[ Ref. Peter Thorp in 220728 MMDigest ]

Hi Peter, I've never seen nor heard the melody 'Ben Bolt' on any of
my historical Thorens tune sheets, on any size mechanism. However,
not having heard the mechanism play, I would certainly defer to
others who have heard the mechanism playing.

What I can tell you, with a very high degree of certainty, is that
the marking "350 HT", on the top side of the bed plate, signifies
"3-Tune 50-Note Herman Thorens". And, with a fairly high probability,
that the markings on the bottom of the bed plate, "736-37-39", are
probably the numerical numbers assigned by Thorens to the three
50-note melodies that it plays, Thorens tune numbers 736, 737 and 739.

Further confirmation that it is a 3-tune 50-note mechanism would be
that your comb probably has 53 comb teeth, 50 teeth being used as each
of the three melodies play and the cylinder shifts from left to right
and then shifts back to the left after the third melody.

If my supposition is correct about the tune numbers, you will probably
find those same numbers "736-37-39" etched or scribed into/onto the
right side or left side of the cylinder. Also, those numbers are likely
to have been marked on the side (or the bottom) of the lead block that
the comb is attached to.

Numerical tune numbers were assigned to each specific melody because
tune names were often spelled differently, or called by different
names, in different languages. Therefore, the movements would not be
labeled until they were mounted into their assigned cabinets and the
country of its destination was known.

Because a comb and cylinder are a matched pair, the tune number
markings were made so that the assembler would know which cylinder went
with which comb. The tune numbers were also inscribed onto the bottom
of the bed plate so that the melodies played on that mechanism could be
easily identified once the movement was assembled and the tune markings
on the cylinder, and the comb, could no longer be seen without having
to disassemble the mechanism.

My specialty is the repair and restoration of the smaller 18-, 28-,
36-, 50- and 72-note movements made by Reuge, Thorens, et al. Please
let me know if you have any further problems or questions with your
restoration.

Most sincerely at your service,

Don Caine, Proprietor - The Music Box Repair Center Unlimited
Lomita, California, USA
http://www.musicboxrepaircenter.com/