It sounds like you might dig Duncan strat-sized HB's in that guitar (btw I didn't see him say anywhere that he wanted to cut the body)... back in the day (circa 1990) Kadlecik turned me on to the JB Jr.'s, of which he mounted three in his Strat-style PRS. That was his guitar for his stints in Hairball Willie, Uncle John's Band(IL), Wingnut, and very early DSO. Anyway, the JB Jr's are medium-output(for an HB- much higher than a strat p/u)and have a very smooth balanced sound, with a slightly rounded but sweet high-end. If you go that route you probably want to make all 3 p/u's of similar output.
"There, in huge black letters, was 'The Grateful Dead'. It just... cancelled my mind out."-Garcia