Tube ID Help Needed

[DoubleJ]

Hi:

I want to try some new tubes (12AX7's) in my Scott 299c but I need some clarification of what I'm using now:

Tube Manufacturer: Sovtek

Tube: 12AX7WXT

What does the "WXT" signify?

Also, any suggestions of brands etc to try will be appreciated...I'm leaning more twords brand new and no more than $20/tube.

Thanks

JJ

[oldbuckster]

www.tubedepot.com .................. www.dougstubes.com ..................... Check them out !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Those are pre-amp tubes you listed .....................

[Groomlakearea51]

DoubleJ: Some quicky sovtek notes: The LP means large plate; LP "S" has a spiral filament; Tubedepot does not carry the 12AX7WXT, but they describe the differences between the WA & WB. There is supposedly a noticeable increase in the low end. From what I found (my project also uses 12AX7's), the 12AX7WXT is apparently intended for use in audio equipment, rather than guitar amps. The sovtek tubes that have that designation WXT+ apparently means larger plate dimensions and a different grid structure. During research on tubes for a project amp, I came across some information by a Mic Kaczmarczik; This was how he described the difference between the sovtek 12AXW types: Sovtek 12AX7WA - Brittle, thin, low gain. Sovtek 12AX7WB - Darker than the WA, better gain. Sovtek 12AX7WXT - Better, quieter still, Better suited for audio amps. I would suspect that the LP's are better. I also found an article citing a guy named Michael Soldano. Noting his comments on the sovtek WXT: "Some tubes are specially designed for lower noise. The 7025 is an example of a special low noise 12AX7. The Sovtek 12AX7LPS is a low-hum version of the Sovtek 12AX7LP. The S designates a special spiral heater to reduce the hum. We have been using the Sovtek 12AX7LPS since its introduction. We found it to be better sounding than the earlier Sovtek WA, WB and WXT varieties, and at first we used it for all the preamp tubes..... This tube (WXT) is not good in circuits with elevated cathode voltages".

During the last several months while researching for a set of tubes, I noted that the majority of tubes being made now are generally intended for guitar amplifiers and you need to "read between the lines" as to an idea of how they sound in a audio amp. From everything I've read, folks with whom I've spoken, etc. modern tubes can be problematic for high end audio due to the lower standards for production. That situation has improved, but still does not achieve the original standards of the US, West German, and GB companies. In the end..., I decided that "experimenting" with sovtek, EH, JJ, Ei, etc should wait... at least until after the project was completed with known, reliable, tested, and high standard "New Old Stock" (NOS) tubes. There are, however, several "candidates" that I have in mind for "experiments" in a few months; e.g. SED's 6L6GC's, possibly some JJ's KT66's, and also mdeneen's "gold pin" choice as a test (it is supposed to be a good example of a good modern pre-amp tube for audio applications). All that said, my "spare" emergency set of power tubes are sovtek 6L6WXT+'s; they came with the amp, and they do work, but are "retired" as spares.

The greatest help I received was by just talking to the technicians who work with tube equipment, and also by calling the tube distributors, talking to their techs and telling them what I had, and what I wanted to do, etc. You should also contact NOSValves (and others who specialize in tubes) on the forum and ask them about their findings on new tubes, and the differences they noted. I should say that almost every tube tech has "favorites", and "not-so favorites", and often are not in agreement. You need to spend the time and get the "big picture".

If you are not really familiar with tubes, etc. I highly recommend reading this article about tubes: http://www.vacuumtube.com/FAQ1.htm As a "newbie" to tubes, this was the best single "primer" on tubes I have found to date. I even cut and pasted it into a document and re-read it several times, and have referred to it a number of times during my search for a set of tubes for my project.

MHO only... I'm still trying to learn enough about the whole "tuber" thing just to keep myself out of trouble!!!

Good luck!!

[mark1101]

I am using the Tung Sol 12ax7 in my Jolida jd100 CD player. They sound great. I am also using the EH 12ax7 (as M Deneen suggests) and they are even clearer with a little less gain. I am not using the gold pin version though. Everything I have used from EH I have been happy with.

[seti]

From Brent Jessie @ http://www.audiotubes.com/12ax7.htm

The 12AX7 is a high-mu twin triode which
operates in typical service as a class A amplifier, in the preamp
stages of high fidelity, musical instrument, and public address amps,
as well as professional line and microphone preamps, and many other
audio and communications devices. The demand for the vintage USA and
European versions of this tube are beginning to outstrip the supply,
and, as a buyer, you need to carefully consider what is available, the
device you will use it in, and what your budget allows. The highly
regarded vintage brands of Telefunken, Mullard, Amperex, and RCA come
at an appropriate premium price over other brands. While this higher
price is justified (these tubes sound wonderful and are very long
lived) other vintage brands are often just as good. Brands like GE,
Sylvania, Tung-Sol, Motorola, Raytheon, and Zenith are often
overlooked, but usually perform just as well as the more famous vintage
brands, which makes them a terrific value, especially as the stocks of
New Old Stock (NOS) tubes vanishes. Indeed, some of these were made by
RCA for these other labels, and others like the Tung-Sol and Sylvania
have their own followers who prefer these brands over the higher priced
premium labels. There is intense hype out there about the 12AX7, and
even some absolute fantasies. Some of the European labels have strong
snob appeal, which can cloud accurate judgment of these very good
tubes, and many self-proclaimed tube experts have either praised or
shot down some vintage brands which deserve neither. If you are new to
tubes in general, or are replacing a set of Russian or Chinese current
production 12AX7 tubes with vintage NOS, you would do well to try
several different brands and hear for yourself the sonic nuances. Then
you would be well advised to lay in a stock of the brand of your choice
"for a rainy day".

The main differences with this family of tubes are as follows:

12AX7:
the original version of this tube. This can only be used in parallel
filament circuits. This is not a big deal as virtually all audio
equipment is of a parallel filament design. These often have large
rectangular plates with several horizontal ribs. The older versions
have blackplates, which are often preferred by audiophiles.

