Neve?

I'm thinking 1u.

Thoughts?

Sounds like you might like to have a Shelford Channel?  I'd love to have one of those but $3500 is pretty steep.

Yes, I've been looking at it.

I've had lessons in the past about expensive things not being something I need. For example, I got a great mxl ribbon mic and decided maybe a Royer would be awesome. The Royer sounds almost indistinguishable from the mxl. It might be more durable or easier to change the ribbon on the road, but for my purposes I can't tell the difference.

Other things, like my rme, are clear wins.

The UA 6176 & LA 610 come to mind.
Both are pre>comp, the pres have "basic" eq.
The UA pres definitely have a sonic "signature".
Both are excellent as a bass DI.
You can use the comp or pre independently with the 6176.
In the LA610 they are hard wired.
T

Do you own one? Do you love it?

I have both, actually 3; 1 6176 & 2 La-610.
I find both very useful.

I'm not familiar w/ any single-rack space channel strip that is great - all those components need space.  But the double-rack sized Neve Portico II is a great investment if you have the cash.  I haven't used the Shelford, but I imagine it sounds great, too.  But the Portico has a lot of built-in features that make it a dream - and it sounds great.  LP filter, EQ w/ built-in de-esser, feed back or forward comp and blend so you can do internal, analog parallel compression, variable Silk so you can add some in some saturation harmonics (Mr. Neve found that too much clean didn't work for many music engineers so came up "Silk"), etc.
 
The Aurora line (Geoff Tanner) is more old school Neve and a bit cheaper, if $2500 is ever cheap!
 
It is rumored that WARM audio is coming out w/ a pre/EQ based upon a famous vintage model soon.  That should be about a $1000, if their price creep continues.  For $2500 you could get that and their La2a and 1176 and you're ready to replicate the sound of the late 60s thru the 70s, although it would be many rack spaces.
 
You are right that sometimes it is hard to hear $2000 difference.  I still listen to older recordings and say to myself, "jeez, that sounds good and I didn't have to spend this extra $5K and more (I'm not a guitarist so I can put my money into recording hardware not Gibson guitars ;-)) to get it.  However, my go-to electric guitar sound is through the Portico and a sub-$100 MXL ribbon and it sounds nigh on perfect.  I can't imagine it sounding any better.  Something to think about w/ your similar mic, if not a 144.
 
2 things - the good (ie. expensive) stuff is hard to make sound bad - overdriven distortion when you least need it and such.  The Portico runs on 54 volt rails, or something ridiculous like that.  The other thing is if your sound coming out sounds bad - you know it is you not the equipment.  If you can't get exactly what you want you just have to flog yourself to work harder, or change the source.  

AT
I'm not familiar w/ any single-rack space channel strip that is great - all those components need space.  But the double-rack sized Neve Portico II is a great investment if you have the cash.  I haven't used the Shelford, but I imagine it sounds great, too.  But the Portico has a lot of built-in features that make it a dream - and it sounds great.  LP filter, EQ w/ built-in de-esser, feed back or forward comp and blend so you can do internal, analog parallel compression, variable Silk so you can add some in some saturation harmonics (Mr. Neve found that too much clean didn't work for many music engineers so came up "Silk"), etc.

I have the Portico-II and it is one of the best musical purchases I've made.
Literally everything sounds amazing running thru it.
Though it has wonderful EQ and Dynamics sections, the preamp sounds/works so well, I often don't end up using them.  It's never been so easy to get a great DI bass sound.
Mics that sound strident with lesser preamps... sound great with the Neve.
It's like get an upgrade on your entire mic locker...
If you're looking for a world-class channel-strip, it doesn't get much (if any) better than the Portico-II.

look at building a 500 series rig..
so many killer choices.
 
you could have a preamp, EQ, compressor, all in one box
 
build as you go
 
start with this:
https://vintageking.com/a...-503hr-500-series-rack
 
then add  this:
https://vintageking.com/rupert-neve-designs-portico-511-mic-pre
 
then this:
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/JDKV12
 
then this:
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Electra500
 

This is where I'm spending my next bit of spare cash. I have a Joe Meek 3Q and it's OK,, but I know there's much better and I like Bat's idea a lot. I have an extra $250 I saved by not buying a new DAW yet. No, I'm spending my money on hardware... DAW's it would seem are all the same and I have at least 4 or those. 
I like to have the best sound at the source, going in, not turd polishing it later ITB.