Now that's a lovely present! Any bass is a journey of a lifetime. I see you have many songbooks made out of glass, the start is most likely pretty easy.
@TKenrick, like your approach. Want to add a small thing here: I like to play the song changes. When the song ends, I like to feel the change from tempo and scale to the next one.
Using the D'Addario chart, and CGDA tuning instead of EADG, we get (here I use D = .060 ProSteel RW long scale string as a reference):
A .040 @ 42.6 lbs.
D .060 @ 45.2 lbs.
G .090 @ 43.5 lbs.
C .145 @ 41.9 lbs.
G .040 @ 37.6 lbs. (or .045 @ 45.7 lbs.)
D .060 @ 45.2 lbs.
A .080 @ 43.7 lbs.
E .105 @ 41.5 lbs. (or .110 @ 46.0 lbs.)
There you go.
By the way: Now you need two new basses that you assign to 5ths tuning. Do not forget the fretless.
You can try ozone. The units are pretty cheap especially 2nd hand. Find a closet that is not in your apartment, and ozonize the case for few hours. After vacuuming, of course. If you can get a cardboard or plastic box that is slightly bigger than the case, the treatment is more efficient. Repeat once or twice.
Yes, (No) this is a special construction where the neck extends to the bridge (which is NOT attached to the body, thank you for the correction). This isn't a neck through body, nor a bolt on neck as we usually understand it.
What has the body shape to do with the definition, if the pickup and its placement is the thing soundwise? Would an Adam Clayton gilt Warwick not be a P, because of the shape? (OK, the pickup is reversed, but still?)
AI "music" is very clean down to perfection. There's no "fear" in the music anymore and it becomes muzak. If I could contaminate the material, I most probably would do it.
A friend of mine has a 300 W Dynacord combo that I have tried to buy from him many, many times during the years. Excellent sound, a true workhorse. Has been in use since 90's!