K-Mart POS $26 special 6 string with the nut recut and only 4 strings installed. Repainted it light blue metallic. Also used a mono 10w. hi-fi pre/tube amp and with a home made 1x8 cabinet. Louder than you would think. Don't know what happened to it.
I picked up a Aria violin bass, then a Hagstrom(don't remember the model). I played those though a Vox Viscount 2x12 which was actually a guitar amp. Cool amp with effects and all built in. Sold it to get a Kustom 100 with 2x15 JBL cab. Pretty good sounding, not too much head room.
I was then able to get an original Hofner. Played that for a couple of years until picking up a '64 Fender Jazz(white/tort). See avatar pic. Wish I still had that one!.
I then picked up a new Sunn 2000s with the 2x15 JBL matching cab. The music store(which I had been working with for quite awhile for other stuff) let me put $100 down and pay off the remaining $1,000 at $100 per month (no interest, no signed contract).