A lot of people on here don't care for EMG's, and especially the active ones. I have an EMG HZ-4 in my strat copy that sounds awsome. Great metal tone with easy harmonics. If you go the active pickup route, you need to rewire your guitar, but with a passive, you most likely do not. I would go to a Guitar Center or Sam Ashe and try out a few guitars with EMG's then see what you think. What kinda Duncan's do you have in there now?