i've spent some time tonight A/Bing the Dano with my Fender MIM Precision.
unsurprisingly, the Fender sounds "deeper". this is a combination of the many factors. among them, scale length, pickups, bridge construction, and strings. i'm not even considering body wood in this comparison because while i'm sure it makes a difference, the above factors are much more tangible. the Dano sounds brighter, but also more "hollow". which is kinda cool. OTOH, it tells me that it's in desperate need of a string change, which i already knew.
the pickups on the Dano are way lower output. this is actually a good thing. each pickup alone sounds good. though i'm not so much a fan of the bridge pup on any bass and this one is no exception. but they sound excellent in-series, as do all Danos.
i need better controls though. all the sweep on the tone pot is way down at 1-3. it's like a wah down there. the rest is just extra travel.
one thing at a time. first is strings. i'll put LaBella flats on both basses and see how that changes things. especially on the Dano.