19/07/2026
I’m often asked what’s the difference between our musical movements and why such a vast price difference and what the note numbers mean.
The one on the right is the pretty standard 18 note movement , more mass produced mostly by machine and the one on the left is the 37 note more individually made.
The note size is the number of teeth (or tines) it has on the metal comb that actually makes the sound. I appreciate it can be confusing but this doesn’t mean you can only have 18 or 37 notes played. The actual musical scale will always be less as fast repeating notes will often need 2 sometimes 3 of those tines tunes to the same note.
Trying to pluck the same tooth too fast ends up in a terrible buzzing noise. A small thin nylon piece called a damper under the tooth is fitted to eliminate this to soften and stop it vibrating before it’s plucked again as much as possible but can only do so much, so really fast repeats still need another tooth.
With an 18 note it usually means we can only use a scale of maybe 12 to 14 notes using a few tuned to the same for those quick staccatos.
But each will be plucked numerous times during the cylinder revolution.
The 18 note is small and can only give around 12 to 18 seconds before repeating. The 37 note is much larger so can give twice that and around 28 to 30 note range allowing for the fast repeating notes tuned the same.
We also do 50 notes that have around 45 to 50 seconds play time before repeating.
The 18 note is usually made with a pressed cylinder so the master is made and then production stock punched out flat then rolled into the cylinder . The 37 note is always pinned, no mass production , hence the much higher cost.
Occasionally we do make the 18 note also with a properly pinned cylinder but is a much higher cost option but is nicer quality with the traditional look and slightly finer sound.
