Passive PU for old Gibson
 

I have a 1957 Gibson J160E . The pickup sucks and is noisy , but I am going to leave it alone . I am considering a passive pickup such as a K&K Mini , or Baggs I Beam or Element . I have a Baggs Para DI .
Have any of you folk gone through this evolution ? Which pickup would pair best with the Baggs Para DI ?

I have a new 12-string with the passive iBeam. It’s a very thin sound run completely passive and needs a preamp. I run mine through a Tonebone Pz-Pre.

We also have 3 guitars with the K&K Pure Mini. While not 12-strings it is clear that the signal from these is hotter and more natural sounding than the iBeam, even without the preamp.

If it was me I would have no hesitation in installing a Pure Mini.