The music box dates from about 1770 in Switzerland. A cylinder in the music box is made to rotate by a spring-driven motor and associated clockwork. On the cylinder are pins that are positioned to pluck the teeth on the comb in a certain sequence and thereby produce a melody.
In expensive music boxes the cylinder if fixed and the comb typically features between 12 and 18 teeth. In more elaborate music boxes there may be more than 100 teeth, as well as interchangeable cylinders to allow different pieces of music to be played; in the 1800s some music boxes were made with 400 teeth. Placing the mechanism inside a box or on a wooden surface, which acts as a sounding board, amplifies the sounds it produces.
In expensive music boxes the cylinder if fixed and the comb typically features between 12 and 18 teeth. In more elaborate music boxes there may be more than 100 teeth, as well as interchangeable cylinders to allow different pieces of music to be played; in the 1800s some music boxes were made with 400 teeth. Placing the mechanism inside a box or on a wooden surface, which acts as a sounding board, amplifies the sounds it produces.