combination tube amp and ss preamp?

I respectfully disagree...well not THAT respectfully...in any case, I use a SS preamp with a tube power amp simply because I want the cleanest and most accurate possible signal going to my Greasefest Overdrive Special power amp where it's electrons are blasted about by various cathodes and anodes before eventually reaching my fat head in the form of happy little music blobs. Works for me, and makes plenty of sense. That little signal shouldn't have any "tube tone" anyway as it's not overdriven or expected to be tainted by tubiness to trickle tawdry tone transference toward the tuneful transponders. Besides, I don't currently want to have to tube roll another pile of Mullard/Psvane/Phillips/NOS/nonstock/woodstock glass unless I really have to.

I thought my philosophy of using a SS preamp with a tube amp was described adequately, but maybe not, so I shall ramble further. There are tube preamps that appeal to me but the balanced dual mono preamp I'm using (Kavent S33) is so good I don't think about it much...my tube power amp simply has a very pleasing 2nd order harmonic slam factor that many SS amps don't have, resulting, for my tastes anyway, in a more involving sound than SS. A preamp's signal is generally at such a low level it should be clean regardless if it's SS or tube so any form of distortion shoudn't be a factor, but the complicated interaction of an amp with speakers is another story and tubes are just more appealing to me. Note how many tubeless SS amps say "tube like" in their hype. I also have tubes in my motorcycle tires due to spoked wheels, and they sound better also.

The best thing about a tube amp is that you get to buy all sorts of interesting tubes for it over the years which results in you becoming a partner in its performance, you seem smarter and better looking, and are happy forever no matter what. These are facts...if you buy tubes for a solid state amp they just sit there and get all dusty and sad...to sum up: Be happy forever or dusty and sad. It's your choice.