Bigbillc,
I was in a similar situation to you about ten years ago.
After joining A'goN and buying and selling gear for a few years I realized that just putting together a combination of electronics that I enjoyed was difficult enough, let alone anything to do with the analog world.
It seems like you've done a fair amount of research and have an idea where you'd like to start, so I'd say jump in and see how the water is.
But be prepared to spend more money than you ever imagined, be open-minded [as you already are] and most of all enjoy the journey.
Good luck!
Dean
I was in a similar situation to you about ten years ago.
After joining A'goN and buying and selling gear for a few years I realized that just putting together a combination of electronics that I enjoyed was difficult enough, let alone anything to do with the analog world.
It seems like you've done a fair amount of research and have an idea where you'd like to start, so I'd say jump in and see how the water is.
But be prepared to spend more money than you ever imagined, be open-minded [as you already are] and most of all enjoy the journey.
Good luck!
Dean