Posted by Joe S. on January 13, 2000 at 10:20:36:
In Reply to: Re: any Miraphone 188's out there? posted by Dale on January 13, 2000 at 03:23:25:
After the main tuning slide, the model 188 is significantly fatter than the 186. They both end up with 17 3/4" ending, but even the bell itself is significantly fatter on the 188. The 186 indeed does now end up with a 17 3/4" bell, but Miraphone just kept the original 186 bell taper (on the 186 model) and brought the large end of it out from 16 1/2" to 17 3/4".
The bell, bottom bow, 1st branch, 2nd branch, third branch, fourth branch, and fifth branch are all fatter on the model 188 CC.
If Meinl Weston took their model 2145 and extended the bell flair to 20", of course it would not be exactly like a model 2165 - just because the valve section and bell diameter would measure the same. The analogy applies to the Miraphone 186 vs. 188 question.
I gave up on prevailing in that discussion months ago because "whoever" (don't remember who) was very insistant that the 186 and 188 were the same, and because I knew that they absolutely were not, because I have owned both models.