For the pickups it's always a good idea trying out pickups before buying them, or making sure there's a good return/exchange policy. Sound and tone is a very personal preference.

If you can't try out a specific pickup or if you're only going off descriptions of stuff online (which can be dangerous, byw), try out stuff between companies to find which company you like best and then use their customer support to help pick one out. Those guys always know a rediculous amount about which pickups work for different people and setups.