Greetings, I am currently working on a project that involves the conservation and reconstruction of instruments, in particular those of the violin family. There is, of course, much information on techniques, etc. for preserving these instruments so that is not a concern. My question,then, concerns the changes in the instrument's tone due to treatments. While everyone likes to see a "pretty" violin, should a conservator be more concerned with the violin's sound than appearance? Since museum patrons are not going to pick up that Strad in the case and play it, perhaps appearance is more important? I'm very interested in everyone's opinion! Thanks, Micki Weltzin