This is a real minefield, but I'll start at the real basics, then jump in the "mire" later on...
Strat style pickups can be made in a number of different ways:
1) With steel slugs: check the way the pole pieces in your pickups look. If they have a very polished smooth looking top - or may even be plated chrome or screw heads - then, likely as not, if you lifted the scratchplate next time you change the strings, you will see either a single bar magnet stuck onto the bottom of the pickup, or maybe two magnets either side of a row of steel slugs or screws. The body of the pickup will be moulded plastic and it may or may not be impregnated with wax. I have seen pickups like this on the original Burns Marquee, various Squiers and S type copies.
Generally speaking, it's unlikely that these pickups will give you the "holy grail" sound you are looking for though with careful eq on your amp they can be made to sound respectable if not authentic.
2) Noise cancelling: this is the structure used in Kinmans, Fender noiseless, and various pickups where one coil is stacked over the top of another... they are generally taller than standard single coils but will fit without problems into a standard rout.
I have personally used Kinmans (of two types), Fender Noiseless and Hot Noiseless pickups. Clearly, Hank likes his signature Kinman set, and they will certainly give you his modern tone (you can hear my use of them in the Sound Files section with Janine). But they won't give you the old classic "bark" and twang (and neither will the now discontinued Hank CV set) or the in-between sounds of two pickups combined. The Fenders are OK for general use fitted to Clapton and Beck Strats respectively, but when compared A to B with traditionally made pickups they just don;t have the authentic basic tone for Shads music...
3) Traditional structure: The old Fender standard with a base and top punched out of fibreboard with six holes, each occupied by a magnetised rod of some magnetic material, wound round with very fine lacquered copper wire, and saturated in wax to prevent squealing...
There's all sorts of opinion about the best magnets to use, and most folks seem to plump for alnico (aluminium, nickel, cobalt) which itself comes in various forms and magnetic strengths, though there are some made with samarium cobalt, neodymium, and ceramic magnets... Alnico for Shads in my view...
You can also find a halfway house structure with the plastic chassis of 1) above but the magnets of 3)... makes for cheaper manufacture.
So which ones then? Over the last few years, people have had success with Tonerider Pure Vintage (http://www.tonerider.com/pickups/stratpickups.html), Fender 57/62s (http://www.fender.com/products//search.php?partno=0992117000) and Fender Custom Shop 54s.. (http://www.fender.com/products//search.php?partno=0992112000)... and the price? About £70, £130, and £150 respectively... not counting Apache from Bare Knuckle, and good 'ole Seymour Duncan...
But if you really are starting from scratch and are considering a guitar to set out with, check out these two http://www.squierguitars.com/products/search.php?partno=0303010500 and http://www.squierguitars.com/products/search.php?partno=0303000505. Priced at around £230 you get the Fender pedigree and alnico pickups...
As always, if you know something I left out, or if you want to disagree and suggest alternative ways to get "that sound" then, by all means, dive in... the water's fine!!