12AX7A:
This version can be used in series or parallel filament circuits.
These usually date to the 1960s and have greyplates. Vintage versions
of these are about the most sought after tubes of any type today. Often
RCA and GE made these for electronic organ manufacturers, and have the
organ brand name on the label. These are usually specially selected
tubes, and are a great buy---when available! Sometimes, 12AX7A tubes
made for the US Military are labeled 12AX7WA, and I have seen WB and WC
versions. The W is the military type code, A,B, and C are progressively
later productions. These are nice military spec tubes. DO NOT confuse
these with current production Russian or Chinese crap with the suffix
WX, WB, or WC! These are not military tubes and are not NOS tubes at
all!

ECC83:
This is the European version of the 12AX7, and is identical to it. Most
tubes with ECC83 listed on the label are European, and the ones in
demand are Telefunken, Amperex, Mullard, and Siemens. More difficult to
find but worth seeking are German made Valvo and the early Holland made
Philips Miniwatt and Philips "SQ". Telefunken tubes have a diamond
shape molded into the glass on the bottom center of the tube. The most
desirable of the Telefunken ECC83 tubes is the "smoothplate" or
"flatplate" versions. Like the name implies, the dull grey plates are
perfectly smooth. It does not matter if some of these on the market are
labeled for Fisher or Dynaco, as Telefunken made these tubes for many
OEM applications. They are the EXACT same tube regardless of the label.
Amperex and Mullard tubes have a pair of alpha-numeric date codes
printed in dark grey near the bottom of the tube. The rarest of these
are the BugleBoy cartoon tube label for Amperex (especially if it also
has the treble clef music symbol next to the Bugleboy image), and the
older Mullard logo that looks like a shield, especially with the
letters "BVA" below it. The 1950s versions of these tubes often had
long narrow plates, with D or square getters, and are the scarcest and
finest sounding of these two brands. BEWARE: the Amperex Bugleboy and
Telefunken smoothplates are being faked! The fake Amperex may have the
words "Bugleboy" and the cartoon tube on the box, and the label will
not wash or wipe off. The fake Telefunken may have gold pins (real
Telefunken ECC83 tubes had only standard pins) and a perfect, baked
enamel label that won't wipe off.

7025:
This is the low noise, "industrial" version of the 12AX7. This has a
spiral wound filament which reduces hum and noise. These are usually
the best choice for demanding hi-fi applications, although the premium
brands and blackplate types also have very low noise.

ECC803S, E83CC, E803CC:
This is a premium European version of the ECC83. The "S" indicates
Special, and these tubes were screened for low noise and matching
internal triode elements. These are rare in the USA. Telefunken and
Siemens are the brands most often spotted, although several of the
Mullard factories made these for various labels. Most of the Telefunken
and Siemens tubes had gold plated pins. Sometimes the E83CC also
carried the 12AX7WA military type label, even though it is a European
made tube.

B759:
This is an ultra-low noise version of the 12AX7, with matched triode
elements. To my knowledge, only Genalex (Marconi-Osram Valve Co.) made
these in England for their "Gold Lion" series. Extremely rare in the
USA.

6681: This
is listed in some tube manuals as a "special 12AX7", otherwise the
electrical specs are the same as the standard version. Being an
industrial type it most likely has a ruggedized filament, and is built
to withstand many on-off cycles. I believe only RCA made these,
regardless of brand on the label. UPDATE: One astute customer has
informed me that GE offered 6681 tubes with the typical top seams, date
codes, and "Gt. Britain" marking that indicates English Mullard
manufacture. Indeed, some GE 12AX7 and 7025 tubes from the 1970s were
also Mullard made, so they must have made some 6681s for GE as well.
Overall, the 6681 is an excellent step up in quality from the standard
12AX7, and is a bargain at current prices.

5751: This
version was usually the one made for the US military. These have a
lower gain than the 12AX7, but are otherwise totally compatible. Great
hi-fi tubes, as the lower gain reduces noise and microphonics. These
are all ruggedized and most can withstand a drop on the floor. The
internal triode elements are matched as well. The early versions are
more sought after as they usually have extra support rods and an extra
mica spacer on top of the plate structure ("Triple Mica"), as well as
blackplates, all said to contribute to low microphonics. Don't overlook
the greyplate versions, they are also excellent tubes, and many of
these have the triple mica as well. The GE non-military version is
usually the "five star" series, intended for broadcast use. The RCA
broadcast type is the "Command" series. Both the RCA and GE broadcast
types are scarce, as are any of the triple mica types.

OK, SO TELL ME HOW THEY SOUND!!

A tough question if there ever was one!
The best advice is to get a few types and hear for yourself the good
sounds you have been missing. All of these vintage tubes are excellent,
much better than the Russian or Chinese yuck that is being made today.
When replacing any stock Russian, Chinese, or East Europe tube with any
of these vintage NOS types, you will notice immediately that the
midrange glare is gone. Gone too is that honky, boxy quality, and the
tiring upper midrange screech that current production tubes are famous
for. Here are some VERY GENERAL observations about some of these
vintage tubes:

TELEFUNKEN, SIEMENS, VALVO, LORENZ, and other German made NOS:
These tubes are usually characterized by an impressive open "air" at
the top end. The soundstage is large, even in mono applications these
tubes have a great 3-D image. The midrange is ruler flat, and the bass
is tight and accurate. These tubes have a fine sense of dynamics, and
most are impressively quiet. These are not "warm" tubes, and to some
ears their lack of midrange warmth may be heard as bright. I tend to
think of them as accurate, and their clean, focused sonic image is
astonishing. My personal favorites. Oh, and here is a little secret:
the Telefunken ribbed plates sound pretty much the same as the
smoothplates! In spite of the "shootouts", and "Some Guy's Tube Lore",
and other claims to the contrary, the sonic differences between these
two tubes (made in the same era at the same factory) are small and very
subjective. Don't let anyone tell you what tubes you should like and
what you should not like!

