OK, so apparently the title of this thread should be, "Hamptone JFET or Tube or GR ME-1NV"???
It sound like you want a new preamp, have limited resources, and are just trying to get something good.
I have never heard the GR in question. I have never, knowingly, heard an original Neve 1073, either.
So, what the phuck do I know? Well,
two channels of prebuilt Hamptone JFET will cost you about a third less than
one channel of the GR....but I'm sure you've already figured this out. Also, the sounds shouldn't be too dissimilar. They are both solid state, transformer balanced preamps. I've heard that the GR is a bit more colored than the Hamptone, but I can't confirm this. I can promise you that the circuits (power supply and preamps) as well as the electronics in the Hamptone are top-notch.
If you already have racks of different, great preamps then get the GR.
However, and I have a feeling this is your situation, if this is going to be one of your first quality preamps, I think you'd be crazy not to get two rock-solid channels of Hamptone (either jfet or tube.) The sound (clean with power and punch) is very versatile, and the price can't be beat.
Oh, and to answer your question, first I'd get the Hamptone JFET, then I'd get a DAV BG1, then I'd get a Lawson L251 mic, then I'd get a Heil
PR-30 mic, then I'd get to sleep on the sofa for a month because I spent too much damn money.
- Jim