Also what about an Aphex Aural Exciter to add even more to the recordings before they reach the recorder? With the kind of access I have at these local venues I can bring as much stuff as I care too really, so this is becoming more insane than I had expected.
Personally, I'd first run:
Mics > Mixer / gain > JB3
This will give you a baseline of how your mics / mixer / gain / JB3 sound. You may love the setup as is!! I'd then identify what qualities I like and don't like in the recording and modify my gear accordingly to refine the sound closer to what I really want - whether that means adding tube processing, including an Aphex Aural Exciter, changing mics / different pre, introducing an external ADC, etc. Tough to tell, IMO, whether you'll even want the tube processor, or AAE, or anything else until you give it a go.