If you can stretch budget to buy a new Gustard R26 or look for a used one possibly within budget, you will be happy for a very long time. There was a sale recently that dropped the price down to $1,500. No longer active last I checked.
Also when it comes to R26, there are ways you can improve it even further once you're ready. Just make sure you like the R2R sound, and the R26 is not your average R2R.
