GC wrote: ↑Wed May 11, 2022 12:46 pm I only use a 3+1 compensating Eb for quintet, BUT . . . if I had a large BBb, I'd still probably use it. I had no problem with a 20J or 25J in quintet, and the other members preferred the sound over the sound of smaller instruments.
While the choice of size of horn is often huge to tuba players, it's less so to the other players. You might ask their opinion what type sound they prefer, then do what you think is best.
I would PROBABLY do the same (were it that I just just a little bit better E-flat reader...a shortcoming which could be addressed).
I love playing a really good comp. E-flat tuba !
The only issue being that (as most of them feature the John-Fletcher-esque 19" bells) the intensity (and -just a bit - the tuning as well - seems to poop out much above E-flat above the staff, and even E-flat and D - sometimes - present issues. There IS literature in-between "functional/ceremonial" and "gymnastic/look-what-I-can-do/we're-doing-a-recital" brass quintet literature, but I seem to mostly be presented with one or the other, rather than very much "in-between".
I've also posted this before but...a bass trombone or an F cimbasso seems to present pre-19th century music better, as - with quite a bit of 16th-18th centuries music, the lowest voice was (simply) another voice, rather than "THE BASS"...and a large percentage of brass quintet literature IS transcribed early music.