Tung-Sol 12AX7 (ECC83) Preamp Vacuum Tube
From our review of this tube: "There are only so many ways to describe vacuum tube tone and most have become cliches. The Tung Sol 12AX7 preamp tube has the gain and drive of a Chinese 12AX7 and the pure tone of a Mullard or Brimar."
According to the manufacturer, this Tungsol 12AX7 is the Ultimate 12AX7. Big, warm, and musical. High Gain, ultra-low microphonics, and superb linearity with a dynamic 3-D sound.
One other note about the construction of these audio tubes is they have filaments that are almost completely encased in the plate structure. They don't "light up" brightly when working properly.
Note to audiophiles: These tubes are great for linestage preamps, but generally not phono stages where a very low noise floor is required.
Other Tung-Sol tubes 
12AX7 TypesAdditional Information and Downloads
Reviews:
12AX7 Tube Review
Tube Matching Information:
Matched Sections Service
Downloads:
Tung-Sol 12AX7 Datasheet (PDF)
Download Adobe Acrobat PDF reader
Warranty Information and Return Policy
Warranty Period: 3 monthsAll our tubes are guaranteed for 3 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 90 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
41 reviews
Superb
by Lray
I've tried GT's, JJ's, and Sovtek's in my Peavey Classic 50. The Tung-Sol tubes sound great! Very musical. I installed some in my AXL amp as well. I never had any go microphonic yet, but I think it doesn't fare well as a PI stage. In my C50 it was okay there, but in my AXL Akita it failed after two years of very light use. It's still going in my C50 after 4 years.
Best so far!
by Andrew
I've tried several 12AX7's in my Valvetech Hayseed 30 and these are by far the best.
Smoother, warmer, and thicker than anything else I've tried so far and yet still maintains an openness and articulateness in the highs without seeming to ever get shrill like other tubes when pushed.
The overdrive tones are wonderful and it almost feels like I've got a new amp.
These are an excellent value and the only 12AX7's I feel like I'll ever need.
Great Tubes!
by Jay
Loaded my Fender Super Sonic 22 with all Tung-Sol tubes including the 6V6's. Great improvement from the stock Groove Tubes. More defined distortion without the muddy sound. The customer service from The Tube Store is the best! Thank you Richard for taking good care of me!
TS works well with other preamp tubes
by Chris
I have a Tung-Sol 12ax7 tube and a JJ ECC83S preamp tube installed on my Fargen. The high spikiness of the TungSol works in conjunction with the compressed tone of the JJ, giving my amp an overall balance of gain and compression.
Nice upgrade!
by Tom
I installed a set of these in my Orange Dark Terror based on a good friend’s recommendation. I could not be happier! The Dark Terror came with Grove Tubes I believe and they sounded okay but were a bit harsh. I got a set of these Tungsol 12AX7 tubes and the gain was smoother for sure. This is a Hi Gain amp and I coupled them with a matched set of Mullard EL34s and it really made a difference. These Tungsols are a solid choice. I just ordered a full matched set for my Egnater Tourmaster 4100!