I think I understand what you did-----just to be clear that you have original Trixon wires----do they have grey plastic ends?

Hi.Yes they are original with the plastic ends. With everything tight they still hung loose barely touching the head..Are they hard to replace?.I didnt see a easy way to get the plastic part of their tensioners.I am going to get a Evans Genera G-1 single ply head to brighten up the sound,but still would like to replce the snares,if it can be done.Thanks,Matt

It sounds like the snare hangers ------those two , kind of triangular, pieces on either side of the drum are the grey plastic ones-----correct? In addition to the wires having grey plastic ends.

Perhaps this might help...

Here are a couple close ups of the main/two snare attachment systems used by Trixon/Vox in the 60's. These two snare drums are in my Buddy Rich snare drum collection as he did play both during his very short Trixon/Vox endorsement in 1967... very short actually. Approx. 6 months! Of note is that the Trixon wires are EXACTLY the same for both drums... just the attachment method changes contingent on what throw/strainer is on your drum.

Tommyp

The snare hangers on the parallel system went through some changes between 1965 and 1968----there were 3 designs, one made of plastic. Those were used briefly but when they break it is difficult to see how the snares are supposed to be adjusted, if you aren't familiar with the mechanism.

Indeed!, and so true! A little clarification on my drums then: Both these drums are 1967.. ( which I did in fact indicate in my text ) .. and .. you had also asked if MME did in fact have "the grey plastic ends", which both my drums do of course.. meaning .. probably the same approx. era as his snare. You know that old adage right?... " A picture is worth"... etc... you know the rest!

Tommyp

We're not on the same page yet, Tommy. I'm not referring to the grey plastic, snarewire ends. Yes, after 1964 all Trixon drums used the same 26 strand snarewires,mounted into grey plastic ends but the snare hangers( brackets?) were also of grey plastic, for a while too. I have one drum dated 1965, that has them but the literature says 1967. On the snare that you picture , the hangers are chrome on cast steel. Those arrived sometime in 1967 and stayed until the end. The plastic ones only lasted for about a year.

The plastic hangers, could break and allow the knurled tensioning knob to push through it's upper end. If the break is clean enough, it doesn't look broken. The tensioning knob, still turns in and out but it doesn't do anything. A solution for that, is to put a 3/8" ,possibly up to 1/2" flat washer, on top of the hanger, with a hole just large enough for the neck of the tensioner to sit in----in the U.S., that would be 1/4" I.D. That would provide some adjustment, until a pair of the metal hangers can be found( there are 3 types and they are difficult to find).

I never heard back from you ,Matt so I'm assuming this to be your problem. I can't think that the wires could have stretched sufficiently, so as not to be tensionable.

There is also the possibility, that something is broken in the lever mech. , if it is in fact the parallel system, that you have.

If as ,Tommy shows in his pictures, your strainer is the simple drop type. Perhaps there is something broken inside either the throwoff or butt, side. Both should provide lots of adjustment.

calfskin!

Yes indeed!... all valid points! Thing is, based on MME's description, I have a feeling that he is talking about the same wires/snares on the drums I showed... but you never know! Reason I mention that is...

When I was restoring both these drums, I came across more than a few Trixon snare drums with these exact wires.. ( which show up on different models ) .. and almost ALL of the wires were STRETCHED or mangled to the point where they wouldn't tension correctly. Exactly what MME is talking about. The way I got through it was to keep looking for the proper wires in excellent condition... which I did and eventually found ... and the results are shown on those two snare drums. Most Trixon snares that I see from this era.. ( 1967 ) .. have mangled/stretched out wires, or no OEM Trixon wires at all! I have always thought that Trixon's copious use of plastic didn't help any in the longevity department! Sometimes it can take two or three drums to have enough correct parts to make ONE nice snare, which was indeed the case on my 1967 WMP model w/parallel throw. All that said...

Yes!... we will have to see exactly what MME has to say when he gets back in touch. I'm curious now!

Tommyp

Trixon wires were o.k. ,--------- as long as they were still available. I have to admit, I haven't encountered any that weren't mangled, that wouldn't still tension but when mangled, would tension, at all. I have managed to rig up a jig ,to reset, straight wires into the ends , to rebuild mangled wires, with pirated wires from. 16", marching drums. I also have some sets of N.O.S. Snare wire ends.

Trixon only ever made 3 sets of wires. The first had 16 carbon steel wires, soldered ends and did not go completely across the head, rather they were slung from the snare hangers, with cord.

Around 1956, they started making, 18strand carbon steel wires, embedded in black plastic ends. The last incarnation of these, sometime around 1963 or so had a lighter plain steel, plated wire. That's when the trouble started.

Then in '64 the 26 strand plated steel wires with the grey plastic ends arrived

These ones, which unfortunately,amount to most of the wires floating around are delicate and need to be protected from abuse.

Like to hear from you ,Matt.