AMPEREX, PHILIPS, MAZDA and other Holland/France/Belgium made NOS:
These tubes are a great balance of a clean, airy top end, nice midrange
warmth, and accurate bass. They are very pleasant, clean, and musical
to listen to in hi-fi applications. Unlike other clean European tubes,
these break-up impressively when overdriven in a guitar amp. The rare
longplate versions are the same, but with even more soundstage space
and detail. The Mazda adds a nice bit of dynamic punch to the sound.

MULLARD, GENALEX, BRIMAR, and other British made NOS:
Like a warm British jacket of the finest tweed, these glorious tubes
have an attractive sweet warmth in their midrange and lower regions.
The top end is silky and pleasant, without being rolled-off. The best
of these tubes retain a fine sense of "air" at the top, and the upper
midrange is smooth and liquid. These tubes reproduce the human voice,
especially female voices, with haunting realism. The rare longplates
and Genalex versions have an eye-popping huge soundstage, razor sharp
focus and detail, and an uncolored top end while retaining the warmth
of the lower priced versions.

RCA, RAYTHEON, GE, SYLVANIA, and other USA made NOS:
This group is very diverse. The RCA, Raytheon, and Sylvania blackplates
are among the best here. These are very musical tubes with air and
sparkle at the top end, warmth in the mids, and great bass. The RCA are
drop dead beautiful in guitar amps, even the lower priced greyplate and
longplate versions. They also have a wonderful "phat" gritty sound when
overdriven in these amps. The blackplates and most tubes made for
organs are very quiet. The greyplate GE is an all-around nice-guy tube
to listen to, the longplate here possibly getting the nod for hi-fi
use. The Sylvania greyplate and military versions are clean and a bit
bright, but the Sylvania 5751 variants are very balanced and pleasant
to listen to for hours. The GE blackplate 5751 triple mica is also in
great demand as a very musical vintage tube. The RCA 5751 is more like
the Mullard, with a rich warmth and wide bandwidth. Currently, the USA
made tubes are a nice surprise with their low prices as compared to the
European types.

