I got (probably) that same email from Mathew too. Will contact him to see whether having one of those made is still an option. I have a balsa wood Yamaha bass, nice warm fuzzy sound, but lacking the really deep sublows. But then who wants these on stage with ZZ Top and what comes out of the PA is another matter altogether.
I read a very enlightening/sobering interview of the bass playing Kroeger brother in everybody's favorite band Nickelbag in a German guit and bass mag. The guy has humor so it's actually a good read. Asked why he gave up using amps and all effects on stage altogether and now plugs his Spectors and what have you directly in he reveals: "After the last tour I had dinner with my favorite (and also our best) soundman and he lauds me for my "best ever bass sound on stage". So I ask him: "but how much of it do you actually use for what's coming out of the PA?" And he says cheekily: "Oh, about 10%, the core sound coming out of the PA is your direct signal."
Rather than this putting Herr Kroeger into therapy, he decisded to "stop cluttering things up with my own rig and stage sound, but rather play with the sound in my ear the people hear out there in front of the stage ...".
I've never been an "only my rig and nothing else will do for my sound"-cultist, but this has even me wondering ...