>...I might also point out that "restoration" for museum usage is by no >means the same as "restoration" for someone who fully intends to use an >instrument in the home or otherwise. While we pick at the meaning of words >we need to be mindfull of contexts and situations in order to put language >into meaningfull perspective... >Richard Brekne Ironically, Richard, your comments support the difference between restoration and rebuilding, as there most assuredly is a difference, and a significant one at that. I am in full agreement with Robert Moffait, who knows what he is saying. Equally, Edward Swenson, RPT, a master of piano restoration at a Toronto Convention in 1987 cleared that matter up for me, once and for all. Regardless of the context or situation, the words represent two different means to achieve an end result in piano work. A fully functioning instrument capable of being used, admired, displayed, etc.. Poaching an egg is not the same as frying an egg. You can pick all you want about contexts and situations, and the meanings of words, but the two methods, restoration and rebuilding, are entirely different with a common end result of use. Restoration of a piano is to keep the parts as original as possible at all costs, so much so that even a trained eye would have a difficult time telling such work was done at all. Exhausting work and documentation Rebuilding a piano constitutes replacement of parts in a major way, and a trained eye would know that such work had been performed. Please understand this, I am not addressing the issue as to what degree of replacement of parts constitutes partial versus total rebuilding, and all that falls in between. There will be some who refuse to accept this reality of different terminology, but regardless, it doesn't change the truth about it whatsoever. Antares understood that completely, and acknowledged such without hesitation. That says a lot for his personage. Keith McGavern Registered Piano Technician Oklahoma Chapter 731 Piano Technicians Guild USA
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