Looks like you need a boost pedal ^___^
I guess you didn't try a Tremonti Signature Singlecut? Some of the other PRS models have much lower output pickups although they are higher quality which = more tone. Tremonti likes a boatload of output which means more gain in the front end. With pickups you hear many factors in quality. Generally a high quality pickup CAN be higher output but some (PAF style humbuckers) are lower output and intended for Blues / Classic rock. They may be less hot but they are brighter, clearer, and have more soul / dynamic response. Much more expressive and three dimensional.
Another question. What height were the PRS pickups in relation to yours. I recall you had yours cranked too high so that is probably why you get more output from it.
To determine what pickup to put in your guitar, try playing it unplugged and put your ear against the body of the instrument. Listen to the tone. You want a pickup that best complements the natural voice of the instrument. A dark and bassy instrument works well with a pickup that is brighter and accentuates the high frequencies. If it has a tight low frequency response, that's also very helpful.
Contrary to this, if you have a very bright and thin sounding instrument (Think 'superstrat' like an Ibanez Prestige) then you want a dark and thick sounding pickup with a huge bottom end.
Output: This is how much electrical signal is generated by a pickup. If you have more windings on the pickups and stronger magnets, you get more current which means more output and by extension, more gain. The tradeoff is that the pickup sounds compressed and it is less responsive. There is a tradeoff between gain and tone / expression overall. The trick is to find that magic point where there is ENOUGH gain to get the tone you want without sacrificing tone in the process. Often, this equates to effort being expended by the right hand as well as some broken strings haha.
I get a lot of saturation with my 2 channel dual with the gain at 3 O'Clock, almost too much. It's fantastic for Death Metal and searing leads but not for much else. For rock, I'll typically run the gain at 2:00 and I'll back off the volume knob for crunch tones. This gives a softer clip which fits well with the genre. With my audio taper pot, I get quite a large decrease in signal when I roll the volume on my guitar to 8 or so, which yields quite a dramatic result. I also find the different values on the tone control make the tone pots useful since they only cut the bright highs and leave the mids intact. As the tone nears zero, it yields a very round, open, and warm sound.
My Bare Knuckle Rebel Yells are fairly hot but not so hot as active pickups or anything geared specifically towards metal. The biggest different is more with tone. They are more open and 'even' sounding, especially in the high end. They are very clear and bright pickups which means I can pour on the gain while maintaining a wide pick attack and a tight bottom end. Where the stock Burstbuckers would have become flubby and mushy, the 'knuckles' sound crisp, clear, and articulate.
I'm also interested to see how much new electronics open up the sound of your guitar. In of itself, that should give you a less dark tone.
Anyway, I digress.
I guess the verdict is:
1) needs a boost pedal. c.a. $150 or less. This is your top priority, I think.
2) Pickups are dark sounding, possibly because the volume pot for the bridge pickup is not letting enough high frequencies through. Swapping electronics will help. Approx $50. Lowering the pickup slightly and raising the pole pieces will give a brighter and more articulate sound but at the expense at output. Worth a try. If the electronics solve the tone problem, you may not need to upgrade pickups just yet.
3) You predictably like v30s better as well as a closed back cab. This is a bigger expense which is probably a long range acquisition, right? I'd suggest saving your cash beforehand and acquiring a suitable cab and then flipping your 4 x 12 to mitigate most of the cost. I think a 4 x 12 in good condition can be had for $600 or less. If yours is also in good condition, you should be able to fetch close to that as well.
4) Pickup(s). You will have to decide if this is worth it or not. Is it worth dumping $100+ into what is probably an $800 guitar? A full set of boutique pickups are $300 or maybe more for the 7 string version so you have to ask yourself if that money is better spent on a new premium quality instrument. Sure, it will make your instrument sound better but I am not convinced it is the best financial investment at this point.
I think my low B was a hair flat... or i was just hitting open chords too hard in middle section..
