Selection of Thorens Manivelles
Latest News
AMBC Meetings
At the Committee Meeting held on 24th May the AMBC Committee agreed a new structure which you can find here.
We hope that this structure will enable us to run more meetings than of late, and to build bridges with MBSGB.
To that end, we can announce that on 23rd August there will be a meeting at Coultershaw Heritage Site, Nr Petworth, with member of The Musical Box Society of Great Britain (MGSGB) invited to join us for the day.
On 18th September, members are invited to a meeting at The Chairman's house in Rochester.
Detailed arrangements, including timing and addresses / directions etc. will be emailed to all UK members with email.
Members without email will be notified in the preceding issue of Mechanical Music World.
Added, June 2025
We hope that this structure will enable us to run more meetings than of late, and to build bridges with MBSGB.
To that end, we can announce that on 23rd August there will be a meeting at Coultershaw Heritage Site, Nr Petworth, with member of The Musical Box Society of Great Britain (MGSGB) invited to join us for the day.
On 18th September, members are invited to a meeting at The Chairman's house in Rochester.
Detailed arrangements, including timing and addresses / directions etc. will be emailed to all UK members with email.
Members without email will be notified in the preceding issue of Mechanical Music World.
Added, June 2025
Mechanical Musc World Editors
From May 2025, the task of editing the quarterly Mechanical Music World Journal of AMBC has transferred from David & Lesley Evans to David Soulsby. The Our Editors page has been updated accordingly.
Added, June 2025
Added, June 2025
Mechanical music Auction - 17th & 18th October 2025
One, two, three times an auction!
Presenting the third outing of this fully inclusive, popular and enjoyable Mechanical Music and Social-Meet event at Eastbourne, it features a very wide array of items to be offered at the rostrum and a chance to stay in comfort at the Langham Hotel on the famous Victorian seafront, to be held over 17th-18th October.
With a great shortage of dedicated auctions for our passion remaining in the UK, this event is focussed on getting people together, across all societies, welcoming all individuals, to meet, talk, listen to and enjoy the fruits of the automatic music world.
Just like 2023 and '24, the sections will comprise of phonographs and gramophones, pneumatic instruments, automata and singing birds, books and other literature, advertising, workshop parts, all types of musical box including snuffboxes, fine and early vertu examples, retro and novelty boxes and if that's not enough, everything in-between. To garnish proceedings, there's even a couple of talks, a small organ concert and a free raffle planned. It really is a full house of mechanical music enjoyment.
Laurence Fisher directs this event from start to finish and consignments are welcome all-year round for the event. From single pieces to whole collections, space is not a problem!
With a super low selling fee of just 15% with no VAT charged, both sellers and buyers can be assured of a fair deal.
Contact Laurence for more information on [email protected] or better still, pick up the phone and dial 07704 779 603.
Eastbourne and Laurence await you with open arms.
Laurence Fisher
07704 779 603
Website: www.lfisherconsultancy.co.uk
Added April 2025
Presenting the third outing of this fully inclusive, popular and enjoyable Mechanical Music and Social-Meet event at Eastbourne, it features a very wide array of items to be offered at the rostrum and a chance to stay in comfort at the Langham Hotel on the famous Victorian seafront, to be held over 17th-18th October.
With a great shortage of dedicated auctions for our passion remaining in the UK, this event is focussed on getting people together, across all societies, welcoming all individuals, to meet, talk, listen to and enjoy the fruits of the automatic music world.
Just like 2023 and '24, the sections will comprise of phonographs and gramophones, pneumatic instruments, automata and singing birds, books and other literature, advertising, workshop parts, all types of musical box including snuffboxes, fine and early vertu examples, retro and novelty boxes and if that's not enough, everything in-between. To garnish proceedings, there's even a couple of talks, a small organ concert and a free raffle planned. It really is a full house of mechanical music enjoyment.
Laurence Fisher directs this event from start to finish and consignments are welcome all-year round for the event. From single pieces to whole collections, space is not a problem!
With a super low selling fee of just 15% with no VAT charged, both sellers and buyers can be assured of a fair deal.
Contact Laurence for more information on [email protected] or better still, pick up the phone and dial 07704 779 603.
