Back in the 1960s, a drum brand called Trixon rose out of post-war Germany, gaining popularity for its whacky drum shell shapes and designs, bold finishes, and the nifty hardware that its sets were outfitted with. In the United States, these drums wore a Vox badge and were used by lots of drummers—like those touring with James Brown in 1968.
Though they've been remembered fondly by anyone who got to see or play them, Trixon's unique drums saw their production run cut short when the company went under in 1971. However, new for 2020, Vox is attempting to make these drums more than just a memory with its reissue of the Telstar kit.
The new Vox Telstar captures all of the sound and appeal of the vintage kit, from its crocodile skin-like finish to its ovular, flat-bottom kick drum. The inspiration behind the unique kick drum design was to give players the flexibility of a kick that changed pitch and harmonics based on where you hit it—as if you had multiple kick sizes available in a single drum.
The new Telstar's production has been under the supervision of Sakae Osaka Heritage, ensuring careful craftsmanship and rich sonic power, with top-quality drum heads made by Remo. Easy to set up and easier to play, this vintage-inspired throwback gives drummers a chance to try something truly different without shelling out thousands of dollars for one of the scarce original kits.
We have more to come with regard to availability and pricing, so stay tuned and click the blue button above to add the kit to your Reverb feed for notification when it becomes available. For more news from the NAMM floor in Anaheim, click the orange banner below.