Good to hear it was a jack pot! The only issue I ever encountered with HB el-guitars were a few uneven frets which can be easily fixed by "hammering" them gently with a rubber hammer (I use the rubber handle of me screwdriver) and job done.
Yes the bridge is hotter, more trebly and needs taming with the tone knob. Now I am surprised to hear that its the opposite on the Jazz Bass, since I come from a guitar background I always assumed bridge is the loud one like on all instruments even on a Clarinet if it had a bridge that is
Will have to check my Jazz Bass today and hear for my self. I always play with both pickups so never really listened carefully to just one long enough to notice that bridge pup is quieter. Strange indeed One always learns new things, especially here on Bass Chat.