When I acquired an 1820's J & H Meacham 5 keyed clarinet (quite an early example of American clarinet making) recently I contacted the curator of one of the worlds finest collections of musical instruments as to whether I should "restore" it for performance purposes or maintain it in the condition in which I purchased it. The response I received put my fears to rest. It was suggested that I carefully document and store anything I remove from the instrument and only do "restoration" that was reversable and then it was quite acceptable to play the instrument. I had a reproduction mouthpiece made and I have kept pads etc. that I replaced. There are many performers that use original early instruments. I believe that as long as we document what we find it makes more sense to use these items as they are intended. That way we find out more about them! Yes there is always the risk of damage. Witness the historic aircraft recently restored and then crashed into Elliot Bay in Seattle. (yep, it is going to be rebuilt again!) Personally I believe in living history wherever possible. Nothing gives me more of a thrill than to see a Lancaster or Spitfire in flight or to see an old MG braving the roads. Nothing turns heads more either! Lawrence Bradley, Tacoma, WA