Glad you saw the light.
I spent a lot of time and money putting a Nordstrand 5.2 and a John East EQ into an OLP Tony Levin, but it just never was as good as my bog standard 2EQ Musicman Stingray, just not in the same league at all. Like you say, a great backup, but that really was all it could ever be, even with all the kit stuck in it. The quality of the timbers, screws, machining, everything just are not comparable. A musicman bass just feels like quality the minute you pick it up.
Since getting my fingers burnt financially on that one, I've never thrown serious money at a budget bass since, although I have "tarted up" a couple, but not on the same scale as that OLP. My Fleabass had an EMG put in it, new pots, socket etc, but not at the kind of cost I incurred with that Tony Levin bass.
Good basses OLPs, [i]if[/i] you find a nice one, but not in the same league as the real thing IMO.