Pickup questions, SE Tremonti Custom and S2 Starla

[Haarfagr]

Hey guys.

I own a SE Tremonti Custom and a S2 Starla.
My Tremonti have EMGs in it, and after buying the Starla I've fallen in love with the clarity and definition of passives. EMGs sound really lifeless and you don't get the same feel when you play the guitar, as you do with passives.
So question nr 1 is:
Which passive pickups would you put in a Tremonti Custom, that have the same kind of definition and clarity that the Starla pickups have? I'm aiming to have a bit higher output pickups in the Tremonti than the Starlas.

Question nr 2:
I can get hold of some used core Starla pickups, but I can't find any comparison between the S2's and the core's. Is there a huge difference, and what is different, if so? Is it worth it to upgrade?

I play in a black metal band (Yes I know, unusual to use a Starla for that ) but I also play progressive rock/metal, so I need versatile pickups!

Haarfagr

 

[Fidel Jimenez]

I am running the HFS in my P245. They are hotter than the 58/15's that it came with. But they really clean up nicely when I roll off the volume. My personal favorites were the original Dragons in my '96 CU22.

The 59/09's seem to be pretty highly rated. Chris Robertson from Black Stone Cherry swears by them. Their music runs from bluesy to fairly saturated overdrive. Works for him.