I have the LR Baggs Element VTC on several of my guitars, which in my opinion is probably the best of its type currently on the market. The inbuilt compression sets it apart from others I've tried, and it does produce a fairly accurate tone of your instrument. It's certainly very lively and the only pedals I use with thus are the LR Baggs Session DI and their Align reverb unit, which kill off piezo 'quack' and add warmth.
Chris does a wonderful (and very speedy) job of installing this pickup, and I'd strongly recommend that you use his services rather than try a DIY job at home...drilling that big hole in the lower bout is no joke 🫣