MichaelP wrote:
Guest wrote:
I think so. It's a 1940's Martin Style 3, and there's a lot of it. It looks like the polish has discoloured it.
Sure it is not Ivory
You are doing a restoration. First rule on a restoration is change or replace only what absolutely has to be replaced to insure the functionality and survivability of the instrument. If the binding is not falling off I would not mess with it. you will keep a higher auction/resale and or insurance value by leaving in the most original state as possible That includes crazed finish and cracked but in place binding. If cracked but intact leave them. If small pieces are falling off then re-glue them in place and fill as need with like material.
What ever you end up doing don't try to hide your restoration work as in try to conceal. It is more ethical to see what has been replaced than to try to conceal it.
I seem to be spending my whole OLF time recently agreeing with Michael!
I do restoration work on historic instruments (back to the 16th century) and the golden rule when doing restoration work on any historic (or potentially so) or valuable instrument is, as Michael says, to do as little work as possible to make the instrument stable and, if required, playable. Do not remove any original part of the instrument that is not absolutely necessary, do make any resoration completely reversible by future restorers, and obvious, by that I mean do not stain new wood to make it look old. Museum standard restoration should not try to fool anyone into thinking it is part of the original. Me, I'd just leave the yellowed binding, alone.
Colin
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