Effects of Repairs and Finishes

We are aware of the rumors pertaining to the effects of the restoration process on musical instruments and we do acknowledge that, in some cases, the rumors are fact based. The techniques applied by some repair shops will have a negative effect on the instrument as "thinning out" of the materials can occur. These poor techniques are what has, in some circles, given musical instrument restoration a bad reputation. Many shops will “thin out” an instrument during the restoration process, by either filing away imperfections or over-buffing the brass. We do not believe in removing every imperfection in the brass of an instrument to achieve a perfect restoration result. We would much rather preserve the integrity of an instrument by removing dents and scratches as much as possible, which in most cases is not a problem. In the event an instrument has a weak area or an area which has sustained a severe crease or gouge, the finished product is likely to have a minor scar upon its completion. We do our best to deliver a completed project of mechanical and aesthetic excellence.

There is also the aspect of what we call the "freeing-up" of an instrument, which is to be considered. Most every instrument that comes across our bench for restoration has, at one time or another, been dented, twisted or damaged in some way. Even though, in some cases, the damage is very slight or has been repaired, there still remains varying degrees of "stress" at all brace solder points. This stress or tension does affect the resonant qualities and responsiveness of the instrument. While in the process of restoration these "brace solder points" are unsoldered and then ultimately re-soldered in a relaxed/stress free condition. The player will often notice an improvement in the resonant qualities and responsiveness upon playing their restored instrument.

Another consideration is the fact that most instruments in need of restoration most likely have some level of corrosive build-up, which has formed in the bore of the instrument. Once again, while in the restoration process, all corrosion is removed by our Ultrasonic Cleaning System, specifically designed to clean the inside bore of the entire instrument. Once this process is completed the player will notice a change in the resistance factor, based on the absence of this corrosion obstruction.

The final issue tends to be a more ambiguous one, as an exact definition of sound timbres depends greatly on individual opinions. What one calls or hears as a bright sound, another will many times have a conflicting opinion. We have had some professional musicians, throughout our years of service in the music industry, express that silver plating has "brightened, darkened, made more resonant, dampened", and a range of descriptions in between, their instrument's "sound and response or projection". After all has been said and done, we tend to agree with the majority of professional musicians and have to conclude that there is no real discernable overall changes to a musical instrument's characteristic sound production based on the application of any one type of finish.