Tube	Description	Price Each	Quantity In Stock
B759 Ultra-low noise premium 12AX7, Genalex "Gold Lion" series, made in England. EXTREMELY RARE.	New Old Stock white box. These are the much sought after "Gold Lion" series made by Genalex, with the gold lion logo on the glass. The B759 is a very low noise 12AX7, with matched triode elements. These two match, but I will seperate if you only need one. The ultimate vintage audiophile tube!	call/e-mail	call/e-mail
Mullard 10M Ultra-low noise premium 12AX7, GOLD pins, made in England. EXTREMELY RARE.	New Old Stock in white box. The 10M series by Mullard is a British tube classic, and these are very scarce in the USA! 10,000 hour rated heater life, matched triodes, low noise and low microphonics screened. These have the ultra wide bandwidth of the Telefunken, but with just a touch of midrange warmth. Good original yellow label, some are further factory selected and graded for exacting laboratory use, and carry the B&L Labs logo in addition to the 10M Mullard logo. The gold pin 10M version is the most sought after, consistently rated one of the best 12AX7 tubes of all time on many audiophile message boards and websites. These tubes are currently soaring in value as stocks of them vanish. MATCHED PAIRS, WHEN AVAILABLE, ARE $700.00 PER PAIR.	call/e-mail	$375.00
Mullard 10M Ultra-low noise premium 12AX7, standard pins, made in England. EXTREMELY RARE.	New Old Stock in white box. The 10M series by Mullard is a British tube classic, and these are very scarce in the USA! 10,000 hour rated heater life, matched triodes, low noise and low microphonics screened. These have the ultra wide bandwidth of the Telefunken, but with just a touch of midrange warmth. Excellent original yellow label. These tubes are currently soaring in value as stocks of them vanish.	1 ONLY	$350.00
Telefunken ECC803S, diamond mark, Ultra-low noise premium 12AX7, gold pins. EXTREMELY RARE.	New Old Stock in original box. Among the rarest tubes in the world, this beauty is mint in original box! This is a very low noise, special quality 12AX7, made with the old-style Telefunken German precision. These have the ultra wide bandwidth of the Telefunken ECC83, but also have nice matched internal triodes, gold pins, and have been carefully factory screened for low noise. These tubes are currently soaring in value as stocks of them vanish.	$600.00	call/e-mail
Siemens Germany made 12AX7WA / E83CC, Ultra-low noise premium 12AX7, triple mica, standard pins. VERY RARE. MATCHED PAIR	New Old Stock in original boxes. This is a very low noise, seldom seen special quality triple mica 12AX7, made with the old-style Siemens German precision. These have the ultra wide bandwidth of the Telefunken ECC803S, with nearly identical sonics, which are refined, smooth and accurate. These are also similar to military tubes with the WA suffix. Compare the price to the more expensive and equally rare Telefunken! These tubes are currently soaring in value as stocks of them vanish. Carefully matched, a very rare chance to grab a matched pair of these superb vintage tubes.	$300.00 per pair	0
Siemens made E83CC, Ultra-low noise premium 12AX7, standard pins. EXTREMELY RARE.	New Old Stock in original box. This is a very low noise, seldom seen special quality triple mica 12AX7, made with the old-style Siemens German precision. These have the ultra wide bandwidth of the Telefunken ECC803S. Compare the price to the more expensive and equally rare Telefunken, which sells for up to $300.00 on auction sites and some websites! These tubes are currently soaring in value as stocks of them vanish.	$199.00	0
Mazda Silver Anode 1960s vintage 12AX7 / ECC83, Ultra-low noise premium 12AX7, standard pins. VERY RARE. MATCHED PAIR	New Old Stock in original and white boxes. This is a very low noise, seldom seen special quality 12AX7, with bright silver anode plates. These have the ultra wide bandwidth of the Telefunken ECC803S, with nearly identical sonics, which are refined, smooth and accurate. These have slightly higher gain than most 12AX7 tubes, which gives this tube better punch and clarity. AWESOME in phono stages and mic pres. Compare the price to the more expensive and equally rare Telefunken ECC803S! These tubes are currently soaring in value as stocks of them vanish. Early 1960s French Mazda manufacture, these are NOT the later Sovtek or Svetlana silver anode tubes which are not nearly as good. Carefully matched, a very rare chance to grab a matched pair of these superb vintage tubes.	$335.00 per pair	1 single
R/T France 1960s vintage 12AX7S, Ultra-low noise premium 12AX7, standard pins. VERY RARE. MATCHED PAIR	New Old Stock in original and white boxes. This is a very low noise, seldom seen special quality 12AX7. This tube has an incredibly clear tone that works well in both hi-fi and guitar amp applications. Early 1960s French R/T manufacture with the R/T tube logo in green on the glass. The sonics are quite similar to the even-rarer Mazda silver anode. Carefully matched, a very rare chance to grab a matched pair of these superb vintage tubes. SINGLES ARE $99 EACH.	$200.00 per pair	4 pairs
12AX7 Telefunken SELECTED TUBE smooth plate, diamond mark, MATCHED PAIR	The finest Telefunken diamond mark smoothplates, NOS, in whitebox, that have been further screened for low noise, low microphonics, and balance. These have the SELECTED TUBE label and the red tips, and were only available for the professional medical equipment market. Very fine, very rare tubes, in great demand, especially this smoothplate version. Fair to excellent labels on these. These are all Tele labeled. All are the real deal, with the diamond mark in the bottom glass. These are rare matched pairs, with transconductance matched to within 2 percent. Incredibly accurate, the amazing sound image emerges out of a dead quiet background. The best of the best!! SINGLE TUBES ARE $175.00 EACH.	$350.00 per pair	0
12AX7 Telefunken smooth plate, diamond mark, MATCHED PAIR	The finest Telefunken diamond mark smoothplates, NOS, in whitebox. Very fine tube, in great demand, especially this smoothplate version. Fair to excellent labels on these. These are all Tele labeled. All are the real deal, with the diamond mark in the bottom glass. These are rare matched pairs, with transconductance matched to within 2 percent. These pairs have been tested in my amplifier for noise, stereo balance and image, and microphonics, then reconfirmed the match on the tube tester. These are dead quiet at full volume, not microphonic, and sound great! You can't get rare quality and careful hand selection like this on eBay!!	$220.00 per pair	6 pairs
