I've been playing guitar and bass a long time, but I've never had much technical know-how. I'm mostly self-taught, and I've just picked up bits and pieces along the course of the last 20 years or so. For a variety of reasons I've decided to up my technical understanding game a bit, which is why I've started slowly accumulating parts to build and wire my first partscaster. The next step for my build is getting pickups, however, and after a fair bit of research I'm still feeling a bit perplexed. I understand the basic differences in construction between humbuckers and single-coils, but I guess I want help with understanding how a pickup's various specs affect its sound. What are the tonal differences between different types of magnets? What are the benefits and drawbacks of higher output pickups? Lower output? What other factors should I consider?
To help narrow the scope of information I'm requesting, here are some buzzwords that describe the tone I'm looking for: bright, well-defined, full, sustain, clear, crisp. Help me understand how to get there!