I have an old weird 5 string that I think would sound a lot better with Alembic pickups than the current EMGs. I just got a proper bridge on it and a good setup, so it's playing well, it just doesn't feel like the sound it's creating is fully making it out of the output jack.
Here's a shot from the early 90s. I'm playing my David King 5, accompanied by a friend on the bass in question.