When is a Regina not a Regina?
I just acquired a music box sold to me as a Regina 15-1/2" disc music
box in a fancy carved cabinet. Upon seeing it, I recognized it as an
Olympia in the fancy carved cabinet. I have one on a matching stand,
the comb assembly is mounted on a footed base which is even better than
the short bedplate Regina style as it "floats" on the sounding board.
Upon lifting the lid, I was surprised to see the long bedplate
configuration, double combs and a Regina disc on it! To my amazement,
it played perfectly. I thought that someone may have placed a Regina
movement in the Olympia cabinet, but there were no plugged crank holes.
The start/stop lever was Olympia and combs highly polished as what the
company did (box is un-restored). The drive wheel for the disc is a
flat steel sprocket drive plate(as found on short bed plate Regina
boxes). Checking my Olympia, the disc center hole is larger on that
instrument but is the same size as the Criterion.
Apparently the cut corner Criterion cabinets were changed to the fancy
Olympia style cabinets: no markings on the bedplate or picture, the
typical scenic ones used are in the lid. I think the company soon
realized that customers were buying Regina discs and playing them on
their Criterion instruments and a sure way to end that is change the
center spindle size!
Gregory Filardo
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