Eastbourne and Laurence await you with open arms.
Laurence Fisher
07704 779 603
Website: www.lfisherconsultancy.co.uk
Added April 2025
Dates for your diary
Click the heading to see the dates of Mechanical Music Events that we know about.
Send us an email if you know of any that are not on the list.
Send us an email if you know of any that are not on the list.
SPECIAL MECHANICAL MUSIC AUCTION and SOCIAL MEET-UP - UPDATE
The auction took place on 19th October 2024 at The Langham Hotel's West Dene Suite
43-49 Royal Parade, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN22 7AH
There were 161 lots and 3 for sale by Private Treaty
Click here to view and download the full 82 page catalogue
Click here for an updated list of the auction results as at 6th November
If anyone wishes to purchase a lot shown as Pass please contact Laurence to discuss
43-49 Royal Parade, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN22 7AH
There were 161 lots and 3 for sale by Private Treaty
Click here to view and download the full 82 page catalogue
Click here for an updated list of the auction results as at 6th November
If anyone wishes to purchase a lot shown as Pass please contact Laurence to discuss
For all questions and information, please contact Laurence Fisher on 07704 779 603 (+447704 779 603 if non-UK)
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.lfisherconsultancy.co.uk
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.lfisherconsultancy.co.uk
Below are some images taken at the 2024 viewing on Saturday morning
AMBC at RHI Open Day
Five members took various mechanical musical instruments to the Royal Horological Institute's Open Day in Caterham, Surrey, on 5th October2024.
Musical Box Fun Facts
Canadian restorer Darren J Wallace writes ...
Fun, maybe useless, facts!
Musical box terminology wasn’t quite what we perceive today.
Many manufacturers referred to comb teeth as “tongues”.
Music box discs were referred to as “tune sheets”.
Even Capital “cuffs” were originally referred to as “tune cylinders” in their original advertisements.
Governors in both cylinder and disc box nomenclature were often referred to as “flywheels”.
Coin-op boxes were called “….with coin slot attachment”, and lastly, some manufacturers referred to their combs as “keyboards”.
All of this found in original printed matter from original makers and manufacturers.
Perhaps you have seen terminology used in original nomenclature that I have not mentioned (?)
Do let us know if you have any similar facts to share. Ed
Fun, maybe useless, facts!
Musical box terminology wasn’t quite what we perceive today.
Many manufacturers referred to comb teeth as “tongues”.
Music box discs were referred to as “tune sheets”.
Even Capital “cuffs” were originally referred to as “tune cylinders” in their original advertisements.
Governors in both cylinder and disc box nomenclature were often referred to as “flywheels”.
Coin-op boxes were called “….with coin slot attachment”, and lastly, some manufacturers referred to their combs as “keyboards”.
All of this found in original printed matter from original makers and manufacturers.
Perhaps you have seen terminology used in original nomenclature that I have not mentioned (?)
Do let us know if you have any similar facts to share. Ed
Our website rebuild is ongoing as we endeavour to bring you more information.
We have added a Tune Library for Cylinder Boxes, but need more tunes. Do you have any good recordings to share?
The latest addition are two supplements to Paul Bellamy's Cylinder Musical Box Tune Sheet book that some of you may have purchased. We will be adding further supplements as time goes on.
If you notice anything wrong, or you can't find what you're looking for or with to contribute, please get in touch
We have added a Tune Library for Cylinder Boxes, but need more tunes. Do you have any good recordings to share?
The latest addition are two supplements to Paul Bellamy's Cylinder Musical Box Tune Sheet book that some of you may have purchased. We will be adding further supplements as time goes on.
If you notice anything wrong, or you can't find what you're looking for or with to contribute, please get in touch
Memories of a Founder Member
Founder member Chris Fynes passed away early in 2023 and is sadly missed by many.
We have added a page dedicated to Chris which contains a brief outline of his life, written by his son Justin, plus a short article about his work with the BBC and his passion for Musical Boxes. Read more ...
We have added a page dedicated to Chris which contains a brief outline of his life, written by his son Justin, plus a short article about his work with the BBC and his passion for Musical Boxes. Read more ...