In boat building, where lives depend on the successful outcome of the joinery, a scarf is generally thought strong enough if it has a 5 to 1 aspect ratio. On a top 1/8" thick then, the scarf need to be 5/8" long. This is not all that hard to achieve if one has skill with sharp tools. Because the "hole" is entirely under the bridge, a scarf cut on the inside would be entirely invisible, at the risk of repeating unnecessarily what Howard already said.
I rarely find anything about John Arnold or his work that I disagree with, and I do think his repair concept should work well, but it is a band aid, and the scarf that Howard and I have described is closer to true restoration, and has the added advantage that it would absolutely perform more like the original guitar. For me, performance is the main thing. Nothing wrong with John's/Paul's method, it is just not ideal, especially on a rare and stunningly expensive guitar such as this one.
Kind of like putting Bondo on an irreplaceable vintage Bugatti, it looks okay, but it isn't going to cut it at the Concours d'Elegance.
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