Perhaps some future merchant or MT item could add sockets to instruments that allowed the addition of hafaltu-veined kuldaez crystals, from Mystical Machinations (lorewise, for those not familiar, these crystals protect the spellbooks they are embedded in from damage by snow or rain)? Even as a non-Bard, I would likely pay handsomely to add that feature to my one favorite non-metal/glass instrument (and by "handsomely", I mean less than $10. My handsome is pretty humble, sorry. :D).

~Aislynn