Turntable and amp combination

Regas are not hard to set up but marrduk is right that direct drive is even easier to set and you don't lose on sound quality when you get a quality deck like an upper tier technics.

With respect to ss vs tube, both are good (just depends on personal preference). But SS are maintenance free while most tube amps require regular tinkering. A good combo is a tube preamp going into a SS amp.

For a really good affordable hybrid of Tube and SS integrated. Look at the Rogue Audio Sphinx. It is US made and customer service is excellent. With tube input you get a very natural sound with great sound stage and then the SS amplificationsection will give you the strong bass / low end that you can't get with a tube amp unless you buy a hyper expensive one.

Project Carbon Espirit is right now what I have in mind right now. I have also been steered towards Marantz.

You can discover much better turntables at the same price or very close, what you're looking for at the moment is not good. Read more about Direct Drive turntables and particularly about brand new Technics models on this forum or elsewhere. 

For amps, do most of the people pick solid state amps for vinyl or tube?

Reading your questions it's hard to understand how long you're into audio ?

Solid State or Tube is endless debate, no one will tell you, no matter what source are you using (analog or digital), it is just personal preferences. 

I'll tell you more: when you say "tube" would you like to describe what you mean? Push-pull, single ended, what king of tubes (new or NOS) ? It is all important. Low power tube amp can't drive inefficient speakers, but they can drive high efficient speakers very well. Currently running my Yamamoto A-08s with Zu Audio Druid speakers. The best Solid State amps i ever heard are those from Nelson Pass (Fist Watt) and mine is First Watt F2J. 

Practically SS is better, those from Nelson Pass FIRST WATT are unique design and exceptionally good (and not expensive). 

When I was looking for a new turntable, I originally expected to get a Pro-ject. My dealer, who’s dealt Pro-ject for years, talked me out of that and into a Mofi. 

Yamaha makes nice integrateds for the money...and they have something to fit most price/quality ranges.  Personally like them in silverface va. black.