The MESA 12AT7 is a premium grade, lower gain preamp tube most often used in reverb stages and/or phase inverter positions in older amplifiers. It is used in older MESA/Boogie designs (MESA amps built before 1991) as a reverb driver stage, but the 12AT7 can also be substituted in 12AX7 gain stages where users are seeking lower gain response from higher gain positions in the preamp string. The lower gain output of 12AT7s can expands the range of clip and overdrive potential of higher gain amps for truly authentic roots and traditional styles.
MESA preamp tubes are among the highest quality available and selected for their exceptional full-range tonal quality, stability, low noise and low microphonics. They provide the maximum level of high gain output with low sensitivity to microphonic noise while producing a balanced response across the tonal spectrum that is extremely lively, open and expressive. All MESA tubes offer unsurpassed consistency and reliability for ANY tube amplifier, and certainly MESA amplifiers!
Remember… our dedication is to create the world’s finest tube amplifiers. And to achieve that goal requires a deeper commitment to tube quality… because the reputation of our amplifiers depends on it.