software

Well you hear it. I had the crazy idea of putting a ceramic magnet into a FullShred (I still plan on trying this someday) but it seems that it'd be overkill, so maybe the opposite conversion: a Distortion with hex polepieces, and maybe an Alnico 5 magnet (for the JB version). What would this do? Add some bass, give it a slightly 'fuller' sound?
Second question: what differenciates pickups? Number of coils, gauge of the wire, type of polepieces, magnets only? Does SD use a common gauge for all its pickups?

Something tells me the Full Shred may be a custom 5 with hex poles or very damn close to it. With a ceramic, it will be like a custom with hex poles. I have tried the C5 and the FS back to back and they are very similar. I think the difference is the Hex poles personally.

if you put the A5 mag in a Distortion it would make your distortion a JB and if you added hex poles then it would be a JB with Hex poles.

How is the C5 usually? Is it the one noone likes because it's too scooped? :P The FullShred isn't scooped really, at least I didn't notice a huge difference with the Jackson J50BC, whereas I did for the bass.