Never say never on acquiring new and better gear. I'll start in April of 2015 when I had 4-months left at age 64. It's mostly cabs until 2018 when I did buy a "new to me" used amp. The amp I used to run these cabs was an Eden WT500/800, that was the specific amp that David Nordschow (aka: "David Eden"). used to design all the Eden cabs from 1999 when the amp was made, until 2009 when he left Eden to found DNA. It is a dual-powerblock amp with two separate power channels. He had upgraded it from 500-watts rms bridged to 800-watts bridged.
April 2015 - Bought a DNS-410 cab (by DNA) thinking I would never have to buy another cab. Clearest, cleanest, most articulate and LOUDEST pointer settingcab I'd ever heard, able to replicate the fundamentals down to 37Hz...thought I was done.
February 2018 - Bought an Eden EX-112 cab because brewpubs here in Washington state wouldn't let me use my 410 - "too much for here". Bought a second one to use for medium-sized venues because it sounded so good and two of those 112's weight less than my 410. I do have to use my big Eden amp with it and plug each of those 4Ω cabs into each side.
March 2018 - Bought an Eden TN-226 class D amp (225-watts rms into 4Ω, weighs 4.7-lbs). Bought this used from a friend who needed a higher power amp. I was looking for a lower powered and lighter amp. This was perfect for our standing gig at local brewpub hosting open mic nights on Fridays. I only use it at small venues because that amp won't go down to 2Ω and my 112 cabs are both 4Ω cabs. Plus I can load in or out everything in one trip at small venues.
December 2019 - was accepted into the DNA Endorsing Artist group and bought a DNS-210 because nobody looks twice at a bass player bringing in a 210 cab and it has the same sonic characteristics as my 410. It does however go a little lower, replicating the fundamental down to 34Hz. PLUS - got a decent Artist Discount on the price. It ended up being a far better cab than I expected. It is such a loud cab that I use it for all my indoor medium and large venues. I reserve my DNS-410 for outdoor venues and Music Festivals now.
May 2021 - Bought a DNA-800 class D amp that weighs all of 4.8-lbs and puts out 400-watts rms into 8Ω or 800-watts rms into either 4Ω or 2Ω. It also has an on-board compressor with adjustable threshold and ratio controls. This might have been the last DNA-800 that DNA made. Covid played havoc with electronic parts and everyone was running out of the parts they needed to make their gear. I ordered this through my artist rep in April and heard back a few days later that the factory didn't have any completed ones left - they were waiting on parts. However, David Nordschow said he had enough parts at his place to build one for me if I could wait for a couple of weeks. I said "no problem". So he built one for me and I received it in mid-May. Unfortunately the parts supply not only didn't improve for DNA, but the company that made one of the integral parts of their amps went out of business and no one else makes that part. So in January of 2023 DNA closed its doors.
This DNA-800 ended up being my most commonly used amp. With just a couple of small EQ tweaks, I make it sound like my big Eden amp. It only puts out 400-watts into 8Ω, but I've found that is generally enough in any indoor venue with my DNS-210 cab. Long rooms can be a challenge and I'll either bring out my Big Eden amp bridging into my 210 or I'll roll my DNS-410 using it with my DNA-800. The 410 with the DNA-800 is about 6-lbs lighter than bringing in my big Eden amp (weighs 37.5-lbs in its rack), but that 210 w/big amp is easier to transport.
Good news is that with the exception of the DNS-410 and my DNA-800 all the rest have been totally paid for using gig money. I was saving up for the DNS-410 when my Godmother passed away and she had put aside about $200 in savings bonds back in the 70's that converted to $1400 in 2014 upon her passing. So that put me well over the top by adding it to my savings. The DNA-800 was actually bought by adding some of that Covid-19 $1200 check to money I'd put aside for it. So far I haven't made any more purchases. But i turned 65 in 2015 and I'm 74 now, so I bought a LOT over that time period. I am still thinking about getting a stage monitor, but both groups I play with supply monitors so I don't really need one right now and I'm not feeling Gassy for the moment.
Of course I really do like the Dingwall Lee Sklar signature 5-string in blue, but even at an endorsed price it's very expensive and would only be used when I need to pull out a 5'er. My '82 Jazz would remain my primary bass even if I bought a Dingwall 5-string. Still...that's perhaps a little bit of GAS.
