Hammond 12ax7?

Hey All: I have a few Hammond labeled long plate 12ax7's that say "Made in USA" on them. I have seen Amperex Hammonds, but no American made.

Anyone know who made the Hammonds in the US?

Thanks,
Ron

Any numerical markings?

The 12 AX7 marking on it is in grey and on 2 lines the 12 over the AX7. There is a U.S.A. in the same gray print under the AX7. It also looks like there may be some dots (3 or 4?) in the same gray ink under the USA. They are covered by the Hammond logo so it is hard to see.

There are 2 numbers printed sideways on the tube, but I cannot make the whole number out. The ones I can make out are 48 and 20 under it. These are in red ink like the Hammond logo.

Sounds like GE to me. The acid etch dots and big letter 2 line designation for tube type is pretty unique to GE. Got pics?

Thanks for the info. I am lousy with a camera so I looked around at some pictures of GE 12ax7's and this is definitely a GE.

Any opinions or observations on how these should sound? I tried it out and I am not really impressed with it. It is OK, but it does not really have a noticeable characteristic. Maybe it is worn out?

Thanks again.

It's probably just doing what it was designed to do, nothing more or less. Does it sound shrill, crappy, microphonic? My guess is no. Does it lack detail, sound dark? Again, my guess is no.

NOS tubes are hyped. The "holy grail" of tone. The thing is, the USA ones don't sound like crap and last a really long time. I have a console "HI-FI" from the late '40s. Belonged to my dad. Tubes in it are original. Still working and sounds as good as the technology of the day could. *That's* why they are so desirable.

Thunda: You may be right about that. It does not sound bad, but it does not produce a tone that really catches my ear.

I have to disagree about vintage tubes being over-hyped. I just got a Bugle Boy and a few Sylvania 12ax7wa's that make a mind blowing difference in what my amp sounds like compared to any newer production tubes I have used.

Killtone said:

I have to disagree about vintage tubes being over-hyped. I just got a Bugle Boy and a few Sylvania 12ax7wa's that make a mind blowing difference in what my amp sounds like compared to any newer production tubes I have used.

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+1. They improved sound and feel in both my C+ and Mark IV over the stock Mesa tubes. Not that the Mesa tubes are "bad", but vintage tubes sound better to me.

The description sounds like a GE to me, too. If it is a long-plate, it will have two small circular holes on the sides of the plates, near the center (lengthwise). Those long-plate GE 12AX7 have rounded-off highs, and are useful for taming treble. Short-plate GE 12AX7 will have a single, semi-circular notch on one side of each plate, and will be brighter, tonally, but with less harmonic overtone content than the long-plate.

- T

Killtone said:

... I tried it out and I am not really impressed with it. It is OK, but it does not really have a noticeable characteristic...

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That's pretty much the whole point. Since these tubes were primarily designed for Hi-Fi use, i.e., reproduction of music, transparency was, and is, a highly desirable trait.

Great information - thanks all!

BTW- I got that tube in a batch pulled from an old Hammond organ. The whole batch for $7! Several tubes I'll never use, but a few good 12ax7's.

Anyone interested in some 12au7's?

thunda1216 said:

NOS tubes are hyped. The "holy grail" of tone. The thing is, the USA ones don't sound like crap and last a really long time. I have a console "HI-FI" from the late '40s. Belonged to my dad. Tubes in it are original. Still working and sounds as good as the technology of the day could. *That's* why they are so desirable.

Click to expand...

The reason they last so long is because they aren't stressed in other amps as much as guitar amps. Guitar amps tend to stress the tubes quite a bit, hence the failure rate.

I have a '64 Hammond M103 organ that still has the original tubes in it (all but one...a 12AX7 that was going noisy), and it was used in a church for over 40 years every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. I spent the money on NOS tubes and it didn't sound any better or worse. Sounded the same.