Asking what strings to use is like asking how you should sound. Totally up to you. Double bass players spend hundreds, sometimes thousands establishing which strings work for them (and unlike the norm with electric bass, that can require strings from different sets, manufacturers, and even materials at one and the same time). Given the value of your (lovely) bass, some experimentation is worth the cost, as well as being a journey in itself 👍
We had this last night, lovely small bar in Kent which was unexpectedly rammed for our gig, fixed fee agreed, owner comes up at the end of the gig to tell us she's adding some cash to the fee as we went down so well. Confused the singer who now couldn't do the maths for the split
Re the OP, it's frustrating but if the agreed performance fee was based on bar receipts - which we've had a few times - than it leaves it open, in short you have to really trust the place to go ahead and gig with that being the arrangement. If you agreed a fixed fee for the gig then yes, it's very poor and you should go medieval on their social media about it 👍
I was in a boozer in Hammersmith around 20-years back. I'd had a few. I put 'What's the frequency Kenneth' on the jukebox. It didn't play, so I put it on again. And again. This was about 6.00pm. I put it on again a few times during the evening times as for reasons not fully clear to me I just had to hear it. I kept missing it, or so I thought.
About 10.00pm it came on, so I put my arms in the air and cheered 'At last'. Then it came on again, and again, and again. Apparently the juke box ordered songs alphabetically (barman told me that after the sixth or seventh play). Got a few hard stares 🤔
Ray, very sorry to hear about your situation. Yes, this is the best place to sell bass gear if you take all factors from the selling fees to the scale and demographic of the marketplace (a bunch of GAS freaks) to the low risk of being messed about into account. If you have any issues at all it's a community and things tend to get solved without too much hassle, but if hassle emerges the mods tend to be highly supportive also 👍