They are just the kind of small dings and dents you would expect from a thin nitro finish. I asked for the nitro because I wanted a kind of a fragile finish that would wear with time, and that's what I got. In six months or a year or five years from now those little dings and dents are going to be just a part of the whole pastiche of the instrument's mojo. With the clear coats i could have kept it looking brand new for longer, but I'm not too worried about that. If you want a tougher finish, ask for the clear coats or just go with a poly finish.
Yeah it sounds pretty close to that bass, as far as I can tell. I need to give the bass a few weeks to really settle in before i can make an honest verdict on the exact tonal characteristics, but it's a p bass and it sounds like a p bass.
