I think when a bass is played it naturally produces a lot of extraneous noise that doesn't necessarily carry as far as the instrument's true sound.
If youre playing a section and really thrashing the life out of your bass the sound the audience hears is much softer from the one that you hear sat right on top of the instrument.
I really don't like basses that sound excessively bright - although I have heard some that sound really bright and trebley when you are playing them but much more mellow when you stand back from the same bass when someone else is playing.
My bass is labelled Viennese but looks german in style and the sound is what I have heard some describe as "boxy" i.e there's a lot of fundamental and also bright trebley sound but very little mid range harmonics in the sound - the ones that make the tone rich and warm.
I when I hear a basses sound I tend to "see" it like spectrum. If an instrument's sound ever changes for some reason I can usually tell because, as wierd as it sounds I can remember what the sound "looked" like.
what I'd really like to know is if everyone does this or if it just me......
lol