Instrument restoration

[John Bertotti]

I'm assuming this is a lot more involved then a repair on a newer instrument. What are the main points of a restoration? Some things are obviously going to change but what is allowed before the instrument is considered altered and no longer as desirable/ collectible? This may be a lot to ask so imagining the same rules would apply to most fretted instruments, are there any books covering the do's and don'ts. I'm interested in the whole process from repairs to finish restoration. I don't need the finer points of how to accomplish it right now just the broader scope of what is and isn't acceptable. Thanks all John http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

[Eugene]

I would say the minimum to make a thing functional is a laudible goal. Any restoration has the potential to diminish value, but if minimal and with a constant eye to the original materials and methods of the builder, this depreciation should also be minimal. For example, removing finish and replacing with non-original material could half the value of an instrument. However, retouching original French polished shellac with well-matched, professionally-executed French polishing shouldn't touch the value at all.

[Bob A]

I'm not aware of any texts on the subject; that in itself doesn't mean they don't exist.

A lot depends on the instrument. A rabid collector would prefer to see an instrument in a condition as near as possible to the state it left the original luthier or factory. Any pasrts that would have been removed should be replaced with originals, as far as possible. Of course, this can be carried to ridiculous extremes.

Things that wear in normal use, like frets, can be replaced. There is some concern that current production fretwire is not available in the same shape, size and material as was originally used. This leads to such things as mining old banjo necks for frets, or tha reshaping by hand of fretwire to match what is in place on the instrument.

As Eugene mentioned, refinishing can cut value by 50%. This is so even if it is done with the same material as original. An instrument of some age that looks showroom-new might be so; it might also have been buffed up, which is not a good thing.

I have a National duolian on which the fretboard was replaced. The board is now ebony instead of mysterywood, and the fretting was done in such a way as to correct the intonation problems inherent in the original. Does this make it more valuable? Less? Certainly it's more playable, but I suspect its value has suffered.

There are also differing views on whether the goal of this effort is to return an instrument to functionality, or to preserve it in a state as close as possible to the original. Do we end up with a player, or an object in a museum case? There are points for both sides. Some want to hear it played. Some think that preventing deterioration but leaving it as close to the original state and material is of the essence, so it can be studied by people interested in the materials and methods of the original maker.

You would be well advised to chat with folks in the conservation department of a decent museum. They might provide some interesting ideas on the philosophy of conservation. This is not to say that you'll necessarily be working on museum pieces, but the insights provided might be worthwhile. They'll certainly help you see the broader scope, and perhaps point you toward further info sources.

[AlanN]

Steve Gilchrist restored my F-5 to original specs. Did it diminish its value? Maybe, maybe not, considering the mandolin's state before Gilchrist did his magic. Do I care? No, I don't.

[sunburst]

What is and isn't acceptable changes with time to some extent, so the do's and dont's in a book, if there was one, may no longer apply.
Wear points; frets, bridges, nuts, etc. need to be changed from time to time on any instrument that is played, so replacement doesn't affect value greatly.
A non-original part like a bridge or tuners has no affect if the original is kept with the instrument. (Mandolin bridges, that is. Guitar bridges are glued.)

The rule of thumb is to fix only what needs to be fixed, change or modify as little as possible, use only appropriate glues and finishes, and when in doubt, check with a bunch of experts for a consensus of opinion.

[Jim Garber]

As others have so wisely noted, it is a matter of degree. I have had the honor of witnessing the dissembled parts of two real Stradivari violins and noted that if originality were an issue then these would have been moderately low on that issue. The tops had been regraduated and necks redone, fingeroards and other parts replaced to make them workable for modern players. If they were pre-CBS Fender Strats they would go for much less than the high price. On the other hand, the criteria are different, usually market based.

Jim

[Luthier]

....just a side note, for what it is worth, I think it takes as much (if not more) craftsmanship to repair and restore as it does to build one from the ground up. #Any builder, seasoned or unseasoned, will tell you they have made mistakes from time to time when they have built or restored. #It is a natural part of the learning curve. #The skill comes in fixing those mistakes, and learning how not to make the same mistake again. #
Dan Erlwiene had a book out in 1990 called Guitar Player #Repair Guide which gives lots of great information applicable to other instruments as well as the guitar. #Frets.com is also a great source for information.

Don