Help!  Yesterday two of my neighbors arrived at my door with a beautiful
Regina music box that they wanted to sell to me.  It is a double comb
box, and has twenty disks with it.  Unfortunately, the tone is terrible.

Nothing bent that I can see,  and only a few of the treble notes play
well.  The bass end of the scale is working and no teeth are broken, but
from the middle section down there is a dull clunk whenever a note is
played.  I even pushed a few bass star wheels to see if it was working
properly, and it was, but still just a dull thunk.  Under the comb are
some lead resonators, and they look like they are covered in varnish, or
something awful, so I assume that may be one of the problems.

In any event, it is no job for a beginner, and I need some advice in a
hurry or I may miss out on a lovely music box.  The box probably has not
been touched in 40 years, and should have the spring mechanism cleaned
and properly lubricated by a specialist.  I assume it will require tuning
also.  So -- I need to know a fair amount to offer for it, and
approximately what it might cost to put it in top-notch condition.

Next, I would like to have the e-mail address and/or address of Nancy
Fratti, who I understand, lives not far from me.  I need to have an
estimate of what will be needed to repair this beautiful music box before
I make an offer for it.

Hastily,
Bruce Clark

 [ Nancy's shop, Panchronia Antiquities, is in Whitehall, New York,
 [ tel: 518-282-9770   Good luck!  -- Robbie