in Stevens Point. Their website shows Trixon drums and gives prices. I don't know if the drums are any good but for $285??? Good practice set maybe?
 
Just took a look at the picture in lwk's post. Definitly one of the new sets. Probably over priced. IMHO.


Yes - I'd agree with you there Old Doc.

In the post I made earlier I was referring to a Trixton Speedfire made in the 60's - an old, old as in, Vintage kit. One that's been packed away nicely in someones attic for 30 or 40 or more years - one of those little treasure finds.........

But.....if they're newly made knock-offs.........at $200 bucks or so they might make an okay practice set. But, then, in 50 years people will be collecting them too! Ya gotta love how this stuff comes around. As an aside: I bought a cheap Japanese kit in 1965 and gladly got rid of it in 1970 or so........I wish I had it today - I now see them in the history books as collectible. Great stuff!

Cheers,

Kona
 
I always wondered what the deal with the conical and ellipsoidal (flat tire) kick drums was.

"In the late 1950s Trixon produced its most recognizable product, the ellipsoidal bass drum, dubbed the "Speedfire". Resembling a cylinder flattened on one side into a trapezoidal-like shape, the drum was designed to be fitted with two bass drum pedals side-by-side. The interior of the drum was divided into two sections, and the unique shape of the shell allowed each pedal to produce a different pitch. Another innovation was conical shaped drums, tapered so one end was narrower than the other, with the wider side as the "beater" head."
 
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Did a little checking. Check out www.jimlaabsmusic.com. Just so happens they're in Stevens Point. Their website shows Trixon drums and gives prices. I don't know if the drums are any good but for $285??? Good practice set maybe?

Yea that kit with the same picture goes for $335 (half of what the seller listed as its new price), and they claim the design was made by the founder of Trixon, but i'm sure they are made in China.

I'm not actually interested buying this kit, I was just trying to be an evigilante and call this guy out. I'm amazed by how much people are willing to list used instruments on ebay and craigslist.
 
Those are pretty cool-looking kits (the original ones)--never heard of them before. They look like an early version of North or Staccato drums. Anybody ever heard what they sound like?

As far as online postings, I see that all the time, usually with more familiar brand names like Tama and Pearl. People will post their entry-level kits at pro-level prices, trying to pick off a parent or young kid who knows the brand but doesn't know the different levels. The new Trixon drum in the picture looks like it's an old brand name slapped on an anonymous new product. Buyer beware!
 
Wow, now there's a name i haven't heard in years. My very first drumset was a 4 piece
Trixon Telstar. It included a conical bass drum and floor tom. It was a great little starter set. It had slotted tension rods (guess that's a German thang). Great memories!
 
Wow, now there's a name i haven't heard in years. My very first drumset was a 4 piece
Trixon Telstar. It included a conical bass drum and floor tom. It was a great little starter set. It had slotted tension rods (guess that's a German thang). Great memories!
Do you still own it? It could be worth its weight in gold
 
All manufacturing of these imitators is done in China under Trixon,Platin or Dimavery names by Jim Laabs of the pirated Trixon USA.These drums have nothing to do with Trixon German made drums.The original Trixon logo is being used in a copyright violation.

If you want the real Trixon,you'll just have to buy a used vintage set.If the're not made in Germany,then the're not genuine Trixon,and you're being ripped off.

Steve B
 
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