I've found, through trial-and-error, some features I really like in a bass. I have yet to find the ultimate expression of these features and am still on the hunt for that "ultimate bass" that exactly hits all the sweet spots I've found. There have been several that, if they had been more comfortable to play, would have been close enough to stick around as long-term keepers. And if I ever get to the point where I can collect some basses just because I like them and not worry about playing them a lot they may come back.
semi-hollow
All my favorite basses (Rumblefish PJ, DiPinto Belvedere Std, Waterstone ME-1, Epiphone Jack Casady) have
been semi-hollow. There's just something that gets added to the sound and resonance of the bass with that
construction.
magnetic pickup(s)
Although piezos do a pretty good job (Godin A4, Fender HMT) I prefer the voice and lack of string noise and
ping/quack of a magnetic pickup. A really good piezo-based bass, like say a Rob Allen, would probably change
my mind there. I like having two pickups - but if I could only have one it needs to be a P-location/neck
pickup. I don't like/use bridge pickups solo very much if at all. And I want a pickup blend as my favorite
multipickup settings tend to favor one pickup or the other, not be exactly balanced.
headless
I love the compact size of headless basses. They are easy to maneuver on a crowded stage or through the crowd if
you are roaming wirelessly. This feature doesn't necessarily fit well with the semihollow sound (it's hard to
make a headless semihollow) but there are some out there in boutique land.
adjustable bridge
Many of the piezo hollowbodies have fixed bridges (Godin A4/Acoustibass, Fender HMT/AE P, Carvin AC-40) and I prefer
the flexibility of an adjustable bridge. It's not a make-or-break feature but one that is worth consideration.
simplicity
While this implies passive it doesn't necessarily require it. It does mean than while a complex bass, for example
the G&L L-2000, may have a great tone, or even scads of great tones, the complexity of the controls takes away from
my enjoyment and concentration on getting the best music out of it. I want a fairly simple bass - vol, tone and a
blend or pickup selector (depending on the bass & configuration) is as much as I want to deal with. Any other
tonal changes necessary I want to do via hand position/technique, not fiddling controls. And that affects my amp
choices as well - I want to set it and forget it, and if I can leave it flat most of the time I'm even happier.
comfort
This is where all my tonal nirvana basses have fallen short to date. They just aren't comfortable enough for
me to play as much as I'd like. And that's a bummer. They were all affordable, sounded great and I'd love to
have one of each except that I can't play them as much as I'd like. G&Ls with skinny necks are the only things
that work for that for me. So I'm getting to where I need to try a G&L ASAT semihollow with strap extender
(although the MFD humbuckers aren't my favorite MFDs) or some of the short-scale semihollows (although I don't know
how well short-scale will fit with my heavy right hand) available to see if I can match tonal nirvana with
comfort. There are also some exercises/stretches that were referenced in a recent TBL that I need to try to see
if I can loosen up/strengthen my hands/wrists to the point where I can play some of these basses without
discomfort.