The Attic Reveals....

[jonesthe drum]

So,here we are again with more from Georges attic.
This time it is a Vox snare drum.
But what model,year etc;I have no idea,and neither does George.
You have all been so fabulous at identifying the earlier drums,I thought I would ask you all once again for any information on this little beauty..(if beauty it is).
I have two pictures of it here,one topside,the other underside.
What would the strainer system have looked like?
This one came as is,so I don't know what it should really have as far as a strainer system goes.
I've been doing this as a favour for my friend George by the way,He's a mate of mine,so I don't mind doing it,as long as I have an idea of what I should do to bring the drum as close as possible to its original look.
P.s. I have also discovered that George studied with Murray Spivak while he was over in America,and also stayed with Joe Montineri!
Anybody know Joe?
I wouldn't mind seeing if Joe remembers George Jackson,British guy from over 20 years ago,who stayed with him.
anyway...On with the drums.....
Hope to hear from you all soon
All the best....Mickey

[Tommyp]

Mickey!...

Vox was the name given to Trixon drums designated for import to the USA. The drums were all manufactured by Trixon in Germany, and were still called Trixon in Europe, but branded either Trixon/Vox or just Vox for the US market. So that said...

I have a 1967 Trixon Luxus 1/440 "Buddy Rich" model in WMP that features the exact throw-off/strainer that is missing on your friend's drum. Trixon/Vox was big on the parallel action throw which was fully adjustable on both ends. My 1967 is part of my Buddy Rich snare drum collection which features ALL the main model snare drums Buddy played between 1949 and 1980, correct to each company/endorsement, model/wrap/hardware. Buddy did in fact endorse/play Trixon/Vox in 1967... but only briefly... and that's a whole 'nother story! The 1967 Trixon 1/440 in WMP is very hard to find, even more so in this condition. ( I did restore this drum of course! ) The drum is all there/correct including the near impossible to find OEM Trixon snares. Anyway... I'll post up some pics for your viewing pleasure! This is the internal paralell action throw that would have been on your drum. Enjoy!!

Tommyp

[giger.t.]

Trixon/Vox, so unusual.... I wonder if there is any footage of Buddy Rich playing these. Just curious about the sound.

[mcjnic]

There are several sound samples on the Trixon site. Excellent site put together by one of the worlds most authoritative on the subject of Trixon. Outstanding collections.

[giger.t.]

Jeeez! that was fast . Yesterday, i went on the trixon drums site, but they did not have any drum samples , i gess i pick the wrong one,i will try to find the one you're talking about, thanks for the info.

[mcjnic]

Here ya go. Hit "drumsets" on top. Scroll down just a tad to "drum sounds". Not too bad.

http://www.trixondrums.de/trixon/trixon.htm

[giger.t.]

I second you mcjnic, not too bad. Somehow i kind of like that Cream's vibes from the 13 houre.

[Tommyp]

giger.t!...

My snare drum is actually featured/shown on Ingo's Trixon site... I was quite flattered. He really dug the restoration. Anyway!...

Buddy on Trixon: A short lived affair for sure... January of 1967 right after he left Rogers, until July of 1967!... that's it... a mere six months, and there are myriad reasons for the departure too, but that is as they say, a whole 'nother story. The Trixon site is "okay" to hear the drums... but to really HEAR Buddy's... try this: This is from the summer replacement series/show "Take It Away" which aired in 1967 while Jackie Gleason was on vacation. This is a smokin' arrangement of "Clap Hands Here Comes Charlie" at an incredible tempo. GREAT vid to really HEAR how HIGH Buddy had his Trixon drums tensioned... and there's a reason for that too! Anyway, Buddy executes as only Buddy can and did. He was on TOP of his game during this period... just blazing. The band is of course brutal good too. By the way, Buddy is using all his Rogers hardware with the Trixon set. Reason was simple: It was so much better in quality! That's also the Rogers logo head off his Rogers bass drum with the name Rogers taped over as Trixon didn't have time to make up his customary BR/shield logo before this show aired. Enjoy!!

