[ntimkovich]

i think you should definitely go play the bass that you're interested in. there's too much variation to buy blind, so get a bass playin' friend to go shopping with you if necessary.

for instance, over the years i have played a whole slew of musicmans, and didn't like any of them. then i was in nashville and stopped by Guitar Center on a whim. some dude had just traded in a relatively new Stingray, and it was amazing. now it's my main bass, hands-down. the tone is waaaay better than any others i've picked up, and the playability is just outstanding.

the same is very very true of fenders. there's so much variation between basses, even those built in the same year at the same plant. it just pays to play them all and figure out which is the best.

as a side note, for $2500, you could get two mighty fine basses. pick up a passive Fender Jazz and an active something else (Stingray, Warwick, etc.), and you should be able to get everything from wooden, fingerstyle tones to slick, modern active tones.

just a thought.