On Sept. 6, 2023, an artist on the platform known as X (formerly Twitter) named coyote2 (@YLKujo) posted a photo of a Vox drum set with the caption, "I'm SO mad, the Texas heat melted my kick drum while it was on the delivery truck."
The post was liked more than 100,000 times and received over 3.5 million views. Both of these stats were extremely high marks for posts on X.
i'm SO mad, the Texas heat melted my kick drum while it was on the delivery truck ? pic.twitter.com/hEDrC11epB
— ᴄᴏʏᴏᴛᴇᄅ ? (@YLKujo) September 6, 2023
As some readers likely already guessed, this was nothing more than a joke that was made all in good fun.
A user below the main post was quick to figure out that the musical instrument shown in the photo and video was a Vox Telstar drum set.
The product's description on VoxAmps.com mentions its "uniquely-shaped kick drum," the "melted" part shown in the photo:
The VOX Telstar 2020 is a modern reimagining of an iconic VOX drum set from the 60s. One of the most interesting drum kits ever produced, it is now brought back to life with modern technology and produced under the supervision of SAKAE OSAKA HERITAGE.
The Telstar Maple's original and impactful design makes it a one of a kind drum set. With its uniquely shaped kick drum and its classic maple finish, the VOX Telstar Maple is visually arresting and will the attention of everyone in the audience! Every part of the VOX Telstar Maple drum kit has been conceived and built referencing the high standards of the 60's, and perfectly recreating perfectly the unique vintage looks to help you stand out!
...
The Telstar not only looks amazing, it sounds great too! Made under the supervision and to the same high quality standards of the SAKAE OSAKA HERITAGE team, the Telstar 2020 is a carefully crafted drum kit with a rich sonic power.
Its characteristic oval head was conceived following a revolutionary concept: What if you could have two different sized kick drums in one? The kick drum's character, pitch and harmonics will vary depending on where it's hit, giving you more possibilities and flexibility as a player!
In a second post, coyote2, dressed with a coyote costume head, continued with a humorous and edited video of the supposed noise a "melted" kick drum might make.
After noticing the original post was taking off with thousands of reposts and likes, coyote2 posted a Spotify link:
If you like drums you're gonna love thishttps://t.co/lH8ld1QJep
— ᴄᴏʏᴏᴛᴇᄅ ? (@YLKujo) September 6, 2023
We reached out to ask about coyote2's reaction to the buzz the photo had generated on X.
In a DM on X, coyote2 told us that the idea to take the picture came after the drums had arrived on a hot day.
"I bought the drums because they look great and it was ~104 degrees out when they showed up," coyote2 said. "They were hot when I opened the box and it made me laugh and I thought, 'haha it's like they melted.'"
"I knew it would make my friends laugh, but I didn't think it'd reach so far. I'm happy it made other people laugh, too."
Coyote2 poses next to the uniquely-shaped kick drum. (Photo taken by @lifeisonlynew/X)
For further reading about rumors of objects supposedly melting due to summer heat, we previously found the answers regarding photos of traffic lights, tires, street signs, waste bins, mannequins, and wind turbines.