what is the pickup output of the artec versus the gibson.
My Artec measured 12.4K, and the TB+ soapies that I replaced it with measured 10.2K (which I think is on the hotter side as far as those go).
I agree that for a bass, changing the type of cap (ceramic disc vs. polypropylene film "orange drops", etc...) makes less difference to my ears than changing the value of the cap (which alters the frequency at which the tone circuit rolls off).
FWIW, I don't find that the brand of pots makes a noticable difference either with a bass. I see it as more of a tactile change - the way the pot feels when you turn it. I put CTS in my BaCH so the knobs would have that same clunky feel as my other Gibsons. I use 16mm and/or 24mm Alphas in my synth-related projects, since they match the smooth feel that you usually find there. I have some gear with sealed mil-spec Bourns and Spectrol pots that tend to feel fraile and "wobbly" by comparison, but supposedly have a longer lifespan, don't require cleaning, etc... At the end of the day, they all provide a variable resistance.