Ya know, I didn't even think of it when checking them out. It was the only rosewood 'Ray in the store. Maple didn't feel right to me, I guess the jump to the thicker neck profile was more evident on the maples. I didn't even think about it being orange until my wife mentioned it at home. It is kind of cool, the pics really don't do it justice. It sort of glows and the ash grain is beautiful. I guess I'll need to protect it a bit, I'm not used to bass coddling. I was just stoked to get my hands on a 'Ray.
I have an orange SR, too... but with maple and a white pg. (See my picture?) Man, I love that bass. It's definitely one of my "rest of my life" basses.
It's a beautiful bass, but did you really get a great deal? A highway costs around $600-$800 I believe plus another $800 on top of that?