well since the "your new bass" thread closed before I had a chance to post in it, Im taking the liberty of starting my own one. For $1800, I would buy a Musicman Stingray and a 3" strap.
For $1800, I would get a used Gibson Victory Artist ($450), a used Rickenbacker 4003 ($800), some Bartolini's for the Rick ($150), and an MTD Kingston ($400).