Two things about the WIshbass:
1. You need to get over the lack of truss rod thing (although it is a $50 option on a new one, if Steve W. is still making them). How many double basses are there in the world, 100,000+? None of them have a truss rod. The neck on my WIshbass is nearly that of my upright - this makes it extremely easy on the hand (for me). I can play it for 3 hours with no cramping at all. 45 minutes on any other electric bass and I get cramping. The reason I took my Wishbass to Jim was because it had a bit of backbow despite having LaBella flats on it. Truss rod = completely unnecessary.
2. What makes my Wishbass much more tonally-diverse is an aftermarket 6-position tone dial. Because of this, I paid $325 on ebay for mine (i.e., an extra $25). I don't remember who makes it, but I could search my e-mails if need be. The 6-position dial is the larger of the two in the pictures below (it goes from bright and hot, to P-bass - I prefer setting #2, which is mid boost and more growl than a grizzly bear getting a tooth pulled in a phone booth. Most Wishbasses just have the small single volume.
The attachment Wishbass 001.jpg is no longer available
Now understand, the finish on a Wishbass is rudimentary at best, but the tuners, pickup and electronics are fine. I spraypainted the control cover on mine from aluminum to gold, and it blends in better now (a rear panel is also an option on new ones, again, if they are still being made). I stripped the crude finish and oiled and waxed it. This is all explained on the WIshbass site. If you want a battle-axe that can get great fretless mid growl, consider one, but know that you may to put some elbow grease into it to make it look nicer (and most certainly go for the aftermarket tone switch). I did spend some coin to get the fingerboard dressed by Jim, but it was worth it. You may not need to.
(Sorry, I screwed up the attachements, but they are all there.)
