At Universal Restorations we believe that almost every instrument is salvageable, part of our job is to determine whether or not an instrument SHOULD be salvaged. Most of the time we find that we tend to be for more liberal than most - that is to say we find ourselves in a position to REPAIR AND RESTORE INSTRUMENTS THAT OTHERS HAVE DECLARED BEYOND HOPE. Determining factors in deciding if an instrument should be restored are the musical needs and the resources of the instrument's owners. We often discover that dollar for dollar, pound for pound, restoration is a more cost effective solution than replacement. Not always, but often. Universal Restorations is involved in both, so we do not have a vested interest in "selling" one as opposed to the other. Other factors involved are historical value and the uniqueness of an instrument. It is typically well worth salvaging something that simply cannot be recreated in any practical way in modern times. To that end, if Universal Restorations may be said to have a specialty, it is preserving instruments that hearken from antiquity while making those same instruments practical and useful for today's players.