Thanks Fartin. Sure you hear a bass, it's just not bass strings. I use piccolo strings in order to be able to play chords with more clarity. Sure you can play chords on any bass, but they tend to sound muddy on the low end.
Any bass players out there with a spare bass laying around might want to give it a try. They're cheap, fast, and fun. Here's where you can get some, if they don't have them in your local store.
http://store.juststrings.net/dad-exl280.html