Update!
I have since bought a Shen Willow bass from Steve Swan in Sacremento. Really a very nice bass that spoke evenly, and had a comfortable mensure (41 1/4). I played that bass for 9 months or so, and have since sold it and picked up a bass that surprised me when I first played it. Shen came out with a new model recently, and it is based on their Rogeri model. They call it the 190. I checked it out pretty thoroughly before I bought it, and am convinced it is a much bigger sounding and more complex sounding bass than the Shen Willow. Nice spruce for the top, solid willow sides, and a maple flat back. I picked it up from my setup guy a few weeks ago, and I am really excited about how great this bass sounds as a new bass. HUGE! I can't wait to hear how it develops over time. Sounds much better than one would expect, given the price. Very complex tone with a bow, and reminds me of the old Pollman I owned in grad school, but this bass responds quicker, and projects better than the Pollman did. Sounds outstanding for jazz pizz work, and amplifies nicely.
I also checked out their high end bass, the Panormo bass. Lovely instrument, nice woods. 12 grand, though...! Spendy Chinese bass!
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