I was using the Fender Pure Vintage 65 set in my Strat for Alligator, early Wolf tones. Thought they did a great job. The 65's only come in sets too and are A5, but way cheaper than the 54 set.
Switched to a set of Bootstrap 54 Vintage Sparkles, they're A3 but not formvar. Really think these do a great job too. Bootstrap sells singles, can get a 54 VS neck for $27.99. Nothing but great things said about how their pups sound if you poke around the internet forums.
https://bootstrappickups.com/collection ... d-machines