Here's my thoughts on all of this:
[b:3jjfauea]Price[/b:3jjfauea]: BS is right-on with the $900-$1200 price range. Any more and you might as well shop for a used ABI.
[b:3jjfauea]Finish[/b:3jjfauea]: The flame top is nice. You could downgrade the quality of the top to cut some costs, but then you might as well use a fake flame top - I've seen some pretty convincing ones. Is paint really any cheaper per unit than a top? Offer maybe 3 metallic colors (a red, a blue, and a black), and offer 2 colors with "fancy" tops, natural and blackburst. As far as how to set the body apart, droop the bottom cutaway like a PA?
[b:3jjfauea]Pickups[/b:3jjfauea]: You could put one humbucker in the sweet spot. I had a couple of Cort Curbow Petites with a single Bart, a mid-cut switch, and a Bart MK three band eq, and it was all you needed. They were very impressive little basses. Cort did a great job with them, and managed to bring the 6 string in at way less than $900. I've nearly decided to get another, shave the neck, and have it around just for fun

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How about a PJ set up of some kind? Everybody makes at least one bass with this arrangement. Seems like there are a dozens of soap bars to choose from to find a decent one. Whatever the layout, a standard sized rout so that we can hotrod the bass is a must.
[b:3jjfauea]Frets[/b:3jjfauea]: 24. IME, a 24 fret Dingwall slaps just fine, thank you, and I wasn't frightened by the look at all!

If you don't need the last 2 frets then don't use them, but I try to go way up there at least once on every solo

Count me in for A Dingwall Whatever, even at $1200, but no more than that or I'll just buy used.
Mark