Haven't read all of this thread yet . Sorry if I echo others . Sound checks can vary somewhat . (Ie barman says 'turn it down now !' Then when crowd arrives , you keep it at the level that you started with). I think a 250 watt head or combo is enough personally . One cab could be enough. I've never had the luxury of playing with more than one. Then of course, each venue has different acoustics and shoulld vary considerably .
If you prefer a growly sound , an active bass would probably be best . If you want to make the whole place vibrate, get a telecaster bass ( single humbucker pickup) and an Aguilar head/ cab with no tweeter