Agree on the tapes, and will add that they are a players dream for slides and fast playing plus with the 2015 pups I hear an exceptionally strong attack and creamy decay.
Haven’t tried them with a pick yet (because I suck at pick playing) but I’d bet with the tone rolled all the way down you could nail the Animals song House of the Rising Sun and with it all the way up you could probably do a solid cut on the Yes song Roundabout. Going from a Gibby 335 hollow body sound to a Rick sound without changing basses or strings is a pretty neat feat for any bass.
disclaimer: I don’t know for a fact which basses were used by the Animals and Yes for those recordings, I’m going by recollection (which seems to fail me more these days) and I’m too damn lazy to look it up.
Hate to put a like on that post (but I put a like on every post I read, that way I know where I left off). Sounds like you won’t be out any funds eventually, and you’ve got a healthy outlook on things (get another bird), thats important. Life’s too short to be perpetually pissed off, best to move forward and make the best of things, just as you’re doing. Better luck next time. 
