My review of the unique cocktail drum kit from Trixon
My Trixon Cocktail Drum Kit is here and I love it!! I love trying new and unique products while improving what I do… I play the drums
The basic cocktail drum kit consists of a 14 -16″ (diameter) floor tom, which is usually 16 – 25″ tall with legs attached. The floor drum has 2 heads that are used independently. One on the tom and one on the bottom bass the snare drum is used at the bottom of the drum and a reverse foot pedal is attached. There are many different variations of cocktail drums, but most commonly have a “popcorn” type snare stand and are usually 8″ in diameter. This eliminates the need for a snare stand. Another bracket is used for the small tom, which is usually around 10″. An additional holder is used for hi-hats, cymbals, bells, etc. and can be easily customized to suit the drummer.
The Trixon Cocktail Kit was easy to set up and came out of the box with instructions and details on this unique kit. Comes with cowbell, reverse foot pedal with clamp (used to hold foot pedal in place), hi-hat and cymbal holder, 8″ popcorn drum, 10″ tom, 15″ floor tom/bass drum , and they also included a pair of drumsticks!
The most challenging part was getting the drum heads set up to my liking. I liked the sound of the 8 inch popcorn snare, but it sounded like other drums. The combo bass drum/floor tom was the hardest to set up. I’m going to replace the Trixon clear drumheads which aren’t bad actually. I plan to try 4 PLY heads from Remo or Evans
A famous tour producer advised me to use “egg foam” in each drum. He suggested I use about 60% in each drum, but I tested and played with each drum using less. I later found that using 60% really turned out to have a better tone and made tuning the drums easier. The floor tom/bass drum was still hard to tune because they sounded the same. It was difficult to differentiate the sound due to sharing the same drum. I’m still testing different options, but overall I like how they are tuned to my specific taste.
I found I was pretty exhausted after playing for 1/2 hour while standing. I can usually play drums for 1 1/2 – 2 hours non-stop, but due to standing up and balancing on one leg while playing the foot pedal, I was surprised at how much energy it takes to play comfortably. I played with heels in my video below, but next time I’ll try flats/sneakers and see if that makes a difference. We’ll see if it matters, but the cocktail drum kit is really fun to play.
How much are these drum kits??
Depending on several factors, these kits can range from $250.00 to $1300. They are sometimes sold as collector’s items and the value can depend on the model, age, accessories and condition of the drums. Some of the newer kits offer additional toms or added attachments for cymbals, snares and other items. The price may also depend on the type of wood. Variations like 9 9 PLY wood shells or some are made with birch shells. Some kits offer beautiful lacquer finishes.
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