So yeah. I got a cheap fender style pbass, but wanted more, so I picked up a 90s 5 Vantage bass with active pickups - and yet it somehow sounds less impressive than the former. Less high end even with new strings of identical make, and quieter too.

I have it pegged to antiquated time-worn pickups, or perhaps the body material. The electronics themselves seem to work fine when the battery isn't dead.

I can sell it back to the person I got it from, but for less than half the value. I would like to keep it as 5 strings is more what I'd like to learn on, but I wanted to see what people think regarding the feasibility/necessity of replacing the pickups or other work that could be done.