Have a small tube preamp (ART Tube MP/C) which sounds very warm and works fine – indeed, better – with cheap 12AX7s than better ones (lower voltage, so the tube never overdrives). Used with an SBT (PUTW, Baggs, etc), it’s big and warm; the compression and the eq make it easy to dial in for either solo or band work.
Always use the reverb on the board (or the amp) if possible – it’s usually better than outboard reverbs, IMO.