Disk Music Boxes
Mechanical Marvels dating from 1885
Regina Auto-Changer Music Box
This is a beautiful Style 36 (coin-op) automatic changer, playing size 15.5” disks. Drop a nickel in the slot, choose your selection from one of 12 disks, and it will play sweet and beautiful music. Made by Regina around 1900; it was just recently professionally serviced, and is a true showpiece. Perhaps the finest example we have ever had the pleasure of offering.
#335 (sale in progress)
Large Curved-Front Regina Auto-Changer
A very rare 20.75" disk automatic changer, known as a Style 37. This was an enlarged version of the 15.5" Regina Style 35 or 36, and dates to about 1901.
The larger disks, utilizing 130 comb teeth, enable it to play over a broader range of seven octaves, with resultant loud, resonant sound.
Being a home model (not coin-op), there is very little wear on the combs, and everything works and plays great. It was recently professionally restored and serviced by the Meekins Music Box Company.
The disk rack holds 12 disks and will play through the set smoothly and seamlessly. The lower table has a drawer for additional disk storage. The hand-carved crest is original.
Click here to see and hear it play: video
This is one of the rarest and most desirable Regina auto-changers and is ready for another 120 years of faithful service. A true musical treasure!
#322
Comparative Sizes
The Style 36 (on the left) compared to the larger Style 37……….
Regina Style 40
A very nice 15.5” disk Regina floor-standing console model. Fitted with the superior short bed plate mechanism with double combs. The lower compartment has a slide-out rack that can hold up to 140 disks.
#331
Regina Tabletop Music Box
A nicely restored Regina Style 30, playing size 12.25" disks. Great for tabletop musical display!
#323
Euphonia Coin-Op Music Box
Made in the late 1890’s by F.G.Otto and Sons of New Jersey, arch rivals of (and frequent litigators with) Regina. This is a short bed plate with a spruce sound board, producing fabulous music with the 15” disks. In addition, this is a factory-made coin-op machine, designed to collect a penny for two turns of the disk. A very rare and unusual item, seldom found, especially not in this condition. In addition, we are including a total of 30 disks for your listening pleasure!
#341
“New Century” Music Box
A product of Symphonion’s factory in New Jersey, this is a rare and wonderful Style 260, playing 15” diameter disks. The duplex combs have a total of 120 teeth, producing loud and resonant music. Only six (6) examples of this music box are known to exist.
#339
In order to compete with the onslaught of "talking machines", Regina very wisely decided to embrace the concept by combining them with music boxes, giving the purchaser the best of both worlds, so to speak.
Some Reginaphones were adaptations of earlier music boxes; others (such as the "Lion's Head" model) were ground-up designs, intended to incorporate the finest acoustics and aesthetics of the day.
As with all Reginas, they were of sturdy and lasting construction. The phonograph components were made by Columbia and sometimes even marketed under the "Columbia Grafonola" nameplate.
Reginaphones are prized by collectors around the world.
Reginaphone Style 171
Housed in a serpentine, solid mahogany cabinet, this plays 12.25” music box disks, and is fitted with an outside horn for playing phonograph records. The music box is of the renowned “short bed plate” design, thus producing loud and resonant music. Only 172 of these are known to have been made, and rarely available for purchase as they tend to stay in collections for generations.
#342
“Lion’s Head” Reginaphone
One of the most desirable of all Reginas is this Style 240, with hand-carved lions at the front, curved sliding sound doors, and an overall elegant, unique appearance. Besides playing size 15.5” disks, it will also easily change over to play 78-rpm records. This breathtaking, mahogany, example was fully restored recently and plays and looks like it came from the factory 110+ years ago.
You can watch a video by clicking here: Reginaphone 240 Video
#334
Reginaphone Style 139 & Base Cabinet
An absolutely fantastic Reginaphone Style 139, in a mahogany serpentine-shaped case with "ventilated" cupola style lid, allowing full volume and resonance of the music box to be heard even when closed.
Plays 20.75" disks, which can be conveniently stored in the matching, original base cabinet.
With mahogany horn, this is the very best example of this style that we have ever seen, appearing and playing just how it would have 110+ years ago when it left the factory. Every aspect of this instrument is virtually flawless... none finer!
#312
