[Bob Branstetter]

Jeff,

It sounds like you are definitely on the right track. As Ken mentioned above, you can't expect every bass to be perfect in terms of evenness. Players seldom keep the same bass throughout their playing career. Since your bass has been setup by a good luthier, use it to learn. You will most likely know when it is time to start looking at better basses.

One piece of advice for when that time does arrive. Never, ever hurry when buying a bass. Look at lots of basses and when you find one that you like, leave and come back to it after a few days or weeks and play it again. First impressions are not always reliable indicators for buying a bass.