So my CCG Mini Pillar arrived yesterday. The box was absolutely smashed, thanks USPS. Luckily, CCG's top-notch bubble wrap job kept my piece safe.
First impressions: Wow. This looks WAY better than anything I've gotten from Steven. Glass is crystal clear, thick, consistent. No noticeable bubbles, the joints are WAY smoother, the base is actually flat, the mouthpiece is in line, the pillars are straight, and so is the joint. That said, the perc on this diffuses far less than the FC-1000 (which is what I wanted), and the pull is much smoother.
Comparison to the FC-1000:
I like the size on this mini pillar much better than the full-size FC-1000. That said, I don't have a FC-707 to compare it to. The piece is more than stable enough to support an enail, and strikes a great balance, IMO, between diffusion and flavor.
I'm recommending this to people over the FC-1000 now for anything other than combustion.