looking for a tube preamps that doesn't sound like SS

Oh, easy. Take a close look at the Supratek Audio Chardonnay. This is the latest iteration of the preamp that kicked off the longest running thread on Audiogon. Search for "Preamp Deal of the Century".

Another top candidate would be the Don Sachs Model 2. Extremely well regarded.

If you're wanting to buy new, I don't think you can go wrong with either of these two preamps. You can spend more, but it will be tough to find better.

The newest AT7  quicksilver linestage sounds very nice.

Look for a 300b  Tube preamp if you want a beautiful lush midrange , as one example to look for ,
or a SET tube preamp .

Rogue stuff is pretty nice. I’ve been using a Rogue 66 pre for a while now, and I really dig it. No urge to upgrade (as of yet).

@tonydennison has a great idea with the Quicksilver too.

If you’re a diy kinda guy, the Bottlehead SET looks very cool too.