12AX7 Telefunken smooth plate, diamond mark, made for other brands or no label MATCHED PAIR	The finest Telefunken diamond mark smoothplates, NOS, in whitebox. Very fine tube, in great demand, especially this smoothplate version. Fair to excellent labels on these. Some made for Dynaco, some for Fisher, some not labeled. All are the real deal, with the diamond mark in the bottom glass, same as the Telefunken labeled tubes listed above. These are rare matched pairs, with transconductance matched to within 2 percent. These pairs have been tested in my amplifier for noise, stereo balance and image, and microphonics, then reconfirmed the match on the tube tester. These are dead quiet at full volume, not microphonic, and sound great! You can't get rare quality and careful hand selection like this on eBay!!	$190.00 per pair	11 pairs
12AX7 Telefunken ribbed plate, diamond mark, MATCHED PAIRS	NOS in white box. Very fine tube, in great demand. Nice Telefunken, Dynaco, and Fisher labels on these. All are original Telefunken diamond bottom marked tubes. These beauties are hand matched to within 2 percent transconductance. These fine pairs have been tested on an oscilloscope and in my amplifier for noise, stereo balance and image, and microphonics, the the match reconfirmed on the tube tester. Dead quiet at full volume and no microphonics. These sound like the smoothplates and you pocket the savings!	$175.00 per pair	3 pairs
12AX7 Telefunken ribbed plate, diamond mark	NOS in white box. Very fine tube, in great demand. Fair to very nice original labels on these. A few are OEM labeled, but are genuine diamond bottom Telefunken tubes.	$75.00	0
12AX7 Telefunken smooth plate, diamond mark	NOS, in whitebox. Very fine tube, in great demand, especially this smoothplate version. Good to fair labels on these, genuine German Telefunken with diamond mark, some labelled for Dynaco, Mazda, or Fisher.	$99.00	4
12AX7 / ECC83 Lorenz ribbed plate, diamond mark, early Stuttgart Germany made MATCHED PAIRS	NOS in white box. Rare tubes in the USA. The early Stuttgart German made Lorenz tubes are similar to the best Telefunken, yet with rigid 2-support getter frame and silver points at the tops of the plates, giving these tubes some Amperex type sweetness. Not often in stock, but worth the search! Very rare in matching pairs. Single tubes are $99.00 each.	$210.00 per pair	1 single tube
12AX7 British Brimar Red logo, black plates	New Old Stock in whiteboxes. A rare blackplate from Britain. These resemble the vintage RCA blackplates, but with that incomparable European sweetness. Early 1960s vintage with Brimar factory codes on the glass.	$79.00	0
12AX7 Mullard LONGPLATE, Square getter, 1950s date codes, MATCHED PAIR	New Old Stock in whiteboxes. Rare early square getter Mullard, with the famous, elusive longplates. Even more awesome is finding a matched pair of these gems. 1956 Blackburn factory date coded, made for Amperex with the Bugleboy logo. The best is the sound of these jewels, which is unsurpassed. As good or better than the famed Mullard 10M goldpin series, at a lower price! VERY RARE, another decade and these may be gone forever!	$375.00 per pair	0
12AX7 Mullard LONGPLATE, Square getter, 1958 and 1956 date codes	Tested as New Old Stock in whiteboxes. A rare early square getter Mullard, with the famous, elusive longplates. This has an even Gm match between the internal triode elements. If you only need a single 12AX7, this is a rare chance to get one of the best ever made!	$150.00	0
12AX7 Mullard LONGPLATE, halo getter, 1958 or 1959 date codes MATCHED PAIRS	New Old Stock in original box and whiteboxes. The elusive, never-been-reproduced long narrow plate Mullard 12AX7! These all have a near even Gm match between triode elements, two percent or better match between tubes, and excellent white "Eico by Mullard", "Heath by Mullard", or Mullard shield logo labels. These have become incredibly hard to find (especially in pairs) in just the last year!	$300.00 per pair	2 pairs
12AX7 Mullard LONGPLATE, 1958, 1959 date codes	New Old Stock in original box and whiteboxes. The elusive, never-been-reproduced longplate Mullard 12AX7! These all have an even Gm match between triode elements, halo getter, and excellent white labels.	$135.00	1
12AX7 Mullard rare yellow shield logo, halo getter, standard plates MATCHED PAIRS	New Old Stock in original box and whiteboxes. Rarely seen in the USA, the yellow shield logo tubes are from the early 1960s, only made for 2 years, and rival the longplates in quality. We have a few hand selected pairs with excellent labels.	$200.00 per pair	0
12AX7 Mullard white shield logo / white label type, standard plates	New Old Stock in original and whiteboxes, all with the Blackburn, UK factory code. 1950s to 1960s date coded Mullard quality that has yet to be equalled. Magnificent old Mullard vintage tubes, most predate the later IEC Mullard label, and some say these sound better. Try some and you be the judge. These tubes are in incredible demand today. These are standard plates, not the longplates, but were made right after the longplates. MATCHED PAIR $160.00	$69.00	0
12AX7 MullardMATCHED PAIR	New Old Stock in whiteboxes. Late 1960s vintage, Genuine Mullard "B" factory code (Blackburn) made in Great Britain, labeled for IEC Mullard and other brands of amplifiers. These have that sweet Mullard sound at a lower price! Very closely matched and selected pair of beauties!	$160.00 per pair	2 pairs
12AX7 Mullard	New Old Stock in whiteboxes. Late 1960s vintage, made in Great Britain, some unlabeled; some for Bogen, Knight, Fisher, Gold Aero, IEC Mullard, Amperex, Hammond Organ, Haltron, Tronal, GE and RCA. All are genuine Blackburn, UK Mullard factory made. These have that sweet Mullard sound at a lower price! Fully tested as NOS, and fully satisfaction guaranteed.	$69.00	1
12AX7M Mullard 1960s reissue, Groove Tubes	New Stock in original boxes. An amazingly accurate and detailed reissue of the famous shortplate Mullard UK made 12AX7 of the 1960s. The sonics capture the midrange warmth and sweetness of the originals, the low price insures it a top spot among current 12AX7 bargains! New production run, fresh stock! Ideal for guitar amp, hi-fi, or even phono stage / mic preamplifier use! Hand matched pairs just $59.00!!	$27.00	0
12AD7 Mullard made	New Old Stock in whiteboxes. Late 1960s vintage, made in Great Britain, some made for other brands. All are genuine Blackburn, UK Mullard factory made. The 12AD7 is a rare, sweet sounding identical sub for the 12AX7, called for in some amps. Try one! These have that sweet Mullard sound at a lower price! Fully tested as NOS, and fully satisfaction guaranteed.	$69.00	1
12AX7A / CV4004 Mullard boxplate military type	New Old Stock in white boxes. Mid 1970s vintage, made in Great Britain. This tube is the famed CV4004 military version, and has the same grey rectangular box plates. These are labeled for Haltron, but are marked "mil" and are definately military surplus boxplates. These have that sweet Mullard sound at a lower price!	call/e-mail	call/e-mail
