The explanation of the terms listed below refer to their usage in the field of Mechanical Music. Many of the descriptions are from the book The Golden Age of Automatic Musical Instruments by MBSI member Arthur A. Reblitz, published by the Mechanical Music Press, Woodsville, New Hampshire; copyright 2001. They are used here with permission of the author and publisher. Permission is granted for writers to use a limited number of brief excerpts provided credit is given to the MBSI web site, the title of the original work and the author. Written permission is required for all other uses. German nouns and words that are also names of places are capitalized.
Quatuor
Cylinder music box in which the music is arranged with four distinct musical parts. Many quatuor boxes have four separate combs.
Quintadenta Pipe
A stopped metal flute pipe which produces a third harmonic which is nearly as loud as the fundamental. Widely used in mortuary organs, photoplayers, pipe organs, and very large European orchestrions.