Interesting listing...but pretty much all one man's story. I get the impression that the seller tells a good story but may not know as much about bass guitars in general as he would like you to believe. There are some minor mis-statements...like "Schaellers" and the odd measurement he offers for the scale length. OTOH, his feedback is 100%.
I agree with the seller that IF the story is true, then it would be a mistake to refinish the bass. That's a shame, because the color repels me personally. I'm sure that Bill is going to create a MUCH more attractive instrument.