As a revamp of a classic 1960s design, the Telstar was originally made by Vox/Trixon but is now constructed under the supervision of Japanese master craftsmen Sakae Osaka Heritage. Its quirky retro styling certainly stands out from other available kits, but does the appeal extend beyond its unique looks?
The reviewed kit came with an eye-catching ‘Silver Kroko’ finish. The two toms offered a wide tuning range from fat, round ‘60s rock tones to tighter, more jazz-like sounds. The versatile snare was delicate at lower volumes but full and meaty when needed. However, it is clearly the kick drum which sets this kit apart. I initially found it difficult to tune but eventually found a balance. It was certainly interesting to be able to get a range of kick sounds from one drum aided in no small part by the vintage-style adjustable dampening (both a circular damper on the front head and a felt strip across the batter). I can see the kit being useful for drummers who need to switch abruptly between styles; while there is only one kick pedal included, there is space to mount two pedals, meaning you could switch mid-song.
Unlike other kits of a similar price point, all hardware is included. Everything is lightweight and flat-based, in keeping with the styling. While it all looks great, I can't see the stands holding up against regular gigging (much less in a school environment) so I would probably recommend purchasing alternate hardware. This would likely increase the total price beyond £2,000 once cymbals are also included, pushing it well beyond the reaches of most departments.
I would be concerned about replacement heads for the unconventional kick drum. While advertisements boast that the kick heads supplied are made by market leader Remo, as the kit is currently only being produced in a limited run, I would worry about getting heads in future, not to mention the lack of choice in heads available. It was also disappointing that the much-heralded Remo heads included didn't extend beyond the kick drum. The heads on the rest of the kit would likely need replacing reasonably quickly, further adding to the initial outlay.
This is a really fun kit with lots of idiosyncratic features which could perfectly fit the requirements of a specific sort of drummer in a one-to-one setting, although I would struggle to see it fitting into the more general requirements of a school environment.
