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I saw Tony McManus and Paul Reed Smith at the Dallas Guitar Festival this last weekend. McManus was playing and demonstrating the PRS acoustic guitars and did a phenomenal job. Those guitars are selling as fast as Smith can make them and I think there was only one still available at the show during the demonstrations. I didn't get a chance to play one and probably won't...way outta my price range.

I haven't really tried to watch close ups of him playing but I wonder if he maybe used open tunings allowing him to simply bar for a lot of chords...

Great info Joe! I've seen some really good players with just basic gear, a guitar and amp, get a phenomenal range of tones! It's amazing how some people can get that signature sound no matter what they are playing...

What about "Susie Q" the original Dale Hawkins version written by Dale and James Burton? I think James was only about 16 at the time...

I'm wondering why you've narrowed the problem down to the strings? A fresh set of D'Addario 10-46 should sound great on your guitar...Have you tried a different amp and different settings with your pickups? Not trying to be critical, just trying to get a handle on this...A quality guitar with quality pickups and strings makes me suspect some wiring/switch/capacitor issues or an amp that's not delivering...betcha someone here can come up with some good info

Dang! You're increasing my severe withdrawel symptoms of GAS (Guitar Aquisition Syndrome)...have fun playing it! Sounds like a beautiful instrument!

Might I suggest going to   http://www.bossus.com/   and checking out their products? They have a very informative website and I've had good results with their products. I use a Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive (and others) and really like it. Plus it's affordable for most. There is a staggering array of effects pedals out there but you'll find that many are simply copies of each other. Some of the websites such as Boss will have additional information including sound samples.  For the music you've mentioned I would suggest that you probably don't need anything that refers to "Metal". You mentioned onboard effects such as chorus and reverb in your amps...those can really expand the sound. A delay pedal can add more. Distortion is always good to add some grit to Rock or Blues. For lots of the "Chicken Picking" County a compressor can help a lot. Also just playing with your amp settings can accomplish a lot of different sounds...example with your guitar volume knobs all the way up, try lots of Gain on amp and then adjust the amp volume...More gain is more distortion. Back off the gain and add volume for a cleaner (sweeter) tone...etc...
I hope this helps some! Happy playing!

Probably my favorite is the Boss TU-2 Tuner and a delay pedal...  I do lots of opening tuning and the pedal makes it easy to stay in tune...the delay (just a little) adds lots of depth

If you've never been to a Guitar Show then you are in for a treat. Entry fee can be steep but the good shows will have lots of freebie stuff like picks, accessories, etc.  Sometimes you can score a really good deal, other times you can get stung! Many of the venders will have instruments that you can try out...Companies like Peavey, Gibson, and Fender typically don't sell instruments but will refer you to reputable dealers at the show that carries their products. Some of the smaller companies will sell direct and often offer discounts and show specials.  Be aware of people walking around with stuff and make sure you know what you are buying before parting with your money...also the "Vintage" market is absolutely ridiculas at times. Sometimes people will sell fakes and counterfeits! At the shows in the Dallas/Ft Worth area it's not unusual to see celebrities performing, doing workshops, and mingling around with the crowds. Find a show ... go... and have fun and meet some folks! jg

I remember seeing Garth Brooks and Companion smash a couple of Takamine Guitars during a televised concert...I immediately lost respect for him as a musician...

I'm not familar with Dragonfire" but looking at their website I strongly suspect that they are using cheap import products...that's not always bad, but might not be an improvement on your project.

Why are you wanting to change your pick-ups?  Seymour Duncan website has lots of good info and wiring diagrams available to help with information...

Rewiring your own is not difficult if you have some basic skills with soldering and wiring...or you can gather up all the materials and have someone solder everything togather...  I have MIM Strat that I've rewired several times and have a couple of different pickguards with different pickups... It's fun to scrounge around and find all the parts and then put it all togather...almost like getting a new guitar...

Picks are something that I guess there is no particular right or wrong...just whatever works best. I've settled on a large heavy pick called "Dawg" picks...very popular with mandolin players. I can usually order those from Janet Davis music in Arkansas. A close copy is the D'Andrea 1.5 mm X-Heavy. I also use a heavy gauge thumb pick for fingerstyle playing as well...those I'll dip in boiling water to soften and shape to fit...

I've probably got several thousand picks that I've accumulated over the years...someday I'm going mount and frame them in a display for my music room.