three

For dep jobs and walk-ins, I usually just take a bass and an AER Amp One (combo) - (bass) monitoring is frequently horrible, so the Amp One serves as a personal sound source and its DI out provides a high-quality feed to FoH. All reasonably light and convenient for fast load-in/out. If I know the engineer and have confidence in monitoring, a DI is sufficient (one of my personal favourites is an Avalon U5)

Further to Fretmeister's post, I use Status 30-90 on my headless Status basses. I tried recently to get hold of some Status 30-90s with round cores (and conventional ends rather than DBE). Unfortunately, Status no longer supply the latter but are trying to source a new manufacturer. I'd concur with other posts too - Newtone will do pretty much whatever gauge is required, and with round cores. I've found Newtone product to be of a high quality.

I tend to prefer high-compliance and low-tension strings - Hi-Beams seem OK but not very low tension and anything with a round core, rather than hexagonal should help (though be careful with appropriate bends when re-stringing). The lowest tension that I know of is TI rounds. Beautiful strings in every way but with a premium price tag

Thanks very much White Cloud - I missed a couple of things, extraordinary neck stability and incredibly low action (if that's what you like - I do and have the SII set-up with a ridiculously low action - far too low for most people but I play with a very light touch). Just let me know if you're around Manchester. I agree entirely with BassBus too - there's a lot of sparkle in there and a lot of note definition. You really don't get away with much with a Status!

I've had a few Status basses over the years. My Series II was bought new in 1985 - I still use it regularly and it's sat next to me now. I've had a few Streamlines too and still have one. Weirdly, back in the '80s, I had the choice of the Status or a Wal. A Wal might have been worth more now but I've had a number since and they don't last long - they just don't really suit me. As above, the SII still here and is played all the time. As to what you can expect, well with an S2 classic, you can expect a very modern, powerful and focused tone with a rich and detailed fundamental - almost a compressed in a way. though they're a versatile instrument and can offer a range of more 'classic' tones. The mid-scooped slap-tone is certainly there and you'll hear videos all over youtube. As for tuning, it's super-accurate and super-stable. Balance is lovely on the headless instruments, and, if you like a flat D neck profile, then this is the classic Status shape. Fit and finish is of a generally very high standard, fretwork is always good (in my experience), and the brass hardware is well designed and easily adjustable. The SII isn't a light instrument but it looks very classy and isn't ridiculously heavy - there was a lot of graphite in the earlier models (not so much now, and certainly not with the bolt-ons). The notion that Status basses are 'sterile' is commonly held but much over-played in my opinion. There's quite an organic tone available if you're prepared to look for it. I tend to favour the bridge pickup with treble rolled back and bass boosted substantially - through an Avalon U5 on setting 2, this is close to the grail of bass tones for me. Lovely instruments and a company that stands behind its product - very easy to deal with and always helpful should you need anything. I also like Status own brand DBE strings (30-90 is my favoured gauge). Good luck - if you're around Manchester, you're welcome to try my Series II

I've just purchased a bass from Kriss - excellent communications throughout, the bass arrived very well-packed and exactly as described. Totally honest and very friendly. Happy to communicate at length and to provide all necessary details. I'd have no hesitation in dealing with Kriss again - any prospective buyers or sellers can feel totally confident