Which would be a better buy... a MIM Deluxe Powerhouse Strat upgraded with vintage noiseless pickups or a Highway One Strat with stock pickups except for a duncan hotrails in the bridge position. For about a $100 more than either of those I could get a 1995 American Standard not modified at all. Is it worth the extra $100 even though the other two have upgraded pickups?

The Powerhouse has the same style trem block and string spacing as the american standards. I know the Highway Ones use a different string spacing and a different trem block.

I do not want to mess with switching out pickups later on I want the best I can get right now.

The Deluxe Powerhouse Strat uses the MIM vintage style bridge with 2-7/32" string spacing and a full-size zinc alloy trem block.

HTH

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

All of them are Fenders. However when the race is close, trying them out on several amps for a while will help you decide.

For the price of that powerhouse strat, I would go this route:

Fender FSR American Standard Stratocaster Electric Guitar with TBX and Active Mid Boost $999.99
http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Fender-2010-FSR-American-Standard-Stratocaster-Electric-Guitar-with-TBX-and-Active-Mid-Boost?sku=423641

If you don't want to mess with the pickups I say - don't go for the HW1. It's a great guitar (I love mine) but the stock pickups are pretty lame. Can't say if the Hot Rails is the best pickups for YOU - as I don't really know what tones you're looking for.

The best out of the box would probably be the American Standard. Probably, just guessing...