Right now it's hard for me to characterize the similarities/differences in the sound between my old PBass and my Pilot, as the P-Bass has an EMG pickup in it that I've never fully warmed up to. I installed it many moons ago, and right before I quit playing for a very long time, and honestly, it's something I wish I'd never done. That is compounded by the fact that the OEM pickup was lost in a subsequent move, which is something I kick myself about to this day. I have recently purchased a Lindy Fralin P-Bass replacement pup, but I have yet to install it. I've heard nothing but great things about them, and will report further when the installation is complete.
What I will say about the Pilot vis-a-vis the P-Bass is that I MUCH prefer the neck, and the variety of sounds that I can get out of it, especially through my Hartke HA200 and 410 bottom. That bottom has been with me for many years and gigs, and unfortunately checked out on me right at the start of one last weekend. I'm not sure 100% what's wrong with it at this point, but it just doesn't work. I also have a 115 bottom that's in much better shape, but just doesn't sound as good. I'm in the process now of either fixing or replacing the 410 bin. The cabinet is so beat up (it's actually cracked on the bottom, and there's also a hole there :shock: ), that I'm leaning towards just replacing it. Another option (highly recommended by our own bassmyf) is to get a Hartke Kickback 12, and just call it a day. That's what Jeff uses, and he swears by them. Probably the best long-term for my back as well!
Stay tuned for more developments...