1. 1
    The brass bedplate forms the foundation that supports all of the movement’s components. As it also conducts sound frequencies, it enhances the music box’s resonance.
  2. 2
    The cylinder is a brass drum fitted with steel pins that pluck the teeth on the comb’s teeth, playing the notes. A melody consists of multiple notes, each with a specific location on the cylinder.
  3. 3
    While the cylinder and its pins can be likened to the musician’s fingers flying over a keyboard, the comb with its steel teeth is the element that resonates and sings.
  4. 4
    The barrel supplies the necessary energy for the movement; it is wound up using a key.
  5. 5
    The governor regulates the speed at which the barrel’s spring unwinds, ensuring the cylinder rotates with absolute smoothness for a perfect musical experience.

A bit of History

A music box is a mechanical musical instrument that produces sound through a steel comb, where each tooth is plucked by pins positioned on a rotating cylinder. The cylinder is powered by a spring that the user winds up with a key.

The comb in a music box movement typically has 36, 72, or 144 teeth. Some movements, known as “changeantes” (French for “changing”), feature a special mechanism that shifts the cylinder laterally after a complete rotation. This allows a new set of pins to activate the teeth, enabling the music box to play a different melody. A 72-note comb, for instance, can offer up to three different tunes.

Crafting a Music Box Cylinder

Step 1

Arrangement

The arranger converts a musical score – whether from an existing piece or a bespoke composition – into a melody suitable for the music box movement. This requires the talent and ear of a composer, as well as mastery of both technology and music. Many hours are invested in transforming multiple notes into melodic harmony.

Step 2

Drilling

Tiny holes are drilled into the cylinder according to the arranger’s composition. Since some cylinders can contain up to three different melodies, this is a highly complex process that requires the utmost precision.

Step 3

Pinning

Using a pinning lathe, an extremely fine steel wire is inserted – much like threading a needle – into each of the holes drilled into the cylinder. The wire is then cut, leaving a pin in place that will pluck a tooth on the comb as the cylinder rotates. The number of pins on a cylinder for a movement using a 72-note clavier, for instance, can easily exceed 1,200.

Step 4

Inspecting

Each cylinder undergoes a meticulous visual inspection. Using a high-power inspection microscope, the artisan carefully checks that all pins are in perfect condition, absolutely straight, and that none are missing. If necessary, a new pin is manually inserted using a special tool called a ‘pusher’.

Step 5

Gumming

The cylinder’s inner wall is lined with resin to seal each pinhole and ensure all pins remain firmly in place; this process also has the effect of improving sound quality. The composition of this resin is one of Manufacture Reuge’s best-kept secrets.

Step 6

Trimming

Once all the pins are fixed in place, checked, and gummed, they are trimmed to the same height.

Making a comb

Etape 7

Stamping

Stamping, also called pressing, is a manufacturing process used to convert a flat metal blank into a final shape. The blank is placed in the stamping press, where a tool and die come together to form the final shape. Punching, blanking, bending, coining, embossing, and flanging are all stamping techniques. Comb, speed regulators, and barrels are produced using techniques for cutting or stamping steel or brass strips.

Etape 8

Machining

Manufacture Reuge combs are machined with a computer numerical control (CNC) milling machine to remove excess material and give the blade their initial shape before they are actually cut out.

Etape 9

Cutting

A milling cutter is used to create the individual blade on the comb. Each comb is custom-made for the specific melodies to be played by the movement.

Etape 10

Hardening and annealing 

The comb is heated to 800°C, then quenched in a lukewarm oil bath. This ensures the blade have the optimal hardness, neither too brittle nor too elastic, which is crucial for producing the proper sound. It also helps protect the blade from deformation.

Etape 11

Soldering 

A Zamak alloy, made of zinc, aluminum, magnesium, and copper, is poured beneath selected teeth. A saw is then used to separate the Zamak mass, forming the individual blade that will produce the lower notes.

Etape 12

Tuning 

During the tuning process, a machine makes each blade resonate and compares its vibration frequency to the desired note. A grinding wheel is then used to finely adjust each tooth, ensuring it produces the correct pitch.

Etape 13

Damping 

Damping feathers, are meticulously glued beneath the blades of the bass notes. This process ensures a cleaner sound by preventing unwanted vibrations, particularly those with an overly metallic resonance.

Assembly

Etape 14

Fixing

Each musical movement is meticulously assembled by hand. The artisan carefully fixes the cylinder, barrel, speed regulator, trigger, and melody indicator onto the bedplate. Through precise and deliberate gestures, the artisan brings the movement to life.

Etape 15

Final comb calibration

Fixing the comb is the most delicate step in the final assembly of a music box. The artisan aligns the comb precisely in relation to the cylinder, ensuring an exact distance from the pins. Achieving the perfect Manufacture Reuge sound requires experience, expertise, and a keen musical ear.

Etape 16

Encasing

After a final inspection, the movement is placed into its case. With a sense of satisfaction, the artisan closes the lid, knowing they have created an exceptional object of the rarest kind – one capable of enchanting and evoking the deepest emotions.