Well, I don't know whether it will help but I just sent Senator Byrd of West Virgina a note about this issue asking that he find some way to get it into the Smithsonian. Senator Byrd is a fiddle player himself and is likely to care about the cultural heritage this instrument represents.

As long as Senator Byrd doesn't learn that I sometimes have Internet conversations with Bobert, maybe we've got a chance.

      - Mark