12AX7 British Brimar	New Old Stock in whiteboxes. Early 1960s vintage with Brimar factory codes on the glass.	$49.00	0
12AX7 Amperex orange globe logo	New Old Stock in original box, made in Holland. A great vintage Dutch tube still at a decent price, 1970s vintage. SAVE!	$59.00	3
12AX7 Amperex Bugleboy type, long narrow plates, foil-strip D-getter, 1950s codes. MATCHED PAIR	New Old Stock, made in Holland, in whitebox. Very rare 1950s date coded BugleBoy type tubes made in Holland. These are the early Holland types, long plate version with the rare foil strip D-getter. These tubes have nearly vanished from circulation, and a matched pair of these are usually not available anywhere in the world. The sweet sounding essence of the Bugle Boy type, these NOS gems have closely matched triodes internally and fair to good labels. Both tubes have 1950s date codes and a Gm match to within two percent. SINGLE TUBES ARE $150.00 EACH.	$325.00 per pair	1 single
12AX7 Amperex Bugleboy With TREBLE CLEF LOGO, Holland made, MATCHED PAIR.	New Old Stock, made in Holland, identical 1960 date codes, in whitebox. These are very rare, and the treble clef logo has virtually vanished from circulation. Finding a matching pair is really exciting. Labels are good on this pair. This is a sweet sounding, long lived tube.	$180.00 per pair	0
12AX7 Amperex Bugleboy, Holland made, MATCHED PAIR.	New Old Stock, made in Holland, in whitebox. These are rare, and I don't often have many in stock. Labels are fair to good on this batch. This is a sweet sounding, long lived tube, and it is rare to find really nice matched pairs like these.	$160.00 per pair	2 pairs
12AX7 Amperex Bugleboy.	New Old Stock, made in Holland, in original box and whitebox. These are rare, and I don't often have many in stock. Labels are fair to good on this batch. This is a sweet sounding, long lived tube.	$69.00	0
12AX7 Adzam made by Philips, Holland made, MATCHED PAIR.	New Old Stock, made in Holland, in whitebox. This rare and fine tube was made in the same Heerlen, Holland factory as the famous Bugle Boy tube, and some say these sound better. 1960s vintage date coded, white label, Adzam tubes are very scarce in the USA. This is a sweet sounding, long lived tube, and it is rare to find really nice matched pairs like these.	$190.00 per pair	0
12AX7 Amperex made forEico, RCA, Hammond Organ or Hewlett-Packard.	New Old Stock in whitebox. These are just like the Bugleboy types, but with other brands on the label, one is an Amperex white label. This is a sweet sounding, long lived tube.MATCHED PAIRS, IF AVAILABLE, JUST $140.00!	$69.00	1
12AX7 / ECC83 Philips Miniwatt	New Old Stock in white box, made in Holland. A nice tube much like the Bugleboy type above. These have ring getters, and are all early 1960s date codes.	$69.00	0
12AX7 Siemens, Siemens labelled, GermanyMATCHED PAIRS	New Old Stock in original box. 1960s vintage. Siemens tubes are somewhat scarce. They have the German craftmanship and a sound similar to Telefunken. All have the Munich factory mark. These fine pairs are all matched to within 2 percent. Some marked for Lorenz, as Siemens often outsourced tubes for them. Excellent quality, grab some while you still can!	$120.00 per pair	0
12AX7 Siemens, Siemens labelled, Germany.	New Old Stock in white box. 1960s vintage. Siemens tubes are somewhat scarce. They have the German craftmanship and a sound similar to Telefunken. All have the Munich factory mark. One rare longplate, $75.00 each. Excellent quality, grab some while you still can!	$59.00	0
12AX7 Siemens made for Telefunken, Fisher,Valvo, Grommes, or Raytheon, Germany.	New Old Stock in original box and whitebox. 1960s vintage. Siemens tubes are somewhat scarce. They have the German craftmanship and a sound similar to Telefunken. All have the Munich factory mark.	$49.00	4
12AX7 / ECC83 Valvo	New Old Stock in white box, made in Germany. These have the white Valvo label found in the early 1960s. A very elusive tube to find. They are similar in quality to Telefunken, but at a great low price. MATCHED PAIRS ARE JUST $110.00 PER PAIR!	$49.00	6
12AX7 Tungsram white label made in Austria or France	New Old Stock in white box. A nice European tube from the early 1970s at a great price! Some labeled for other brands such as Mazda or Pinnacle.	$34.00	0
Early Ei Yugoslavia made smoothplates 12AX7A, made for RCA and other brands MATCHED PAIRS	New Old Stock in white boxes. Wonderful in musical instrument amps. Ei Yugoslavia bought all of the old Telefunken stock and equipment in the 1970s, and produced these tubes, identical to original Telefunken smoothplates! These were about the best to come out of Eastern Europe, they even flash orange when energized like the vintage Europe tubes do. Nicely matched pairs. Some pairs may have different labels, but are identical construction Ei made tubes. SINGLE TUBES, WHEN AVAILABLE, ARE $15.00 EACH.	$38.00 per pair	1 pair, 3 singles
12AX7-C Groove Tubes.	New production tubes, original boxes. These nice 12AX7 tubes are an economical way to retube your Fender amp, and retain that special Fender sound. Matched pairs just $48.00 per pair!	$24.00	10
JHS 12AX7 or JRP 12AX7 JAN Sylvania or JAN Raytheon military blackplate, 1955 vintage D-getter, MATCHED PAIRS	New Old Stock in original military boxes. Excellent 1950s tubes, with the shiny black plates. These are fine American D-getter blackplates from the golden age of tube manufacture. As good as the best USA blackplates, and rival any vintage European 12AX7. Beautiful, closely matched pairs (within 5% Gm), vintage blackplate Sylvania or Raytheon military quality! SINGLE TUBES, WHEN AVAILABLE, JUST $50.00 EACH!	$99.00 per pair	1 pair, 1 single
JG 12AX7 JAN military GE longplate tubes, large D-getter MATCHED PAIR	New Old Stock in original military boxes. This is the early version of the GE classic, with the longer grey plates, made during the late 1950s, early 1960s. These are the rare military JG types, which are not often found in the early longplate vintage. Carefully hand-matched pairs, an excellent choice balancing price with the superior sonics of a vintage USA military tube!	$99.00 per pair	0
12AX7 GE, and Sylvania shortplate special select organ (low noise) tubes, 1950s & 1960s vintage.	New Old Stock in whiteboxes, specially made and selected for Baldwin, Lowrey, Conn, and Wurlitzer organs. A few are for Motorola instruments. These "audio screened" selected organ tubes are the best-kept secret in the 12AX7 world. Matched pairs just $50.00! Try some now before the secret is out and the price skyrockets!	$23.00	19
