I've bought, out of curiosity, a CKB 12C piece on eBay. As I'm waiting for the piece to show in the postbox, i've searched a little information on the web but couldn't find any... Have someone already played one ? Wondering about cup type, bore and backbore...
CKB (=Conn, King, Benge; they were a UMI creation and sometimes even branded UMI instead of CKB) made a whole line, from trumpet to tuba. They have Bach-style rims and cups taken from the older Benge mouthpiece lines, and were the factory mouthpieces included with Conns, Kings, and Benges at the time. They are mostly just okay in my experience. I have a CKB 6-1/2 AL-S that fits that description perfectly. Not the worst or the best, just...adequate. Not as good of a paperweight as a Bach 6-1/2 AL because it has a lighter blank.
So far the best CKB mouthpiece I've owned is the CKB Mello 6 for marching mellophone, which is a bit smoother and more comfortable than the older Benge Mello 6.
I use a CKB/UMI 5G-- I have the same mp in both markings-- on my euphonium. I also have the same mp marked as a King. Mouthpiece Express was selling out NOS of these for dirt cheap a few years ago in a a variety of markings.
It makes a good euph mp. It's a bit deeper than a Bach 5G and is comfortable. The one marked King has never been played and I might be open to selling it some time.
I believe that UMI also marketed mps under those labels with Bach-like outer cups instead of the Wick-like ones pictured above and that I have. I don't know how the inner cups and rims compared.
I've received the piece today, as well as a Stork T2. I wanted to test 2 mouthpieces around the classic 12C size. The Stork feels horrible to me, rim way too thin and edgy. The CKB though, is really comfortable and is playing quite comparable to the old Benge 12C I use to have. The rim feels rounder and softer than the Bach 12C though. I'm gonna stick with this one for a few weeks and see if i've got a winner
