Mechanical Music Digest  Archives
You Are Not Logged In Login/Get New Account
Please Log In. Accounts are free!
Logged In users are granted additional features including a more current version of the Archives and a simplified process for submitting articles.
Home Archives Calendar Gallery Store Links Info

End-of-Year Fundraising Drive In Progress. Please visit our home page to see this and other announcements: https://www.mmdigest.com     Thank you. --Jody

MMD > Archives > February 2006 > 2006.02.05 > 03Prev  Next


Replacement Comb for Musical Box
By Eliyahu Shahar

To anyone looking to replace a comb, I've got good news and bad news:

The good news: A disc playing machine often can have the comb replaced.
A single comb is relatively easy to replace, a double comb may need
tuning to match the combs, but in general it is possible.

The bad news: Cylinder musical boxes are not standardized.  The chances
of finding a replacement comb is like trying to find a missing piece of
a jigsaw puzzle from a different box -- it might fit, but the picture
would be wrong.

Do not despair, there is good news: A combs is repairable; if it is
economically feasible is another question.  You can replace individual
teeth, blocks of teeth and, if only the thin tip of the tooth is
missing, that's not a difficult thing to replace.  What's the catch?
It all needs tuning afterwards and it's very expensive.

Additionally, a comb that has had that much damage likely also needs to
have the cylinder re-pinned -- another major expense.  Without measuring
the comb and cylinder, it looks as if your customer's musical box needs
around $1500 to $2000 worth of repairs.  Is it worthwhile to them for
sentimental reasons?  Let them decide what to do.

I will not go into the details of replacing teeth here, but if you would
like a description, look in Ord-Hume's works on the subject or contact
me personally; I will be happy to describe what is done.

Best regards,
Eliyahu Shahar


(Message sent Sun 5 Feb 2006, 10:56:39 GMT, from time zone GMT+0200.)

Key Words in Subject:  Box, Comb, Musical, Replacement

Home    Archives    Calendar    Gallery    Store    Links    Info   


Enter text below to search the MMD Website with Google



CONTACT FORM: Click HERE to write to the editor, or to post a message about Mechanical Musical Instruments to the MMD

Unless otherwise noted, all opinions are those of the individual authors and may not represent those of the editors. Compilation copyright 1995-2024 by Jody Kravitz.

Please read our Republication Policy before copying information from or creating links to this web site.

Click HERE to contact the webmaster regarding problems with the website.

Please support publication of the MMD by donating online

Please Support Publication of the MMD with your Generous Donation

Pay via PayPal

No PayPal account required

                                     
Translate This Page