Posted by js on January 04, 2003 at 22:44:47:
In Reply to: identifying a Mirafone 188 posted by Richard Cox on January 03, 2003 at 11:25:32:
The knowledge that a 188 has a fatter bell and bows doesn't help you, because this speaks in reference to the model 186 (and, of course you have no 186 on hand for comparison).
The easiest way to know "for sure" is to measure the overall top-to-bottom length of the instrument. Though the 188 is fatter around in the large body parts, the overall length (from bell rim to bow keel) of the 188 is shorter than that of the 186. The Miraphone website should give you the top-to-bottom lengths of the two different models.