Over the last two years, I've tried a huge amount of pickups, because I am constantly on the hunt for the ultimate tone.
Throughout the process of trying pickup over pickup, I have become a great fan of Seymour Duncan.
The SH-6 aka. the Duncan Distortion has become one of my favorites.
It has plenty of bight and grunt without getting muddy. It retains clarity even when the guitar is tuned down.
It definitely has some 80's shred mojo.
In a few (very few guitars) the Distortin tended to get a little hard to controll in the high end, though nothing one cannot fix by dialing the amp a little more carefull.
It works absolutely great with maple, by the way!