[ Rob Fonda wrote in MMD 980823: ]

> Can you direct me ... to information about the actual construction
> of the musical mechanism that is the heart of a music box?

One possibility I suggest is a delightful 20-note movement you can
purchase from Nancy Fratti for under $50.  The scale is diatonic from
tenor C to the A above the treble staff.  It's in the form of a
manivelle (sp?) and is the heart of the Christmas music boxes coming
from "Mr. Christmas".  It plays from a card strip and comes with 5
tunes, several blank strips, and a punch.

Already, I've had a blast arranging some tunes and punching them.  This
may suit your needs.  If you'd rather go with a 4 1/2" disc movement,
these can also be purchased for a very reasonable price.  Making discs
for it is another matter, but there may be folks out there who can make
a disc for you, from your own arrangement.

Being a musician, I find the short playing times of discs and cylinders
to be annoying; especially at the prices required.  A box playing from
a strip, roll, or book, gives you unlimited tune-length.  It's also
easy to edit the medium by simply taping a punching into holes you wish
to remove.

If you _really_ like to mettle, you can even re-tune some of the notes
to give you whatever you need.  I've not done that, but hey, whatever.
For the price, you could combine two or more for a bass, a celeste, or
sublime harmony, etc.

My $.02 worth.  :-)

Robert Linnstaedt