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If you genuinely need the money or the space the decision should really be made for you. If not, why consider it? They bring you pleasure, keep them.

Yeh, my first bass I got when I was 15 so 45 years too. Definitely going to learn it one day!

Truck Still Works - Brad Paisley

They don't syringe now, rather they use micro-suction. Also, it is not done on the NHS anymore. Look around for a competent local person or even Specsavers. Around here, you can pay anything from £50 for two ears to £80+. It is a game changer, I need it done 5/6 times per year.

I'm aspiring to one day become 1/16th decent.

43 years and counting. You'd have thought I'd be half decent by now. 🙄

I tried a number of shorties at one point but did not find them comfortable for some reason, a shoulder injury meant I had to go down to a U Bass, and it was surprisingly good, as in usable. As it improved a bit, I tried my 34" and could reach the third fret, I calculated that to be like the first fret on a 30". Hence the arrival of a Hartwood Delta. I love it and will use it in anger for the first time at rehearsal on Sunday.

+1. Kick is big bottom, not much low bass or mids, but with an upper midrange for the 'click'. Mids on the kick not only compete with the full mix, yourself included, they compete with the toms and snare.

This works if you have one. When you have three they’re often a source of discussion and disagreement, particularly when someone comes to stay.

Same for me with my guitar strings, although for bass strings I use bass direct because Markbass make my favourite strings. FWIW though I don’t like bright strings and prefer an old school tone.

Fifty years ago, I went to the Royal Veterinary College in That London, and was in International Hall. Back then I played guitar, rather better in my head than in the real world. In the first week or two there I encountered several other musicians - a drummer, a guitarist, and one of these wretched multitalented people who played guitar and keyboards, and could sing too. So we started a band, and as we had an overabundance of guitarists, no bassist, and I (as I did have sufficient self-awareness to realise) was a worse guitarist than Sam, I decided to take on bass duties. Needing a bass, I went to the Fender Soundhouse, where they had recently had a fire and coincidentally Hayman had just gone out of business, so they were flogging off Hayman parts. I did initially get the parts for a doubleneck 4/6 but something didn't fit, so I took them back and got the parts for a 40/40, which remained my main bass for several years. We played a practice gig and then a proper gig, both at the hall of residence, for which we got paid £100 (this was in 1975, so a well-paid gig by today's standards). I dropped out of university soon after that gig, and went back to playing guitar in the bedroom for a few years until I bought a house in Tamworth and thought I'd see about joining a band. I advertised myself as a guitarist/bassist and got recruited by a local band, and have been bassing ever since, with the odd hiatus.

Fear of a White Egg. Great name for an album...

A doublebass is a beautiful piece of furniture in the corner of a room, a conversation starter, social status elevator, somewhere to hang decorations at this festive time of year, you can even play it if you're that way inclined. The reasons to own one far away outweigh the reasons not to. 😉

I irrationally fear White Eggs. If I open a box of eggs I need to see nice brown eggs, white eggs prolly come from alien chickens.

I placed an order for mandolin strings with Strings Direct on Saturday evening. They arrived this morning which I think is pretty good service over the holiday break - so a 👍 for them from me!

The first lot of five strings like this and the BB5000 seemed to have really skinny string spacing!