Jerry, I think the best sounding box, and the easiest to get discs for,
is a short-bedplate, double-comb Regina. The 15.5" size is the most
popular and sounds so good that frankly most of the other makes sound
dull by comparison. I joke that my 15" Reginaphone has saved me a lot
of money in the long run. :-)
Best of all, a 15" model costs more like $5000 or $6000. For the money
you're talking about, you can get larger Reginas that will sound
somewhat better (and the discs play longer) than a 15". But if I had
your money, I would get a 15" Regina changer.
That way you can keep your 12 favorite discs and play through them as on
a cylinder music box. And swap the mix from time to time. 15" changers
are just about $20K these days.
My second choice for a large box would be a Stella or a Mira, but most
of the musical arrangements are not as good as Regina's. These also
have double combs, which make a big difference in tone quality via
"sublime harmonie."
If you want bells, Polyphon may be the way to go.
Hope this helps
Mike Knudsen
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