Recommend me some EMG singles

[Axewielder]

I'm looking for a neck and middle pup to go with an EMG 81 in a heavy (alder?) H-S-S Jackson Strat with a maple board. The 81 is actually pretty versatile, and I'm looking for an aggressive bluesy/funky rhythmic sort of thing. I had some SA's in my old ESP, and they were ok I guess. I'm always looking for one better.

[Grandturk]

The only really have the S and the SA. Then they have them with traditional pole pieces, I think. They don't really have a hum bucker sounding pickup in a single coil size. I like the S myself. Crisp and stratty.

[ulijdavid]

I placed an SA between an 81 and 85 and that pickup could not compete volume wise. My customer had requested the EMG's because he wanted the active pickups. Both him and I were disappointed by the SA. Good sound but no way to balance out the volumes.

[DonP]

I have an Charvel Fusion Deluxe / Fusion PRO necked mutt. 18v EMG-S with an 81. It's perfect for doing "Rock Me" by Great White. The S works for the stratty / jazz parts and the 81 for the crunch parts.

I bought SA'a in a DG pickguard but sold it again before using it.

[Model4]

I know you said EMG, but I just thought I'd throw out the idea of some SD Hotrails OR SD Lil '59s
I was looking at the Hotrails when I built my Esquire Tele, and found out that they are great when you want them hot...but lack
greatly in a clean tone....
However the Lil 59's...which is what I eventually went with...get plenty hot when you need them, but have a great, buttery/bassy clean tone.

[MetalMedal II]

I placed an SA between an 81 and 85 and that pickup could not compete volume wise. My customer had requested the EMG's because he wanted the active pickups. Both him and I were disappointed by the SA. Good sound but no way to balance out the volumes.

I got around the volume drop issue by wiring an SPC control to only the single coils (SA's I think). I did this with a model 6 with an 81 in the bridge and a 650xl with an 89. With the SPC turned up all the way, the singles are just as loud as the hums. This difference in volume drove me nuts early on!

For the 650xl, I have a push pull on the tone which engages the SPC control for the neck SA (I took out the middle pu on this one). I keep the SPC tucked in the control cavity. Despite only a hum/single config I get a wide range of tones with the splittable 89 and SPC.