Hello Emily. I would concurr with the Conrad Johnson recommendations as well. The older mv45,mv 50, mv52 are wonderfully musical with near zero ear fatique, and can be found for far less than your budget. All of them are el34 based. Roger magesky's rm-9 is another consideration. Best of luck on your endevour.
Help with tube amps
I have recently become quite interested in puying a tube amp. I have no knowledge about tube amps but have been told of the magical sound a tube amp will make. I am looking to be able to put this tube amp into my system once in a while in order to experience this magic with my husband through a night of romantic acoustics every once in a while. Although my budget may seem low ($1000), I am hoping that there are some amps out there that will suit my needs. Amps I have looked at so far: Houston GSP-02, Sonic Frontiers SFS-80, and Decware Zen triode. Looking for any other suggestions and/or advice.