I had exactly the same experience. I still use my ply bass as the go-to instrument for lugging to practices and jam sessions but the reality is that it’s a pale imitation of my Bryant bass.
The Bryant is set up wonderfully (Martin Penning) and makes the most beautiful noise. It’s so much better to play than the ply bass but impractical to have around the house with two toddlers. Total cost was about £4.5k with set up, new strings and a pickup but it’s worth it.
If you cant afford that it don’t want to spend that, then perhaps reshooting the fingerboard might help with the action? That worked for the ply bass, it’s now a different beast.