I just realized that I never did a follow up on this! I've been playing this bass steadily ever since it arrived. It has become Binky Number One. You can see a full review here:
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Electric+Bass/product/Gibson/Les+Paul+Money+Bass/10/1
But the short story is that I like it. A lot. It's very small for a bass, despite being full scale; everything else feels really big after I've played this one. For me that's been a good thing--very ergonomical, so to speak. Also, in its LP-shaped case, I can throw it in the back seat of my little '90 Honda 2-door & it sits flat. It is surprisingly versatile and is full of really useful tones. Those humbuckers rock--they're loud, full, but still clear and aggressive. Just with the V/V/T passive controls, you can go from dark, dull, old-school P Bass to lean, hungry punk P Bass to burpy J Bass and so on. And it almost plays itself; it set up easily with low action and just a hint of relief. The bridge top-loads, which makes string changes much easier. (Why don't all bridges do this?) Maybe the best part is the neck, which is Teh Sex (tm). Velvety smooth mahogany in a thin, narrow profile, with a shape somewhere between a C and a V. I love that neck. Can't believe this bass was only $1k, brand spankin' new. If only my Rickenbacker 4004L Laredo had been as good ... (But hey, at least the Laredo was a lot more expensive and took a lot more time to get!)
By the way, there's a pretty blue one for $700 BIN right now on the 'Bay. Just sayin'.
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