Until recently, the restorer's craft had not advanced to the point where any part of an instrument can be saved. Replacing top and back plates was common in the case of a heavily damaged part. Many, many fiddles can be found now with questionable parts. These days you can easily exceed the value of an instrument in restoration costs. When a bass is shop-made and its value is not particularly high, you make different decisions than you would with a hand-made master instrument. You make a judgment about the potential value vs. repair costs. And in some cases, the original parts are so badly made, or the material so poor, or the condition so terrible, or the original part long-gone, that there is no alternative. Personally, I believe that a commercial shop bass that has been re-topped by a master maker has gained in value.
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