The sessions I was referring to earlier would be those with about 15 or more musicians, incorporating several melodeons, so I tended play tenor banjo then just to be heard. Now that sessions around here have shrunk in size, through age-related ailments (sadly including deaths), I have reverted to mandolin and fingerstyle guitar, though I do take the point about CBOMs being better for rhythmic accompaniment (given the better scope for modal chords).