12AX7 early 1950s RCA or equiv. made longplate greyplate (all longplate types), white or orange label, low noise screened for Wurlitzer, Baldwin, and other organs and amplifiers, other OEM brands.	New Old Stock in whiteboxes. These 1950s era longplates have been screened for low noise use in Wurlitzer and other brands of organs, and to exacting specs for various manufacturers of amplifiers. Some are labelled "Wurlitzer by RCA" in the old white ink label, or Baldwin in yellow ink, various amp brands, and few are unlabelled, some labeled for other brands or amplifier brands. Wonderful in musical instrument amps, and a very quiet tube for your tube hi-fi. Probably the best 12AX7 RCA made, maybe even better than the famed blackplates. Organ tubes, being made by famous makers and factory-screened, are about the best "secret" bargain in NOS tubes today. Grab some now before the secret is out!	$45.00	9
12AX7A Raytheon/Schober Organ or Baldwin Organ blackplate, rare early longplate, low noise screened, MATCHED PAIRS	New Old Stock in white boxes. Excellent 1950s tubes, screened for low noise for Schober organs, with Schober labels (some are Baldwin organ, some odd brands, some are blank). Somebody just discovered these are nice tubes, and the RUSH is on! Beautiful, closely matched pairs, vintage blackplate Raytheon quality! Organ tubes, being made by famous makers and factory-screened, are about the best "secret" bargain in NOS tubes today. Grab some now before the secret is out! SINGLE TUBES, WHEN AVAILABLE, ARE $45 EACH.	$90.00 per pair	1 pair, 1 single
12AX7A RCA greyplate	New Old Stock in original and whiteboxes. Wonderful in musical instrument amps. These tubes are in VERY high demand, so stock up NOW! Fair to good labels on all, the classic USA 12AX7 that rivals the Euros!Matched pairs just $88.00!	$39.00	12
12AX7 RCA blackplate, special selection MATCHED PAIRS	New Old Stock in original and white boxes. The best of the best in vintage USA tubes. ALSO SEE OUR 5751 BLACKPLATES, BELOW! Fair to good labels on some, some have fair original red and black boxes, close internal and external Gm matching. Nothing like these are likely to ever be made again. These beauties rival the vintage European 12AX7s, with warm midrange and nice air at the top end. Nice old D-getter tubes, carefully matched on a Hickok TV-7. These tubes are getting very scarce. Some labeled for other brands but are genuine RCA "stop sign logo" tubes.	130.00 per pair	0
12AX7 RCA blackplate	New Old Stock in whiteboxes and original boxes, some labels are smeared but these are the genuine D-getter 1950s vintage blackplates. Nothing like these are likely to ever be made again. These beauties rival the vintage European 12AX7s, and are the best bang for the buck going in a vintage USA made 'AX7! Some labeled for other brands.	$60.00	0
12AX7 Sylvania blackplate	New Old Stock in whiteboxes, labels are smeared but these are the genuine D-getter 1950s vintage blackplates. These resemble the RCA blackplates, and sound as good if not better. These are very hard to find, get 'em while you can! MATCHED PAIRS, WHEN AVAILABLE, ARE $90.00 PER PAIR.	$40.00	0
12AX7 Tung Sol BLACKPLATES, bulk pack stock.	New Old Stock in whiteboxes. These are wonderful, old style Tung-Sol tubes similar to RCA with blackplates, top "D" getter, and the old version white label. These are fast disappearing from the vintage market, so grab some now! MATCHED PAIRS ARE JUST $120.00!	$55.00	1 pair only
12AX7 Tung Sol early longplates (some made by RCA) greyplates, bulk pack stock. MATCHED PAIR	New Old Stock in whiteboxes or original box. These are wonderful, old style Tung-Sol tubes made by RCA with long greyplates, top "D" getter, and the old version white label. These are fast disappearing from the vintage market, so grab some now! A rare matched pair. A FEW SINGLE TUBES AVAILABLE AT $45.00 EACH.	$90.00 per pair	5 pairs
6681/12AX7 GE greyplate	New Old Stock in white box. This is a very fine industrial 12AX7 type. Can withstand many on off cycles, and filament voltage variations without any loss in output.	$26.00	0
12AX7 GE longplate tubes	New Old Stock in original and whiteboxes. This is the early version of the GE classic, with the longer grey plates, made during the late 1950s, early 1960s. Several are OEM unlabelled tubes, some labeled for Zenith.	$29.00	25
12AX7 GE tubes	New Old Stock in original and whiteboxes, short grey plates. A few made for RCA.	$19.00	25
12AX7 Sylvania	New Old Stock in original and whiteboxes. A nice vintage 12AX7 that is still a bargain!	$18.00	42
JG 12AX7 or 12AX7WA GE military spec tubes	New Old Stock in original and whiteboxes	$24.00	4
12AX7 / 7025 Japanese made.	New Old Stock in original and whiteboxes. Nice tube, similar to Mullard in construction. Most made at the Matshushita factory, which was set up by Mullard U.K.	$12.00	14
12AX7WA JAN Philips MATCHED PAIRS	New Old Stock in original military boxes. The last shining example of the once mighty USA vacuum tube industry. This is a nice vintage USA made 12AX7 that is military spec, and these are closely matched in pairs. These are 1980s vintage, and are a rugged and long lived tube. FAR BETTER than any Russian or Chinese tubes, at about the same price!!	$34.00 per pair	0
JHS 12AX7 or 12AX7WA Sylvania	New Old Stock in original and whiteboxes. A nice vintage 12AX7 that is military spec.	$24.00	8
12AX7/A other USA made brands (Motorola, Zenith, Philco, Westinghouse, Webcor, etc.)	New Old Stock in original and whiteboxes. Too many brands to list. ALL are pre-1970 vintage and ALL will outperform the garbage being made today.	$18.00	41
CBS 7729 / 12AX7 Premium industrial grade	New Old Stock in white boxes. Low noise industrial version of the 12AX7, with gold plated pins. This is a nice, but very scarce, version of the 12AX7 only made by CBS. Perfect for tube microphone preamplifiers.	$75.00	0
Amperex 7025/12AX7 Premium industrial grade, Holland made	New Old Stock in white boxes. Holland made white label and Bugle Boy logo tubes. Low noise version of the 12AX7. The 7025 is not commonly found in an Amperex. These are fine Dutch tubes from the late 1960s.	$85.00	1
Mullard 7025/12AX7 Premium industrial grade	New Old Stock in white boxes, Mullard label or made for Webcor made in Great Britain. Low noise version of the 12AX7. The 7025 is not commonly found in a Mullard, and these are Blackburn, U.K. factory date coded genuine Mullard tubes from the 1960s. Getting VERY scarce!	$85.00	1
7025/12AX7 Premium industrial grade, RCA or RCA made blackplate.	New Old Stock in original box. Excellent low noise version of the 12AX7. This is a rare 1950s blackplate.	$70.00	0
7025/12AX7 greyplate, Premium industrial grade, RCA.	New Old Stock in original boxes and white box. Excellent low noise version of the 12AX7. Among the best ever of the greyplates.	$50.00	8
