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MMD > Archives > September 2012 > 2012.09.13 > 05Prev  Next


Seek Musical Box "The Old Piano Roll Blues"
By John Grant

My research into a custom music box has been interesting.  I am
intrigued by the following two eBay items:

  15-notes paper strip musical movement
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/280905632035 
and
  20-notes paper strip musical movement
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/330786201029 

These are 15- and 20-note (respectively) do-it-yourself paper strip,
hand-cranked movements.  This similarity to a player piano makes them
particularly appropriate for the application I am working on.

The problem is that the combs are apparently tuned to the key of C with
no sharps or flats, and even a simplification of "The Old Piano Roll
Blues" tune requires a chromatically-tuned comb of at least 15 notes.

Can anyone opine as to whether these combs can be successfully re-tuned
to get the notes I need?  The 15-note movement would be perfect if it
can be modified.  Of course, I only need one unless one of the major
conventions might want to do a bulk buy for a table favor goodie.

John Grant


(Message sent Thu 13 Sep 2012, 14:17:53 GMT, from time zone GMT-0400.)

Key Words in Subject:  Blues, Box, Musical, Old, Piano, Roll, Seek

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