i'd say any of the vintage to vintage hot bkp's would get you into that ballpark. seeing as you want good tapped sounds too, it might be better to go for one of the slightly hotter ones, maybe Crawlers? for the basic humbucking sounds i reckon mules would be ideal, and to me Crawlers have a similar tonality, just a bit more power. Abraxas might be another option? Any of those should sound great, and will be a big improvement over the Armstrongs.
i have a Berlin Standard, which is basically the same as the Stage, although mine is the hardtail version. i currently have Warpigs in it and have been amazed at the kinds of sounds i've gotten, they can do a lot more than just metal! The guitar really came to life when i put them in, the Armstrong's really didn't compare! but still, i reckon you want one of the less powerful pickups.
