Richie,
When I started into tubes I went to the Bottlehead.com site and purchased a foreplay preamp kit and hooked it up to my SS amp and you get the best of both worlds. Tube on the front and SS on the back. Check the site out the kit's are simple to put build.
Lee

Axiom M80Ti(4) Axiom VP150(1) Axiom Qs8(4) Axiom M22ti(2) Axiom M3ti(2)