The $99 bass experiment

[bassbully]

OP's POST GIG REPORT: Well, I'm impressed, with a couple of footnotes.
The gig was three hours, four sets, and the back-up bass stayed in the case - so there's that.
The $99 bass was reliable, at least for three hours of hard playing in a hot bar - and that's after being trucked to the gig in winter, with temperatures in the cold car starting around -5C. It seemed to handle the temperature changes well, and that's more than I can say for some of my more expensive basses.
Soundwise, it was very good. Slightly growly and very articulate through my Ampeg pf-350. At least when I played it.
On a few songs, our guitar player takes bass while I sing lead, and in his hands, the $99 bass was occasionally farting and sounding anything but clear. His playing approach isn't always subtle, and the bass didn't respond well - perhaps because of the set-up (strings too close to pups?). So it seems, with some irony, that a more experienced bass player helps tame a $99 bass that might appeal to a beginner.
Tuning was another minor issue. It needed a little more tweaking than my Fenders, every three or four songs. Then again, brand new strings and not very good ones, so that might explain.
Overall, it was a very decent bass. Not amazing: there something a bit lacking in the overall feel of the instrument. That unexplained magic that makes basses like my Fender Japan P-62, and my 1971 Mann Jazz so fun to gig with. But maybe time, better strings and a different set up would fix that too.
If this was my only bass, I'd be really happy to own it, and more than proud to play it.
For $99, it's a damn good deal. I can't say if it's durable, but so far, so impressive.

The tuning issues could of been the new strings. If its tuners that is not an expensive swap. Did you make enough money from the gig to pay for the bass already?

 

[bolophonic]

Retuning (tweaking) every 3-4 songs would be a problem for me.

Same here. My bass stays in tune pretty much indefinitely.