Ditto. The LR Baggs Five O (bags full o' money) is a great sounding way to go if you can afford it. A bit over priced if you ask me, but sounds great.
Everything is relative.
From an installatiion perspective, the Fishman Matrix is easier to get "right" once you get the right size.
Prior to installing Five.O's, the LRBaggs Element UST was my go to, and Fishman Matrix prior to that.
If the Five.O is too expensive, the Element is slightly less. Both less than the Fishman..
http://www.stewmac.com/Pickups_and_Electronics/Pickups/
Chuck, pickups can become a very client based, personal thing. What should be determined is what "sound" they are looking for, and that it matches the builder as well. Fortunately, most (read: all) of my clients out the door aren't looking for the Fishman/MiSi sound, and trust when I suggest LRBaggs. If they wanted a Fishman, yes, I'd install it. I also recommend running it through a ParaAcoustic DI, or a Venue as well. That one, they don't always go for, as most of them don't go on stage, that I know of.
My friend just came over and wanted me to swap a passive pickup in his Kamaka 6 to a Five.O. Since he's ALWAYS on stage, I told him save his money and run it through his LRBaggs ParaAcoustic DI.
There are always ways to save $$$, and this thread represents that. Building for yourself, and installing a pickup for yourself is another thing entirely. You can pretty much do what you want at that point.