Suggestions for an Analog Front-End

Spend more on the table and cartridge and pair it with a less expensive phono-preamp for now. I can upgrade later if desired. Open to other strategies.
Glad to hear because its always good to have a plan and that is a good one. One of the great things about analog is if you buy right you can buy for a very long time. It doesn't obsolete itself every 18 months like digital. A good turntable will last a very long time. A good arm maybe even longer. 

I have no advice on specifics, only to keep thinking like you're doing. Because you just never know what you may find. You may come across a killer deal on a super table, then run it with a cheap cartridge or stage for a while. Or you may find a killer deal on an arm, whatever you get the idea. 

The phono stage will be the hardest. Its just a very demanding component, hard to get right when on a budget. Yet when you do get it right it can be night and day the difference it will make. 

Another consideration, my experience would have me leaning towards arms with connected phono leads over arms that use RCA and interconnect. In my experience the phono signal is so delicate you wind up spending big money trying to find an IC good enough to make up for what is lost in the extra connections. Sorry I know that sucks because a lot are built that way but it is what it is. Also the last thing you need in the budget range is having to buy more stuff like a phono IC.

Thank you for your comments.  I had considered the Fluance line of tables and I have seen the positive reviews from pretty much everyone.  But I wanted something that was a step up and could give me some flexibility in adjustments.

I like the Rega tables, and appreciate the captured cord and uninterrupted signal path that MillerCarbon mentioned.  It's always annoyed me though that you can't adjust the VTA on any Rega model.  And other improvements are left to third parties to improve the design that Rega should have improved.  They are like the Glock of the turntable world.  They really are.  Not sure that analogy flies here.  Still I am interested in the Planar 6. 

The Technics 1200GR looks like a really nice deck, with nice improvements over it's predecessor, and it has some useful features to me.  I have mono and 78s.  The removable headshell makes it easier to switch to an appropriate catridge.  Old opera records are also notoriously recorded at inconsistent speeds.  Pitch adjustment could come in handy.  One thing bothers me though.  The 1200 is not a very sexy deck.  And to me the turntable is ideally function and beauty.  The 1200 has no bling.  (Although it does have a dustcover, which is a big one for me.  I don't get expensive decks without a dust cover.)

Based on some of the input here were a few combinations I was considering that would work for my budget. 

Option 1.  Rega Planar 6/Ania MC, Schiit Mani
Option 2  Technics SL-1200GR, some $300 cart (AT Vm740ml? Soundsmith Othello?) , Schiit Mani/Cambridge Duo
Option 3: Music Hall MMF5.3 w/ mods/Ortofon 2M Blue (Used circa $750), some really nice $1K to 1.2K Phone Preamp - JLTi phono stage mentioned above? Other...

Thoughts?

Schiit SOL turntable..

@decal - Hmm, - that Schiit does look very interesting - especially at that price and with the AT cartridge included.- and it looks like that have done a lot of things right

The only negative from what I can see is - no dust cover !
- but you can buy them on Ebay - not elegant, but they do the job

But I would recommend stepping up to a Simaudio Moon 110LP V2 for around $575 CDN
https://simaudio.com/en/product/110lp-v2-phono-preamplifier?v=3e8d115eb4b3

I have an older version of the 310LP and it is extremely good - the 110LP is of the same "lineage".- i.e. they flow their TOTL developments to the lower models

That will allow you to move up to MC cart if that itch should need to be scratched later :-)

Hope that helps - Steve

Rega, the table you can throw in the pickup drive around all year and when you need it it will just play and never mis-track. Never thought of it like that but now that I do yeah that would be Rega. ;)