Lynn Travers asked: "So if I have it fixed, is it still a 3Rensho?"
I have a sweet Ed Litton built in 1994. It has had a couple of tubes replaced at different times. Since Ed did the repair work I think it's safe to still call it an Ed Litton.
Why not send your 3Rensho to Makino-san for the repair? Or, more conveniently, you could send it off to Yamaguchi-san in Rifle, Colorado, just a few hundred miles from you. There's a decent chance he built your frame in the first place, and you won't have to worry about an Italian/Japanese tube mix - Koichi will use True Temper! BTW, his prices are very reasonable, and I'm surprised he doesn't get mentioned on the list more often.
Dave Ross
Portola Valley, CA USA