I had a TVC using the S&B Mark I trannies. It sounded more like a tube preamp than a lot of tube preamps did. By that I mean it was full and rich, but with lots of transparency and resolution. I'm not sure how a TVC would work in your situation, but it's worth looking into. I would still have one in mine, but I changed amps and needed the extra gain.
Shakey
Shakey