Well, after playing it on my amp, Ampeg SVT-3 with a SVT 6x10 HLF, I can say that it sounds great! As for mean, weeell, I guess I might have different thoughts on mean. I have a new set of Dean Markley Blue Steels on the bass and what I would describe the sound as is ROUND, or FULL, with a sort of fretless stretch. The sound takes up a lot of space, and is naturally warm and bassy.
Like, my spoiler is more articulate sounding, because the neck picks up a thump sound, and the bridge picks up a twang sound, and then puts them together and it seems like there's more tone in the note, whereas I can't hear myself as well playing the excel because it's fatter, and it fills the room more. I like it, its just really different for me. All of my basses have 2 PU's and I've never been much of a stingray guy. Perhaps I just need to find my place with it, when I wail on it it gives me great grit, nice and middy and mean, just like I want, but when I start playing with my fingers it becomes very warm despite that I have a pretty heavy right hand on notes, my other basses don't change tone nearly as dramatically between playing styles. I like it, I think I might add a tone filter to it like I did to a prior Epic, which is a sweet addition.
I've started recording a song with it and it really shines with a pick nicely, I usually dont play with one but it sounds GREAT with a pick
One thing I really like is looking at the fretboard when I play and you see the pau ferro and all the beauty in the wood as you're playing, ebony is awesome but its just one color ;-)
So, AwEsOmE! I have to play with it more :-)
