The Tobias basses Gibson is now making (in Arkansas) have been the subject of a lot of ferocious subjectivity. Being a subjective fan of them (I own two of them, and will probably buy another, and my Tobias Basic is the best bass I've ever played anywhere at any price), I've come to the conclusion that IF you've been playing for a while but somehow never heard of these, you'll be blown away.
But you'd also be a rare bird. Most people here "know" that Gibson wrecked Mike Tobias's basses and smeared his reputation, that their build quality is spotty, their basses might be excellent but might be awful, they're overpriced, etc. And it has been my lifelong experience (and I've been a musician for 60 years) that nobody has ever made any instrument of any kind, so fantastic that someone who expects crap won't hear crap when they play it.
Now, the upside to this is, you can get yourself a bass worth $2500 in build and playing quality for maybe $1000 if you keep a sharp eye on ebay or other used bass outlets. The downside to this is, any "knowledgeable" bass player will think you sound terrific until he sees, up close, that it's a Gibson Tobias, after which he'll tell you how you got ripped off and should go get yourself something decent!
If you're in the minority that plays bass, you'll be delighted. If you're in the majority that hears reputation rather than sound, stay away. People will look down on you.
Nothing personal, Flintc, and correct me if I'm mistaken here, but your post presupposes that some of those who "know" that Gibson's Tobias facsimiles don't measure up to Mike's instruments must be basing that opinion on anecdotes and prejudice rather than open-minded first-hand experience. My first (sadly unfavorable) experience with several Gibsons came before I knew that Mike had sold out the design. My first thought being "what the hell is going on here?"
I've played around two-dozen pre-Gibsons (I own an early "Classic") and a number of "high-end" Gibson Tobias basses (Basics, Classics, and Sigs) from different production periods. Aside from basic design similarities, they really are very different beasts. The basses made by Mike and his crew have a warm, dark, smokey tone, and possess a very characteristic compressed woody/organic low-midrange bark that I find quite unique. They also demonstrate consistent attention to subtle build details, and fit and finish that surpass the Gibson basses in my experience.
The Gibsons I've played sounded big, modern, punchy, and clear, but I found the tone a little nondescript and perhaps a bit sterile. I doubt that I could pick one out of a recording lineup, whereas the distinctive pre-Gibson tone would be pretty hard to miss. Tobias employee Rawn Randall told me that, the beginning with the Burbank-era, the Bart pickups had a lot more top end and less of that smoky midrange growl, so that's probably part of the difference I've heard, but I think it may run deeper than the electronics.
FWIW, one of the Gibsons I tried two years ago - a "Classic" with a beautiful Bubinga top - had some serious quality control issues; the fretboard wood looked dried-out, around a quarter of the frets had protruding sharp edges, and the truss-rod cavity had so much excess finish build-up on the truss-rod bolts that the owner had to have it professionally cleaned out before the neck could be properly adjusted; nothing subjective about it.
To the OP: there are some great deals to be had on used Gibson Tobias basses, as their reputation, deserved or not, precludes them from holding their value or appreciating like the pre-Gibs. If you like a particular bass, I wouldn't be at all concerned with their ill repute - Gibson made some pretty decent Tobias basses - but I certainly wouldn't buy one unplayed without a return option. If it were me, I'd look for something built by Mike Tobias; a pre-Gibson (thelowend.net currently has one for sale) or an MTD USA. The MTDs are a whole different ball o' wax, though the quality is reliably top-notch either way.
These are quality instruments. 
