Hoffman Amplifiers Tube Amplifier Forum

Amp Stuff => Tube Amp Building - Tweaks - Repairs => Topic started by: pbman1953 on February 25, 2023, 07:01:00 am

Title: 12at7 tube selection
Post by: pbman1953 on February 25, 2023, 07:01:00 am
Do any of these tubes have better reputation over the other?-


GE- ECC81/12At7


RCA- 12AT7


GE 6201





Title: Re: 12at7 tube selection
Post by: HotBluePlates on February 25, 2023, 08:17:30 am
Do any of these tubes have better reputation over the other?

Not really.

Whether any of them sound "better" is going to depend mostly on the circuit, and the Ear of the Beholder.
Title: Re: 12at7 tube selection
Post by: pbman1953 on February 25, 2023, 08:38:26 am
It's for the phase inverter in a bass amp
Title: Re: 12at7 tube selection
Post by: HotBluePlates on February 25, 2023, 10:52:10 am
It's for the phase inverter in a bass amp

That phase inverter is likely inside the feedback loop of the amp, so the 12AT7 shouldn't contribute much to the sound (unless the output section is distorting, nullifying the effect of the loop).
Title: Re: 12at7 tube selection
Post by: TitaniumValhalla on February 25, 2023, 02:10:57 pm
I may just be the unluckiest guy in the world, but I had crackly noise issues with three different NOS GE JAN 12AT7’s from two totally different production years in the phase inverter position on an AB763. A dirt cheap new production EHX tube worked fine there so I assume something about the design of the GE did not like that position in that circuit.
Title: Re: 12at7 tube selection
Post by: HotBluePlates on February 25, 2023, 03:39:26 pm
I may just be the unluckiest guy in the world, but I had crackly noise issues with three different NOS GE JAN 12AT7’s from two totally different production years ...

I think you must be unlucky.   :dontknow:

I just checked, and I have 60 12AT7s from RCA, G.E., American Tung Sol, and British Mullard with a few Amperex and Telefunken sprinkled in.  I haven't encountered any crackly noise issues with any of them.
Title: Re: 12at7 tube selection
Post by: pbman1953 on February 25, 2023, 05:48:32 pm
Please help me understand something, does the sound signal go through the phase inverter tube?


Besides the phase inverting , does it play any other part?








Title: Re: 12at7 tube selection
Post by: HotBluePlates on February 25, 2023, 05:54:58 pm
Please help me understand something, does the sound signal go through the phase inverter tube?

Yes.

Aside from switching logic circuitry and perhaps status indicator lights, pretty much everything in a guitar/bass amp is "in the signal path" (no matter what an Internet Guru says).