Northern Electric 12AX7 Preamp Vacuum Tube
The Northern Electric 12AX7 preamp tube is made with the highest quality materials. Everything is designed to give you unsurpassed audio quality. This tube has very large smooth plates. This design is much like a Telefunken 12AX7 / ECC83 smooth plate but a bit shorter. This design provides plenty of gain while maintaining an extremely low noise floor. It has been torture tested in a JTM 45, a Deluxe Reverb, anOrange 50 watt combo, and Bandmaster Reverb, with no failures or noise problems after hundreds of hours in clubs and studios. It doesn’t matter if you use an American or British design, this tube works.
In our listening tests it was easy to hear that the tube did not change the voice of the amplifier as some preamp tubes do. The Northern Electric enhances the sound across the entire spectrum. Our testers have reported no noticeable spikes or weakness in the lows, mids, or high end. The highs are very smooth with a balanced midrange response and warm, full bottom end.
Other Northern Electric tubes
12AX7 TypesAdditional Information and Downloads
Reviews:
12AX7 Tube Review
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Warranty Information and Return Policy
Warranty Period: 6 monthsAll our tubes are guaranteed for 6 months from the date of purchase. (Any exceptions will be noted on that tube's Warranty tab)
If you receive a tube that does not perform to the manufacturer's specifications, please do the following:
- contact us to get a return authorization
- return it via regular mail within 180 days from when we shipped it, and we will provide an exchange or refund of the full purchase price of the tube.
Returns not related to warranty or defect will be considered at our discretion, and are subject to a 15% restocking fee.
We can not accept returns that don't have an authorization, are past 3 month, or are returned improperly.
These guidelines may be updated without notice.
Ratings & Reviews
42 reviews
Exceptional!
by Lemmy Hangslong
Up until about 2 years ago like many my focus was on NOS tubes. I spent hundreds trying hundreds. Many great tunes were experienced but bottom line is now I've shifted my thinking simply due to what I'm hearing. Current production Asian made tubes are sounding great these days. I've read a lot about the Northern Electric tube history and current production. Honestly I'm not focused on country of origin I'm more focused on a great tune. This current production Northern Electric is very quiet, is well balanced tonally with extended frequencies. No other tube I've used has the detailing and that top end and the mids are way above average... Exceptional. I let my ears decide what's best and these are incredible great sounding tubes. I have run them in my ReVv Generator 7-40 and 1969 50 watt JMP. The TAD, short plate Millard and 4th Gen Shuguang are the only other tubes I can say I really enjoy and all are current production. Yes it's expensive but the resulting tones from the Northern Electric are stunning!
Blown away
by Doyle Fisher
I play a Hammond xk-2 through a Motion Sound KBR-M, I replaced the 12AX7 with a Northern Electric, WOW what a difference. I liked the sound before, but this woke up my organ. Much more bite and a fuller sound. I could not be happier.
Thanks
2 for different uses
by Kevin G.
I bought 2 of these, one for my 5 watt Blackheart and one for my Vox tonelab. I was satisfied from the start, but event more when my dad gave me his tonelab LE with a Sovtek tube in it. I got the chance to compare. The Northern Electric has a much more vivid, responsive sound, at least in this use. I would not have paid this amount of money on a set of 4 tubes for a huge amp, knowing that they would due to change within a year anyway, but in a pedal like this, the voltage is so low, that it will last forever! ( more or less ) I'm buying another one to replace the Sovtek.
Great Sounding Tubes and Nice Packaging!
by Joseph R.
Got a pair of these babies for my Jolida CDP and wow what a big difference from the stock tubes. Very detailed and mids are great...bass not boomy just right and tight! Vocals are very natural sounding! Bravo Northern Electric.
Microphonics marr the overall quality
by Rod
A beautiful sounding tube with good highs and low. However, when used in the V1 of my Mesa Boogie Mark V, it was annoying microphonic. When the amp picks up the sound of my neighbor's vacuum cleaner or locks up entirely, it is unacceptable. This is a tube for audio equipment, not guitar amps.