The letters in digest 950809 from Larry Smith and Peter Smakula
cleared the confusion I had, and I'm happy that Will Dahlgren has
jumped in here, too, for the brainstorming.

I have experience arranging music rolls for organ, piano and other
percussion (e.g., banjo); the cylinder or disk plucking the tines
just introduces some new constraints on repitition.  Aside from that,
you just chose a song with harmonies that are simple enough for the
limited (sparse) scale if it's a small music box, just as you do for
a small-scale barrel organ.

Now, can one of you folks dig into a small-to-medium size music box
and take some measurements for us.  Use a dial- or vernier- calipers:

(1) Cylinder diameter (the brass surface), outer diameter including
pins (so we can derive the pin height above the surface), and pin
diameter.

(2) Spacing of the feelers on the tines ("tines per inch or
centimeter"), and width of the feelers;  these dimensions determine
how many different songs (of one revolution each) can be squeezed in;
or alternatively, how many revolutions you can use for a single,
long-playing song.

(3) A list of the vibrating length of the tines.  Just assign number 1
to the first bass note and go from there.  If you can determine the
pitch of the tine, perhaps by comparing it to a nearby piano, that's
fine, but the pitch isn't a necessity at this stage.

(4) Overhang of the feeler, projecting "into the pin".  This
dimension affects the repitition rate.  Measure carefully, and check
several different notes.

(5) Number of seconds for a complete revolution of the cylinder.

(6) If you can also provide a list of the notes by pitch then I can
create a sample arrangement for you of a song.  What song would you
like, Peter?  One I want to try is "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" --
the WurliTzer 165 band organ roll of 1922 is just great.   Of course,
the music box should have several duplicated notes in the treble, to
do justice to the piccolo part!

P.S.  Welcome to Nada and Dennis Lingle in Oregon.  I would enjoy
making a sample arrangement for your 20.5-inch disk machine, too.
What make is it?  Send me the details of it's scale (item 6 above).

-- Robbie Rhodes  <rhodes@foxtail.com>  10 August 1995