The Best Music Box of 2023

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Great GiftIf you’re looking for a gift for your mother or wife, this music box with a loving message is sure to please.

Great GiftIf you’re looking for a gift for your mother or wife, this music box with a loving message is sure to please.

Fun Design OptionsIntricate designs make this hand crank-style music box with exquisite sound a true conversation starter.

Fun Design OptionsIntricate designs make this hand crank-style music box with exquisite sound a true conversation starter.

Fun and UniqueThis music box is perfect for the movie lover in your life, with soundtrack and holiday-themed options.

Fun and UniqueThis music box is perfect for the movie lover in your life, with soundtrack and holiday-themed options.

Precise MovementMade from high-quality materials, this music box is lightweight and durable with precise movement.

Precise MovementMade from high-quality materials, this music box is lightweight and durable with precise movement.

Music boxes were a high-tech item when they were first introduced in the 18th century, allowing users to listen to automated music. Today's music boxes don't work much differently than the first ones, but they’ve become a novelty item that offers nostalgia to some and are a curiosity to others.

Music boxes use a metal cylinder that rotates as a spring or a hand crank moves it. Pins protrude from the cylinder, and those pins strike prongs on a steel comb as the cylinder moves. When the pins make that strike, the prongs vibrate, which causes the tunes that emit from the music box. Short prongs make higher notes, while longer prongs make lower notes.

They may not be as popular as they were when first introduced, but there's definitely a unique retro feel to them. They make great gifts, especially for younger generations who may not have seen them before. They come in a variety of sizes and shapes with different themes and are made from various materials.

Another thing that can make music boxes highly giftable is how customizable they can be. This starts with the choice of music. You’ll find tunes you’ve never heard, tunes from familiar movies and TV shows and well-known classical songs. If a loved one has a favorite song, a music box that plays that tune could be a big hit.

The look and feel of the music box is another way to customize a gift. Various types of wood are available, and some versions come in bright colors as well as neutrals. You can get one that features a sentimental quote or a poignant message, making them great for expressing your feelings for a loved one.

Of course, you might be buying a music box for yourself. If so, you can find one that fits your own personal style or matches your décor. For a music box that's designed to store jewelry, check to make sure it's the right size for all your valuables.

Carved by hand, this palm-sized wooden music box features an engraved message that makes it the perfect gift. You can choose from different messages designed for family members. The box plays music once it's hand-cranked.

This mini music box features wood with an attractive vintage design. Choose one of several different melodies and kick off the music by turning the hand crank. A variety of designs and colors will fit your tastes no matter what they are.

Choose from a variety of popular screen classics with this small music box. The attractive wood and detailed carving make it a classy and cute addition to any décor. The sound mechanism operates with the use of an old-fashioned hand crank.

Fans of "The Wizard of Oz" will love this music box, which plays "Over the Rainbow." It's made from high-quality wood, and the parts are designed for precision. A small size and lightweight build makes it a nice little token you can take with you.

Featuring bright colors and a spinning "dancer," this music box is a great gift for a child. The interior is lined in a soft velvet material to keep items from scratches. The exterior is crafted from pine fiberboard and measures 6 by 4.25 by 3.3 inches.

Music boxes were a high-tech item when they were first introduced in the 18th century, allowing users to listen to automated music. Today's music boxes don't work much differently than the first ones, but they’ve become a novelty item that offers nostalgia to some and are a curiosity to others.

Music boxes use a metal cylinder that rotates as a spring or a hand crank moves it. Pins protrude from the cylinder, and those pins strike prongs on a steel comb as the cylinder moves. When the pins make that strike, the prongs vibrate, which causes the tunes that emit from the music box. Short prongs make higher notes, while longer prongs make lower notes.

They may not be as popular as they were when first introduced, but there's definitely a unique retro feel to them. They make great gifts, especially for younger generations who may not have seen them before. They come in a variety of sizes and shapes with different themes and are made from various materials.

Another thing that can make music boxes highly giftable is how customizable they can be. This starts with the choice of music. You’ll find tunes you’ve never heard, tunes from familiar movies and TV shows and well-known classical songs. If a loved one has a favorite song, a music box that plays that tune could be a big hit.

The look and feel of the music box is another way to customize a gift. Various types of wood are available, and some versions come in bright colors as well as neutrals. You can get one that features a sentimental quote or a poignant message, making them great for expressing your feelings for a loved one.

Of course, you might be buying a music box for yourself. If so, you can find one that fits your own personal style or matches your décor. For a music box that's designed to store jewelry, check to make sure it's the right size for all your valuables.

Long before smartwatches were invented, people used mechanical watches to tell time. These devices wound with a spring, then unwound over the course of a day to keep time. The wind-up music boxes still sold today operate on a similar concept.

So, it's likely no surprise that music boxes were inspired by the work of clockmakers. In earlier centuries, bells were inserted into clocks to alert people to the time. Some would chime at the start of the hour, for instance, or at one specific time of the day. It was this chime that inspired two German inventors to make music using the same technology.

The timeline of the invention of music boxes varies depending on which source you give credence to, but according to some, Hasler and Heinlien gave Emperor Rudolf II with an automatic musical clock in 1601. Around 1750, Pierre Jaquet-Droz created the first musical clocks. And in late 1700s Switzerland, a watchmaker from Geneva named Favre is usually given credit for the first cylindrical music box with a metal comb and tuned teeth.

The invention, of course, led to other sound innovations, including the first interchangeable circular disc music box, the Symphonion, from German Paul Lochmann. In the same era, the invention of the phonograph — credited to Thomas Edison in 1877 — soon changed things up.

Stephanie Faris is a novelist and professional writer. She lives in a beautiful one-acre home in the suburbs on the outskirts of Nashville. Her home and garden work has appeared on popular home sites. She's a true homebody and loves looking at new houses for sale for inspiration on her own home remodeling projects.

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