I have a small Swiss musical box my grandfather bought in Grindelwald
in 1894.  It still has a key and will play its three tunes, but it
has been trodden on at some time and the case is distorted and dirty.
I wouldn't want it ever changed just so long as it worked.

Pianos are a different game.  The finest restoration I know (although
it's not my favourite instrument) is the oldest known working Duo-Art
Steinway grand.  For many years it was carted around London by Rex
Lawson and Jonathan Backhouse who used it to give public recitals.
Then, it had a black-brown case with reticulated varnish and gouges
in the side.

Denis Hall took it over, had the case refinished and did one of those
restorations where he takes the stack apart five times to get the
primary valve clearance just right (seems to be 0.033", if I remember
aright).  Worse, he fitted a hammer-lift action and pneumatic, which
it never had.  (The soft pedal shifts the keyboard.)

I think it's superb.  A Duo-Art that's probably better than it was
new, both to look at and to listen to.  I approve.

Why ?  There are still many dozens of non-working Duo-Art Steinways to
be had, which need rescuing.  Time enough and room enough for some of
them to have "non-new" restorations done.

Denis's piano will be famous and different for having been Denis's
piano, after all.

Dan Wilson