I think this is the real challenge…what can you replace without turning it into something new. I have an ex with a 300-year-old instrument that she plays in concert regularly that has been turned inside out a few times. In fact, the luthiers we’ve gone to talk about the changes across the continents and they know the revision histories of how things have changed. I’ve been surprised when we’ve brought other people’s instruments in for evaluation to the master in the field and he’s been able to tell us where it’s been and identify craftsmen by changes based on the technique. I was amazed at seeing how throwing in a fiber optic cable he was able to identify that a change was made at a specific time based on the type of lamination technique.
So pretty much, other than the layman, the actual artists know the history and know that the changes are as important as the origin.
