My Review of the Unique Cocktail Drum Kit by Trixon
My Trixon Cocktail Drum kit is here and I love it!! I love trying new and unique products while enhancing what I do… Play drums
The basic cocktail drum set consists of a 14 -16″ (diameter) floor tom which is usually 16 – 25 inches tall with mounted legs. The floor time has 2 heads that are independently used. One on the tom and one at the bottom The bass drum is utilized at the bottom of the drum and a reverse foot pedal is attached. There are different and many variations of cocktail drums, but most typically have a mount for a “popcorn” snare and is usually 8″ in diameter. This eliminates the need for a snare stand. Another bracket is utilized for the small tom which is usually about 10″. An additional holder is used for hi-hats, cymbals, cowbells, etc and can be easily customized to suit the drummer.
The Trixon Cocktail kit was easy to set and came out of the box with instructions and details about this unique set. It came with a cow bell, reverse foot pedal with bracket (used to hold foot pedal in place), a holder for hi-hat and cymbals, an 8″ popcorn snare, a 10″ tom, a 15″ floor tom/bass drum, and they also included a pair of drum sticks!
The most challenging part was tuning the drum heads to my taste. I loved the sound of the 8″ popcorn snare, but it rang as the other drums. The combined bass drum/floor tom was the hardest to tune. I will replace the Trixon clear drum heads, which actually aren’t bad. I plan to try 4 PLY heads by Remo or Evans
A well known tour producer advised that I use “egg foam” in each drum. He suggested that I use about 60% in each drum, but I tested and played with each drum using less. I later found that using the 60% did indeed prove to have a better tone and made it easier to tune the drums. The floor tom/bass drum was still hard to tune because they sounded the same. It was hard to differentiate the sound due to the sharing of the same drum I am still testing different options but generally like how they are tuned according to my specific taste.
I did find that I was quite exhausted after playing for 1/2 hour while standing. I typically can play drums for 1 1/2 – 2 hours without stopping, but because of the standing and balancing on one leg while playing the foot pedal, I was surprised in how much energy it took to play comfortably. I played with heels in my video below, but next time I will try flat shoes/sneakers and see if that makes a difference. We will see if it makes a difference, but the cocktail drum kit is indeed fun to play.
How Much Do These Drum Kits Coasts??
Depending on a few factors, these kits can range from $250.00 – $1,300. They are sometimes sold as collector items and the value can depend on the model, age, accessories and the condition of the drums. Some of the newer sets offer extra toms, or added cymbal stand attachments, snares and other items. The price can also depend on the wood type as well. Variations like 9 9 PLY wood shells or some are made with Birch shells. Some kits offer beautiful lacquer finishes.