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ThinkGeek has a super-cute DIY Music box kit via NOTCOT.
Music boxes came to prominence in the 19th Century, but their history dates back a few hundred more years. You see, there was this bell ringing dude who got tired of all the hard work. So, he decided to engineer a device to make his life a little more hip. It was a cylinder with metal studs. Each stud (as the cylinder rotated) operated cams which rang the bells. Further research determined that the first song played on this new system was the theme to Super Mario Brothers!
They are great. I got it for about $14 from a store called Black Ink in Harvard Sq. in Cambridge, MA.
The only thing I wish is that it wasn’t limited to notes in the key of C Major/A minor. It’d be nice to have one with all 12 notes of the octave. Anyone know where I can find a music box like that?
How does it work? i dont see any physical connections to produce a thin piece of wire that occilates in the audiable frequancies.
I bought the “large music” box from
http://www.grand-illusions.com/acatalog/Large_Music_Box_Set.html
It has 2.5 octaves.
Does anyone have information on making a wooden housing case or tips on mic’ing these things up?
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Make: School’s Out! Summer Fun Guide
This Summer Fun Guide is brimming with over 50 projects for kids of all ages. You’ll also find inspiring young maker profiles, as well as tool reviews written for and by kids! Plus, it’s our 3D issue, complete with 3D glasses and tons of super-cool 3D photos!
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