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I've been looking at tubas more and more recently trying to find my first CC by the summer. I've been looking at a B&S PT-20P on ebay and I've just had one concern. I've never played one, nor would I have access to one before ordering that one off ebay. My concern is the height of the tuba. I'm 5'10" and I'm playing on a school tuba that's too short for me. But I know it could go the other way and be big for me. My question is to anyone who is 5'10" or close to it and has played one, is it a comfortable fit for someone of my height?

I am taller than the OP and thought this horn was very comfortable to hold and play.

I am just under 6 ft, and there are some tubas that just aren't comfortable to hold. It seems like 36" is my minimum preferred height for a tuba. Shorter than that and I either feel like I'm hunching over or that the bell is too close to my head. My old Cerveny F and the Yamaha 3/4 tubas are all around 32", which is a little uncomfortable. I think the PT-20 is about 36" tall.

I am exactly 5'10" and I used to own a PT20P. The height will not be an issue for you so long as there is nothing weird about your posture or the way you hold the horn. Should be a good fit.

Snark aside (maybe we can have a separate forum for that?), you would be well advised to go try any horn you are considering buying. Buying a tuba requires work. Getting out of a bad purchase is a lot more work.

If it feels uncomfortable, get a tuba stand

Grooving for Heaven wrote:I'm 6'8" and play a cerveny piggy. I think if I can make that work for 18 years you will be just fine with a pt-20

This isn't meant as a jab at your height or anything, but a serious question. At 5'10", how can any tuba be too short for you? Are you insisting on resting them directly on the chair? It's hard for me to picture it.

This week there was a fiasco where the usual school tuba I play went missing which is very comfortable for my height. I had to switch to a Conn 5J which in my opinion is an 8th grader's horn. And my professor would rather have me rest the tuba on the chair instead of hold it up because it stresses the tendons in my arm.

It might just be lead pipe placement but it does seem like a very small tuba in general.