In my experience, people have been visually impressed with the various Gibsons I've pulled out at auditions or initial rehearsals. The remarks were usually along the lines of, "Wow, I've never seen one of those in person before". That being said, as soon as I play one song on my P, that's the sound they rave over. I choose a particular bass the same way I decide between pick and fingers; the mood and feel of the song point me in the right direction and I go from there. Sometimes it's even one P (or Gibson) over another. I know 99% of people hearing the song will never recognize the difference, but I will.
I have to agree that most people go straight for the Precision. It's what they've been trained to want. That could be changing with the younger set, but as an old guy (in musician terms anyway), that's what I've experienced. That being said, it doesn't mean you can't educate your guitard accordingly.