I have a Mackie CR1604 VLZ Pro. The pres aren't bad. They're pretty unremarkable, but useable enough. The EQ can get real harsh real quick, though. I've heard that the Mackie 8-bus series has, oddly enough, lower quality pres than the VLZ boards, though I haven't compared the two side by side.
The new Mackie Onyx, from what I've heard, is supposed to be quite a noticeable step up in both the mic pres and EQ from the VLZ series.
In that price range, Soundcraft and Allen & Heath both make 16-channel boards around the $1k range new that are supposed to have good quality pres- better than Mackie, at least. Though the Onyx is supposed to be comparable. I suppose it's preference at that point- Onyx, Soundcraft, or A&H.
What are you recording to? 'Cause depending on your setup, you could always take a look at mic pres/channel strips, perhaps in combination with a small console. IIRC, Rane makes a small budget mic pre- the MS1B?- that James Murphy and the guys at Morrisound thought highly of. The M-Audio DMP3 seems to be very well respected among inexpensive preamps, Joemeek makes a small channel strip (pre/comp/eq) that has a good repuation for guitars and vocals. There's always the Focusrite Octopre (with comps on each channel) or Octopre LE (no comps) that's in your price range as well.
You could always get a really nice sounding mid-price pre- Groove Tubes Brick , FMR RNP, used Grace 101- and combine that with something like an Octopre or a small mixer for your other channels. Use your best channel for vox, main guitar tracks, bass, etc. and the rest for drums, additional guitar mics, and such.
Don't be afraid to go used, either. I wonder if you can get a (smaller) used Soundtracs Topaz in the $1k range? Those are supposed to be good boards.
$750-1k can put together a decent setup if you can find the right gear at the right price.