****************************************************** PR # 31138 The X-ray emissions from X-ray faint early-type galaxies can be fit e qually well (i) by a two-temperature solar abundance model with a Ve ry Soft Component (VSC) and a hard component (ii) by a one-temperatu re model with near zero abundance. A 60 ksec pointing of the standar d elliptical galaxy NGC 3379 can clearly establish or rule out the i mportance of the VSC in a normal elliptical galaxy. The SB0 galaxy N GC 3384 is in the same ASCA field of view so the VSC hypothesis can be tested independently on two early-type galaxies simultaneously. D ue to NGC 3379s proximity we will get the highest spectral and spati al resolution of an archetypical elliptical galaxy attainable with A SCA; giving clues to X-ray emission mechanisms in early-type galaxies in general: Stellar and/or g ******************************************************