I've played it cap-less with the mudbucker both stock and split, and I have no idea what highs you are all talking about. Now that I have the OBL pickup under the sidewinder cover I have highs (and all the lows I could ever want). All that wonderful potential and resonance you hear from the bass when you play it unplugged, that were suffocated by that monstrous mud and its little capacitor accomplice for 50 years, are now finally unlocked. If you could ask the bass, I'm sure it's very happy now.