Tommyp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxAHB2LZhK4

[kevins]

Jaw on floor here...............

[EricP]

Serious Moeller technique going on in there, wow!

[giger.t.]

Thanks Tommyp! That was quite an experience...Buddy Rich is such an incredible drummer to say the least. The whole band is very good, but i mean...What a drum solo...Perfect! Just perfect! all the way. As for the drums (to my hear),they sound pretty good, on this hight pitch tune.I gess this is where the sweet spot is on these, but that's just a gess.

[Tommyp]

giger.t!...

Trixon drums during the late 60's... ( and this would include Buddy's Luxus model set ) ... were 6 ply vertical grain, no re-rings, with the shells being mostly birch, but also beech here and there. Sonor supplied most all the drum shells for Trixon by the way! Because I did a complete restoration on the 1967 "BR" snare drum, I learned a lot about the construction and "tuning area" of the Trixon shells with regard to the "sweet spot" and how the shell works with the hardware, etc. What I found was this...

After listening to Buddy's Trixon/Vox set on film and record during this period, I was amazed at how HIGH he had his snare drum and toms tensioned... ( as can easily be experienced by a watch/listen of that clip ) ... but the reason wasn't so much because of the "sweet spot", but more of projection/articulation. The Trixon wood shell being birch and only at 6 plies without re-rings, immediately puts the basic fundamental of the shell in a LOW area. To get these drums to "speak" with any amount of crispness/articulation, Buddy had to tension them way UP! Buddy, what with his incredible chops and technique, needs the drum to articulate every stroke and be very "crisp"... especially his snare drums as you can well imagine! ( Trixon designed a metal shell snare drum with parallel action throw for Buddy that he actually liked!, and played a bit more than the wood model ) The very nature and construction of the Trixon wood shell actually functions in a LOWER area, and that is where these drums "sound" best. "Sound" in quotes as this is of course a subjective opinion. But, having completely gone through the snare drum, I understand WHY Buddy had them tensioned up in that range! Same with the toms in this case. Buddy wasn't very happy with the Trixon/Vox drums... ( no offense meant or implied to Trixon/Vox here! ) ... as there were also construction issues as the drums had a little go of it with regard to their durability... thus he couldn't wait to move on... and thus he did at only the 6 month mark of playing Trixon/Vox. Neat that we all got to hear/see such a unique brand set with inarguably at the time, "The world's greatest drummer" !

Tommyp
PS: The last pic shows the Trixon metal shell snare in a nice playing shot!

[Olimpass]

giger.t!...

My snare drum is actually featured/shown on Ingo's Trixon site... I was quite flattered. He really dug the restoration. Anyway!...

Buddy on Trixon: A short lived affair for sure... January of 1967 right after he left Rogers, until July of 1967!... that's it... a mere six months, and there are myriad reasons for the departure too, but that is as they say, a whole 'nother story. The Trixon site is "okay" to hear the drums... but to really HEAR Buddy's... try this: This is from the summer replacement series/show "Take It Away" which aired in 1967 while Jackie Gleason was on vacation. This is a smokin' arrangement of "Clap Hands Here Comes Charlie" at an incredible tempo. GREAT vid to really HEAR how HIGH Buddy had his Trixon drums tensioned... and there's a reason for that too! Anyway, Buddy executes as only Buddy can and did. He was on TOP of his game during this period... just blazing. The band is of course brutal good too. By the way, Buddy is using all his Rogers hardware with the Trixon set. Reason was simple: It was so much better in quality! That's also the Rogers logo head off his Rogers bass drum with the name Rogers taped over as Trixon didn't have time to make up his customary BR/shield logo before this show aired. Enjoy!!

Tommyp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxAHB2LZhK4

That has to be one of the most amazing videos I've ever seen. Bowing

[fishwaltz]

Whoa Nelly!