Groove Tubes 7025/12AX7/ECC83 Premium industrial grade	New production tubes in original boxes. Low noise version of the 12AX7. A modern version of the old Smoothplate Telefunken. Factory screened for noise, hum, and microphonics. One of the best buys in the entire 7025, 12AX7, or 5751 categories! MATCHED PAIRS JUST $49.00!	$21.00	2
7025/12AX7 Premium industrial grade, Sylvania, Magnavox, CBS, or GE, plus other vintage USA made brands.	New Old Stock in original boxes and whitebox. Low noise version of the 12AX7. These are an excellent step up from the 12AX7, and are suddenly a "hot" tube , making them scarce. Get them now or miss out!	$26.00	41
Amperex 5751 Orange globe logo Premium industrial grade 12AX7	New Old Stock in original box, made in the Hicksville, NY factory that made the famous 7308 PQ tubes. These are not often available, and don't forsee finding more in the near future. Get yours today!	$69.00	1
RCA 5751 blackplate TRIPLE MICA, old white label, square getter, extra support rods, Premium industrial grade 12AX7 MATCHED PAIRS	New Old Stock in white box. These are old and fine 1950s vintage blackplates, quality on par with the blackplate RCA 12AX7 tubes, and are excellent, sweet sounding subs for the hard-to-find 12AX7. 3 mica spacers with extra side support rods, and the distinctive square getter all add up to vintage quality that will never be made again. Carefully hand matched pairs of these gems. SINGLE TUBES, WHEN AVAILABLE, ARE $60.00 EACH.	$120.00 per pair	0
RCA 5751 blackplate Premium industrial grade 12AX7	New Old Stock in white box, thick mica spacers. 2 are in 12AX7A boxes but are actually RCA made 5751 blackplates.	$38.00	0
JAN Raytheon CK 5751, RARE windmill getter, blackplate military grade 12AX7MATCHED PAIR	New Old Stock in white box, thick mica spacers, and these have the rare windmill getter. Fine old 1950s blackplates that are long lived and sweet sounding. These excellent tubes are very similar to the RCA above, only sweeter and more "air" at the top end. These are getting very scarce, and here is an awesome matched pair you can grab!	$190.00 per pair	0
5751WA Tung Sol, Raytheon or Westinghouse (Amperex label) military type greyplate, most square getter, Premium industrial grade 12AX7.	New Old Stock in white box and original box. RCA made for Westinghouse or Tung Sol, with the old orange or white labels from the 1950s, identical to the Command series listed below, at a savings! BLACKPLATES ARE JUST $60.00 EACH! Matched pairs, when available, are $115.00	$53.00	4
RCA 5751 blackplate Command Series Premium broadcast grade 12AX7	New Old Stock in original box. Among the finest 5751 tubes ever made. Orange label, old logo, 1960s vintage. This type is like the early 1960s JRC 5751WA military RCA made type. RARE, not often in stock. Matched pairs, when available, $140.00 per pair.	$74.00	2
RCA 5751 greyplate Premium industrial grade 12AX7	New Old Stock in original box. A fine RCA 5751 from the 1970s at a very attractive price.	$24.00	0
Sylvania Gold Labelled, Gold Brand 5751 gold pin, Triple Mica Premium 12AX7	New Old Stock in white box. Greyplate, with the desirable 3-mica spacers and extra plate support rods. Fine, early 1960s military type tubes with gold lettering on the glass, TRIPLE MICA, identical to the Gold label military line, but these have gold pins. Among the best 5751 types ever made and, lately, huge audiophile demand is making these scarce. MATCHED PAIRS $160 PER PAIR!	0	$80.00
Sylvania Gold Labelled, Gold Brand 5751 gold pin, Premium 12AX7	New Old Stock in original box. Greyplate, 2-mica version of this rare and excellent tube. Fine, early 1960s military type tubes with gold lettering on the glass. Among the best 5751 types ever made and, lately, huge audiophile demand is making these scarce. One made for Westinghouse. Try this legendary tube out at a savings. MATCHED PAIRS $160 PER PAIR!	$160.00 per pair	0
Sylvania Gold Labelled JHS 5751 Triple Mica BLACKPLATE Premium 12AX7	New Old Stock in original box. Fine, early 1960s military tubes with gold lettering on the glass, TRIPLE MICA, identical to the Gold Brand industrial line, but these have standard pins. Among the best 5751 types ever made and demand is making these scarce. MATCHED PAIRS $160 PER PAIR!!	$80.00	0
Sylvania Yellow Labelled JHS 5751 Triple Mica blackplate Premium 12AX7	New Old Stock in original box and white box. Fine, early 1960s military tubes with yellow lettering on the glass, TRIPLE MICA, identical to the Gold Brand industrial line, but these have standard pins. Awesome tubes that have reached a peak in demand and are getting scarce!	$80.00	0
Sylvania Green Labelled JHS 5751 or 5751WA Triple Mica greyplate Premium 12AX7	New Old Stock in original box and white box. Fine, early 1960s military tubes with green lettering on the glass, TRIPLE MICA, identical to the Gold Brand industrial line, but these have standard pins. MATCHED PAIRS ARE $160.00 PER PAIR WHEN AVAILABLE.	80.00	1 single
GE JG5751/WA military, 5751 blackplate triple mica, Premium military grade 12AX7.MATCHED PAIR	New Old Stock in white box. Gm matched within 5 percent. These are low microphonic TRIPLE MICA blackplates. These rare 1950s vintage tubes have the extra mica wafer at the top of the plate structure, making the tube extra rugged and virtually eliminating any traces of microphonics. Very hard to find these today, especially in a closely matched pair!	$99.00 per pair	0
GE JG5751/WA military, 5751 blackplate triple mica, Premium military grade 12AX7.	New Old Stock in white box. These are low microphonic TRIPLE MICA blackplates. These rare 1950s vintage tubes have the extra mica wafer at the top of the plate structure, making the tube extra rugged and virtually eliminating any traces of microphonics. Very hard to find these today!	$50.00	2
5751 greyplate triple mica Premium industrial grade 12AX7, GE 5-star broadcast or JG5751 military, Raytheon, or CBS made by GE	New Old Stock in original box and whitebox. Lowest price NOS triple mica 5751 tubes ANYWHERE! MATCHED PAIRS ARE $60.00!	$25.00	1
5751 Premium industrial grade 12AX7, JAN military grade GE, 5-Star GE, Tung sol,ECG, or Sylvania	New Old Stock in original boxes, greyplates. These are Joint Army-Navy tubes, USA made, and are a BARGAIN right now. Stock up!	$18.00	15

[oldbuckster]

WOW Seti, that was a great response, shed some light on the subject for me, Thanks !!! I'm probably as deep into tubes as I'll get, but that was great info..........

[DoubleJ]

Thank You everyone!!!

This proved to be more informative than I expected...To quote JacksonBart....TOP NOTCH!!!

I can't seem to find the Gold Pin EH but I think I will pull the trigger on these..

http://dougstubes.com/12ax7.html EX12AX7's

Thanks again everyone for taking the time to post..It was/is greatly appreciated.

JJ