Greg, e stock tube is great but I feel the NOS adds a little more clarity. Hard to tell but for a pair of those NOS on eBay for $50 I felt I couldn't lose.
The Melody amps, imo, aren't typically tube amps. They rock hard and slam when they need to. Still, I like the natural texture they evoke compared to some solid state and other tube amps I have used. I don't think there's too much credit location in my system but I'm biased. It's mine. If you're ever in Philly, you can listen for yourself.