So against my better judgment I stopped at the local Guitar Center tonight, and ran right into a used-nice condition Dearmond Pilot Deluxe bass. Oil finish, active electronics, two flat soapbar pickups, hi-mid-bass EQ pots, plus fader pot and one master volume pot. Schaller-style bridge. Neck-through with three strips of wood separated by what appear to be thin walnut strips, and ash body outside the center area. I'd estimate it weighs only 7-8 pounds...I'd say closer to 7. it may be 35" scale - but I didn't measure. Reviews indicate that these may be 35".
It was sitting there used at $199.
So I played it - and I liked it. It was a bit rattly on the lower frets, but I checked and the neck had a touch of back-bow and the action was pretty low. Releasing some tension helped with the clatter on the bottom frets. I'll have to learn how to use the EQ, but I'm encouraged because the bottom strings sounded quite deep and had solid impact. The top strings sounded a bit tinny but I am a complete newcomer to active EQ on a bass and didn't figure out which pots did what until the end of the time I spent noodling on it.
Dropped a $100 deposit and it's mine on layaway. I'll pick it up before the end of January.
I took a couple of lousy cell phone pix before I left, but I'm having trouble getting them out of my phone. Here are some photos I grabbed off various online sites. The top photo is a dead ringer for mine - wood, pickups , bridge and control knobs. The bridge, tuners and control knobs are a satin chrome finish. The body is oiled and not as shink as the top photo...although down the line I may add a more sealing-type oil finish. The colors are reasonably accurate in these photos, except in the last one - its body is darker than mine:
note headstock in this photo: