sharps

[Jerry]

I've been reading this list for some time and am already greatly in debt to you all for
the wealth of information I've gleaned. This is my first post, and I hope someone out
there can help me get out of a really sticky situation.

I have a customer with a Baldwin L (late 1980's vintage) on which several sharps were
chipped by careless movers. I ordered replacements from Baldwin, but they've changed
styles since this instrument was built and the ones they sent were a different color
and a little shorter than the originals. Obvious solution: replace the whole set. I
ordered a set.

Meanwhile the customer (this is an insurance claim) decided he would not settle for
anything less than the original color & size. All the sharps I can find are 3 3/4 in
long at the base, the originals are just slightly longer (maybe 1/16 in). I found what I
was looking for on an older Yamaha C1 and ordered a set from Yamaha. You guessed it,
they're different now too. Yamaha says the might be able to get the longer ones from
Japan but it would take months even if they're available.

Do any of you know where I can get these longer older sharps? At this point no option
is too extreme. HELP!!