Coin-operated music boxes and player pianos were the first forms of automated coin-operated musical devices. These devices used to play a musical selection on an actual instrument, or on several actual instruments, enclosed within the device. In the 1890s, these devices were joined by machines which used recordings instead of actual physical instruments. Wallboxes were an important, and profitable, part of any jukebox installation. Serving as a remote control, they enabled patrons to select tunes from their table or booth.