The classic vacuum tube devices of the 1950s and 1960s offer one thing that today’s semiconductors and solid-state electronics can’t match: do-it-yourself friendliness. The vintage radio and stereo collector has the ability to get a nonworking device back in action by simply replacing a defective tube. Nowadays these GE JG-12AT7WA vintage tubes and tube sockets help your guitar or bass guitar get that smooth sound out of your amp or preamp. The GE 12AT7WA were originally produced to transmit audio waves for radio, television, and other audio equipment. The GE JG-12AT7WA vintage tube is a rugged, American-made workhorse produced for the U.S. military and used for computers and targeting equipment. This tube is usually very low in microphonics due to its rugged construction. The GE JG-12AT7WA had to work well under arduous conditions and was made with solid support rods and short, gray plates. The tube fits snugly into a socket made for eight prongs. These parts may work for certain vintage guitar amplifiers as well. This military version may also be listed as a 6201. Some tubes have both type numbers on the label. These usually have thick mica spacers. Some have extra support rods, which give even more stability. The RCA versions have extra support posts and tiny "12AX7" type plates, which are nearly always black. They all have 1950s era “D” style getters. The GE JG-12AT7WA vintage vacuum tube was originally designed to replace the 6SL7 and 6SN7 model tubes in radios and amplifiers, with these tubes being produced in the 1950s and 1960s. The GE tube contains two 6AV6 triodes (a double triode), and the heat voltage is 12.6 with the cathode being indirectly heated. The 12AT7 has a 9-pin miniature construction (a technology developed in 1948). It is a high-mu double triode in a glass envelope. It has mica plates. The 12AT7, also known as ECC81 according to its Mullard-Philips designation, is part of a large family of twin-triode vacuum tubes manufactured all over the world. They all share the same pinout (EIA 9A) and had short plates to reduce microphonics and noise. Most use heaters, which can be optionally wired in series (12.6V, 150 mA) or parallel (6.3V, 300 mA). Other tubes, which in some cases can be used interchangeably in an emergency, include the 12AX7, the 12AU7, the 12AV7, and the low-voltage 12U7 plus many four-digit EIA series dual triodes. They span a wide range of voltage gain and transconductance. Different versions of each were designed for enhanced ruggedness, low microphonics, stability, lifespan, etc. The 12AT7WA performs well with guitar, but depending on what you are searching for or the gear you are using, the different types of tubes perform different audio profiles and were built with different factors in mind. However, they can also be used in a pinch interchangeably in your amps and preamps. Other brands can be used interchangeably as well, such as Mullard or Sylvania. Once your classic electronic device is fitted with the right tubes and new sockets, expect additional years of musical enjoyment featuring a depth of sound that tinny modern systems can’t duplicate.