Hi Jody,  I was wondering if you could take a look at the photo attachment and tell me what this music box base could have been used for.  It works great.  It plays a song which I'm not familiar with.

The wood base is very old; the finish has turned almost black from age.  It has two turn-off/turn-on keys: one is to the speed regulator fan, and the other connects the music box mechanism to start it playing.

It looks like there could have been a very big glass dome over it, because the wood is a different color than the outer 1-1/2" circumference of the base.  The base is about 14 inches diameter; the comb has about 58 teeth.  (My eyes aren't what they used to be!)

It has, as you can see, a steel rod that turns, like there used to be something attached to it, but it looks like whatever it was broke off.  It also has some holes in the base, from what looks like nails or something like that, which may or may not have been to hold down the dome.  I'm not sure.

I have looked on the 'Net and found nothing, so I was wondering if you could help me.  Many thanks,

Joy McNally
Texas
Fri, 11 Jan 2002 19:11:03 -0600

See "Thorens Catalog No. 44 of August 1952" at http://www.mmdigest.com/Pictures/thorensCat.html and http://www.mmdigest.com/Pictures/thorensCat3.jpg  Thorens movements model 415/C and 420P appear similar.

Responses are collected at "Music Box Rotating Base is Christmas Tree Stand."