Meet Funkycrime, drummer extroardinaire. When he plays his drums, it all comes together, the groove happens,the girls fall at his feet and his car never runs out of gas....but it's time for a change : his drums need new heads... but what he doesn't know, is that that key he is reaching for ,is a Trixon key , made by the company of tricks; not just any old drum key but a clock key as well and as he turns it to take the tension off his old heads he is also turning back the clock and entering : The Trixon Zone......................

In the wise words of a long time Trixon afficianado " if i have learned anything, it is that at Trixon anything was possible". This was after I had informed him that 2 of my snaredrums (a Red Croco 5 x 14 and a Silver Croco 3 1/2 x 14) ,with tank lugs had thin 3 ply birch shells with a thick masonite outer ply.It was news to him, even though he is one of the most knowledgeable Trixon people in Germany.

It seems that when Karl Heinz Weimer, decided to change his drums from the 3 ply European Beech w/ 2 ply rerings and the long(shipform,teardrop) lugs and metric sizes, to international sized drums, he reached their final form gradually. He didn't go from the metric drums to the later 6 ply European Beech imperial sized drums immediately. There are a few intermediate shell types made in the '62-'64 period and some few anomalies before and after. Trix on Trixon--The Story of the German Drum Company(almost 300 pges.), states that there were 2 shell types ----the 3 ply with rerings and the 6 ply without but I have 7 different shells on hand and am aware of one more that I do not own. The really odd thing is that some of those intermediate shells were not the slightly under 14", that most 14" drums are ; they were dead on 14" or even a snudge over and to make things even more odd, that 8th shell type that I do know exists, that won't take standard heads is a 6 ply beech metric shell,without rerings! It should be noted too, that the metric rack tom was 330mm or just a shade over 13" and 13" heads fit but they are snug.

My solution for Trixon, is to use self lapped calf or have custom Remo heads made for the metric drums(of which I have a good supply), use various Remo heads for the Imperial sized drums and for those few that are just a little oversized, I have never found one that can't take a standard head but some of those that are dicey, might be good candidates for the Aquarian modern vintage heads that are just slightly oversized.

Well Said, Calfskin!!

Funky: Calf is 100% correct, when it comes to Trixon, and Sonor Drums, too, for that matter, anything is possible.

Yes, your drums have Metric sizes, but it seems they are not too severe.

You could try the Aquarian American Vintage heads, but they may still be too tight. Your best bet is Remo Metric heads.

There is one more alternative that does work, which is:

Take the drums apart, take all lugs off the shells, the insert rubber washers between the lugs and the shell while putting them back on. This should increase the "splay" to allow you use the next bigger size normal American head. With this method, you also need new rims, same size as the new head, but you may be able to get those cheaply on ebay. So, if your drum is 13.5 , use a 14 head and rim with this method. Should work.

Thanks for the pointers guys! I think I'll try the Aquarian modern vintage heads first and then go from there.. hopefully that works..band3

Aquarian Modern vintage head = same size as Remos (more or less)

Aquarian American vintage head = larger size (by a bit)

You can check my info on their web site:

http://www.aquariandrumheads.com/products/vintage-series

So if they are going to work buy Americans to fit Germans. Yes Sir

haha yess it is a strange world we all live in..

Here's a method which has worked for me on some of the oversized Trixon 6-ply beechwood shells...

It requires a little effort and 'shopping around' retail and/or pawn shops, but it has solved this problem for the floor tom toms made by Trixon as well as some other European companies:

Search for old stock drum heads manufactured with the method first pioneered by the Ludwig Drum Co., whereby an open channel in the outer aluminum flesh hoop was machine crimped tightly closed over the sheet of mylar; clamping the plastic into the flesh hoop without the use of any epoxy glue.

A little research into Ludwig's earliest "Weather Master" heads will reveal the difference in this method vs the Remo Weather King method of using epoxy glue to hold the mylar into a recessed channel in the aluminum flesh hoop.

Many of the older imported ROC "Made in Taiwan" mylar heads also were manufactured using this method. (Sometimes you can actually luck up and locate some of these which fit well without any modification having to be done to them!)

These heads can most usually be recognized by the thinner outer aluminum ring with no epoxy glue showing; and they usually have a visible vertical joint somewhere on the outer circumference where the several aluminum pieces used in the clamping and construction meet.

Here, at this joint, is where I have been able, using great care and working slowly, to separate the joint a little, pulling it apart in opposite directions, so that it 'opens up' by a few millimeters.

Then, providing the mylar has not been torn from the hoop, I have had great success in being able to then fit the "expanded size" drum head over the oversized shell and tune it up precisely.

Purchasing (at high cost) the correctly fitting mylar heads from Europe is the preferred method for fitting these under and over sized metric shells, but for us mere peons I have learned to go ' on the hunt' for used and older drumheads in great shape (maybe a few stick marks on them with little if any use) and make my old German Trixons drums play great and sound fantastic.

Finally, I always do the following prior to putting the heads on the shell: I use pure white paraffin to coat the shell bearing edges and the outer edges of the shells, as well as coat the inner bottom circumference of the aluminum flesh hoops.

This helps assist the heads to more easily slide down over the lubricated surface when first placed on the drum. The paraffin quickly 'dissolves away' at room temperature, can't be seen, and forms a moisture proof seal between the heads and the bearing edges, which certainly does no harm, and actually seems to allow better tensioning by allowing the head to 'float' on the thin layer of wax during the 'break in' period when forming the collar.

Hope my idea is of some use.

Cherish your Trixons and just remember: The Trixon drummer can be compared to someone who chooses one of the most beautiful women in the world for a mate, for "high maintenance" will be the price paid (and most definitely worth it! Kiss Mind Blowi

p.s. - The bass drum batter heads for the 20" Trixon conical bass drums with tank turret lugs were usually slightly less than 20" in diameter -- Their actual measurement in diameter is approx. 19.5", and they usually have a one-piece construction whereby the mylar is molded directly into a plastic flesh hoop. One can often find used or new old stock heads taken off of 1960's MIJ drumsets which are a perfect fit!

good advise. -----some of the older heads are perfect for a minor adaption.

......and I agree wholeheartedly about Trixon; and can relate to the analogy..........but what do you do about 9 beautifull high maintenance, women?...........I'm sorry Rachel but Sam(antha) got a new head; and you need one as well!.......It will be the most expensive one I can find, I promise.