Ancient Martin repair question(s)

Hi Frank - I read with great interest your article on the restoration of your 1887 Martin parlor guitar. I recently inherited a very similar model, with very similar (though not so severe) issues (it too was strung with steel, and improperly stored for awhile). I'm in NYC, and had thought to drive out to Nazareth,PA to ask the folks at Martin about repairing my guitar. It's occurred to me though that, as with cars, the dealership isn't necessarily the best place to haul your beloved heirloom for rehab. Have any readers had good/bad experiences with the Martin repair dept?
As an aside, I'm a professional furniture maker/restorer, and was interested to see familiar techniques applied to very different ends. Really love the site and forum - thanks for the public service!