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I've been gassing for a strat type guitar lately. Probably alder body, maple neck, maple board, with a Wilk or vintage trem, all of which seems to be a recipe for brightness. My guitar shop guy tells me it will also slightly scoop the mids. This one will be mostly for leads for overdriven rock, hard rock, and late 70's-early 80's metal. The guitar will mostly go through amps similar to modified Marshall master volume circuits. I'm really a humbucker guy rather than a single coil guy, though I do sometimes like the strat bridge/middle notch sound.

I'm flexible on the pickup configuration because pickguards are relatively cheap. Initially I was thinking HH a la Priest, although HSS is much more common and it looks like the singles can be wired in series for a humbucker-esque sound, as can an SSS configuration with or w/o a single sized humbucker.

My top picks right now are the JB, the Custom, the Custom 5, and the Distortion. Several people suggested the JB. The guitar shop guy also suggested the JB and mentioned the JB, jr. Any thoughts about how well those pickups would fit the bill? How well to they do in parallel in notch positions (a secondary consideration, but hey best to find out ahead of time)? Any others I should look at?

i own a mexican fender strat, it has an evolution dimarzio in the bridge, and it rocks!!!! Im into ur kind of music also, it gives that tightness and punch, im also into fusion so.
good luck

I'd consider an Invader, but all the pickups you mentioned are great. Except maybe the Distortion, it might be a little bright for an alder/maple guitar

Alot of People will say the JB but, the JB is a love it or hate it kind of pickup in my opinion (I hate it). The custom will do the late 70's/ early 80's stuff like a champion!!!! Its higher output but, it has a classic vibe to it. I can play 80's metal with it and I can play AC/DC kind of stuff and nail the tone to a T with it. I am sure it will treat you really well for your taste in muscial era's.

Thanks for the comments so far. How well do the JB, JB jr, Custom, and C5 do in parallel wiring?

My homemade strat is the exact same woods. Custom Custom all the way. You will LOVE how it sounds. Maple is bright by nature so the JB may sound too bright with the maple neck/maple board.

Hey man i'm in the exact same position as you!!

I think i've decided on a custom custom for my alder bodied double fat strat,anyone want to tell me how they think this will sound,namely the guy above me who just recommended it?

Like a freakin' monster. When I built that guitar I was debating on what pickups to get. The guy who helped me build it said straight up, the Custom Custom, no hesitations on his part. It'll give you a nice growl, good harmonics, smooth smooth highs, nice mid spike but not overbearing, and the lows are just perfect. I had it bolted right to the body before the pickguard went on and the thing sang like no other. You will not be disappointed with it.

That guitar now has a JB/Jazz combo in it but I'm probably going to toss my Custom Custom back in it at some point or trade the JB off for a zebra CC trem-spaced.

Yeah,i think you just decided it for me.Thanks a lot man.

No problem. If Seymour made a 'Lil Custom Custom, I'd have that in my Stratocaster.