Rog,  
can you phone me up?
0049-211-41854413
 
Oliver

Oliver's idea is BRILLIANT.
 
If you want it a little less symmetrical, you could also have the longer ones on the E and A strings, and the shorter ones on the D and G.

For what its worth, I also really like Oliver's idea; short and long. Perhaps they could be positioned in a slightly staggered fashion to echo the trailing edge of the claw. Also like the wooden mock-up from Mica's post of 10/27. So many things to think about, but at least these are pleasant conundrums ;-)

Here's another hair-brained thought...expanding on Oliver's idea, could the ends be tapered to look like a dragon's talons?
 
I also like Adriaan's suggestion of a modified, half-moon tailpiece.

I like the dragon talon idea. You could merge the Entiwistle tailpiece and the dragon idea by doing that. Maybe make little dragon talons on the end with wood they have lying around. Of course its not my money or effort building this.

Here's some pictures that may clear a few things up:  

 1.54 inches available space.  

 1.43 inches available space  

 crammed to the block route, the hanging Spyder tailpiece. I don't think we can make an individual tailpiece with two anchor screws (required) in this small available space.  Not that we don't usually like the tailpiece smashed  right against the bridgeblock so the practical space available is about a 1/4 inch less.  The bottom center scallop is so near to symmetrical that a symmetrical tailpiece that stays close to the edge will probably look crooked.    With just over a tenth of an inch difference between the two sides, I'm afraid that staggered length tailpieces will look more like a mistake.   My vote is for the Dragon Wing tailpiece. I think it's the least distracting of any of the choices so far since it echoes the shape of the body and doesn't look like something just stuck on it. But that's just my opinion.  The finished tailpiece will have the slope like the bird (when viewed from the edge), the mock up is for footprint only.

You can always trust Mica for a scientific, balanced view of things!  :-)  
 
By the Dragon's Wing tailpiece Mica, are you referring to the MDF mock-up?
 
(Message edited by rogertvr on October 29, 2003)

P.S.  Mica
 
That picture Oliver has published of one of John's basses - how much would that cost to build?