Teen-age (yes, that long ago..! ), I saw a Hofner Verithin bass hanging on the wall of Mme Nichols' Music Emporium, Hampton Hill. The poor thing had a concave belly (probably caused by water damage more than mere string tension...), was of course completely unplayable, and at a ridiculous price, especially for my meagre apprentice budget of just about zero, (but I did get an affordable Hofner President there later...). Since then, I've always had a penchant for these instruments, and finally travelled to the UK to buy one, from a bloke in Nottingham, a couple of decades ago. Other than the nostalgia effect (which is very strong...) and her matching my other Verithins, my 'style' is rather 'old school' thump, at which she excels with the Trubass black nylon strings fitted. As a bonus, it's difficult to find a lighter, better balanced instrument, which I appreciate more and more with advancing years.
As for amps: I play guitar (mostly my Verithin..!) through a Fender Bassman 50w, 2 x 15 cab, which doubled for many years as my bass amp, until I acquired a Hiwatt 200w PA head (DR205...), again, a nostalgia choice, as I used a complete Hiwatt PA rig when playing in the UK. Coupled with an equally weighty cab (HH 2 x 15 Folded Horn...), our bass sound is formidable, at any and all volume levels (we don't play 'loud', but we certainly could..!). I have other rigs (Hartke, Ampeg...) and other basses (Cort, 6-string fretless, baritone...), but my Verithin bass and Hiwatt rig are now part of my DNA.