I also have relatively small hands. For instance, I tried a Telecaster the other day and the neck was way too fat towards the heel. The reason I chose bass over guitar, originally (years back), was because I figured my fingers were too stunted to do any chords. Well... five years later I get a Strat, I find that I can apply bass chords to it without too much difficulty, and that I can solo until the cows come home.

Now, does the slightly longer neck do anything for tone/low end? Because that is indeed the case with a long scale bass, otherwise us small-hand guys wouldn't be going through all that left hand strain with one.