Posted by Chuck on August 15, 2002 at 19:50:27:
In Reply to: ContrabassBass Tuba posted by Eric on August 15, 2002 at 18:14:36:
A mid-sized CC with a secure high register could probably shoulder most everyday playing. That is not to say that a mid-sized CC could do some things as well as an F tuba or a large CC, but most playing could be done fairly well on a mid-sized CC.
That being said, I should add that I own 3 tubas. I have a B&S F tuba, a Cerveny Piggy and a Hirsbrunner HB6 (5/4 CC). If I had to, I could get by with only the Cerveny. I'm not comfortable playing the HB6 in quintets and the B&S just doesn't give me the sound I want for Mahler 5. But, I own the other horns because they are more suited to some of the things that I do (large orchestral works, solos, etc).
So, in my opinion, you could get by with only one horn, but if you want to play in groups that range from 100+ musicians to one musician, different sized horns can help you to be more comfortable and sound more appropriate.