That vid blew my socks off! WOW!

Okay, have to run, need to get my socks off the ceiling fan...

[giger.t.]

giger.t!...

Trixon drums during the late 60's... ( and this would include Buddy's Luxus model set ) ... were 6 ply vertical grain, no re-rings, with the shells being mostly birch, but also beech here and there. Sonor supplied most all the drum shells for Trixon by the way! Because I did a complete restoration on the 1967 "BR" snare drum, I learned a lot about the construction and "tuning area" of the Trixon shells with regard to the "sweet spot" and how the shell works with the hardware, etc. What I found was this...

After listening to Buddy's Trixon/Vox set on film and record during this period, I was amazed at how HIGH he had his snare drum and toms tensioned... ( as can easily be experienced by a watch/listen of that clip ) ... but the reason wasn't so much because of the "sweet spot", but more of projection/articulation. The Trixon wood shell being birch and only at 6 plies without re-rings, immediately puts the basic fundamental of the shell in a LOW area. To get these drums to "speak" with any amount of crispness/articulation, Buddy had to tension them way UP! Buddy, what with his incredible chops and technique, needs the drum to articulate every stroke and be very "crisp"... especially his snare drums as you can well imagine! ( Trixon designed a metal shell snare drum with parallel action throw for Buddy that he actually liked!, and played a bit more than the wood model ) The very nature and construction of the Trixon wood shell actually functions in a LOWER area, and that is where these drums "sound" best. "Sound" in quotes as this is of course a subjective opinion. But, having completely gone through the snare drum, I understand WHY Buddy had them tensioned up in that range! Same with the toms in this case. Buddy wasn't very happy with the Trixon/Vox drums... ( no offense meant or implied to Trixon/Vox here! ) ... as there were also construction issues as the drums had a little go of it with regard to their durability... thus he couldn't wait to move on... and thus he did at only the 6 month mark of playing Trixon/Vox. Neat that we all got to hear/see such a unique brand set with inarguably at the time, "The world's greatest drummer" !

Tommyp
PS: The last pic shows the Trixon metal shell snare in a nice playing shot!

Very neat indeed! So there is the reason? Wow! Thanks again! And that vid... it's a top nutch must.Sumo Dude

[calfskin]

With respect to Trixon. They made their own shells. If you strip Sonor drums from the 50's or 60's and Trixon Drums from the same period you will see quite a difference. The sonor shells are cruder with no internal varnish, bearing edges are rougher. They were also primarily of European Beech; there was the occasional Birch shell----as in the Bop snares. Prior to 1964 the shells were 3 ply European Beech,with two extra plys on the rerings and after 1964 they were 5 ply straight through.The inner,outer and middle plys run up and down,the other two plys go around. There were also solid Beech shells---the one I have is from 1956----about 5/16" thick and is the only one I know of
Trixon made only 2 throwoff designs, throughout its history; Parallel Drop and Centering. The parallel design came out at the beginning(1947) and stayed until the end(1972) with 3 or 4 different models emerging. They even used a simplified version of it on the Junior snare. The throwoff, that is seen on the Snare Drum, Buddy is pictured playing is a Centering type which ,like most standard throwoffs,simply relaxes the snares on one side but like throwoffs made by some other companies has a separate adjustment on the Butt end which allows for centering the wires. Unlike other companies though, Trixon continued to fit the drums with wires that went right over both sides of the shell. This system came out in 1965,well before Buddy Rich played Trixon drums. It is said that Trixon gave Buddy a set that was "specially combined for him" but the drums were probably stock items with the exceptions that they may have had calfskin heads(Buddy Rich played calfskin heads) , there would have been an extra floor tom, he may have been unwilling to give up his favourite pedal and the Parallel throwoff that had been in production for years. The so called Trixon Buddy Rich snare drum; model 1/440 Z had already been catalogued from 1965 on-----Buddy Rich's model may just have been that standard drum with White Marine Pearl celluloid covering instead of chrome.