Preferred Series 7025 / 12AX7 Preamp Vacuum Tube
This 7025 is a high quality and very rugged custom 12AX7 tube produced for us in China by the Shuguang factory. The plates are manufactured out of a premium metal imported from Germany and supported with extra thick mica spacers to insure against microphonics. They are burned in and tested at the factory and then again on our digital high voltage equipment to make sure the tubes selected for you will provide outstanding tone and performance.
From our review: "A great sounding 12AX7 tube type that reminds me a little more of the ECC83 that Ei made in the old days. That's a pretty nice compliment. I compared this tube against an old Ei and Telefunken smooth plate and there was very little difference. Lots of gain with a rather low noise floor. No microphonics issues at all. Very good considering the large plate size. Spot welding may be better for microphonics than crimped plates. I tried it in all the standard guitar amp duties and it was fine. Fabulous in Blackface Fender amps. We tried this 7025 in a 66 Vibrolux reverb 2x10 combo and the tones were all there. Light and shimmering or really aggressive, it's all good."
Warranty: The Preferred Series 7025 tubes carry a 6 month extended warranty.
Other Preferred Series tubes 
12AX7 TypesAdditional Information and Downloads
Reviews:
12AX7 Tube Review
Tube Matching Information:
Matched Sections Service
Downloads:
Preferred Series 7025 Datasheet (PDF)
Download Adobe Acrobat PDF reader
Warranty Information and Return Policy
Warranty Period: 6 monthsPreferred Series tubes have a 6 month warranty from 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 6 months, or are returned improperly.
These guidelines may be updated without notice.
Ratings & Reviews
86 reviews
Great for Mesa Mark V
by TeeCee
I just purchased one of these for the V1 position in my Mesa Mark V. I do a lot of clean and crunch tones so this is a critical position. The results: fantastic! Had tried a Tung Sol, JJ. This tube retains the good things about the stock Mesa tube but is a significant improvement. Not cheap, but worth it in my view.
PLEASANTLY SHOCKED !!!
by Furious Phil
I bought this because it was on sale, and decided to pop it into V1 on my Jet City HDM instead of the current resident Tung Sol. (cause I am an incorrigible tone hunter)
I was shocked that it seemed to give my Strat a little more classic jangle than even the Tung Sol !
On the Overdrive channel, it gave even more note separation and Lynch / Fair Warning VH goodness!!!
I honestly never thought this amp would so successfully straddle everything from Hendrix to Lynch Mob.
Colour me happy, and I highly recommend this 12AX7 \m/
BUY IT!
by Nick DeVriese
KILLER 7025 tube! My Dr. Z just came alive. Highly recommend this preamp tube.
Best New Production Bar None?
by Cyrus
These are easily the best new production 12AX7 I've tried. Between JJ, any Russian, and standard issue Chinese, they win hands down for me. Do they sound like a real Mullard NOS? Hard to say exactly, I've only been able to afford eBay "NOS" Mullards, you know, "measures as new" blah blah blah... Good to have tried some for the reference, but it's my understanding that real ones generally exceeded the data sheet projections when actually new. These are round and warm, with plenty of detail, clarity, and output, I wouldn't be surprised if after some breaking in they sound even MORE like the "NOS" Mullards I've had. Really damn close either way. The Mullards were famous for their even tone in guitar amps with a simultaneously smooth and aggressive breakup.
These fit that description.
I've always gravitated towards British amps so I can't speak of their qualities in making a Fender sound more Fender, but in my Marshall Origin, they kill.
Microphonic out of the box
by HC Carey
I bought a pair of the “preferred series”for my pro junior. They sound good, and have a lot of gain, but they were extremely microphonic. Aren’t they supposed to be tested and screened for this? They are playable but ring on like ud notes
Won’t buy these again—I can get tubes exactly like any time. Disappointed in thestubestore
Note from thetubestore.com: Sorry to hear this. All Preferred Series tubes are tested and screened. Occasionally a bad can get by. Be sure to contact us directly so we can look into this further. There is a 6 month warranty on all Preferred Series tubes so contact us soon.