← Reference

12AY7

also 6072

Medium-mu (µ=44) dual triode — a lower-gain, lower-noise first stage. It fronts the tweed high-power amps (5F6-A Bassman, 5E3 Deluxe) where a 12AX7 would be too hot and too noisy.

Basing (pinout)

Bottom view — the socket as you see it from the wiring side. Hover, tap, or focus a pin to name it. Read from the datasheet basing diagram (how to read these →).

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Hover, tap, or focus a pin to name it.

  • High voltage (B+)
  • Control grid
  • Cathode
  • Heater / filament

Viewed from below (socket / wiring side) · noval 9-pin (B9A) · basing 9A

⚡ Oxblood pins sit at B+ — hundreds of volts in service, lethal, and still charged after power-off.

Datasheets

Primary manufacturer data, via public tube-data archives. The model below is fitted to the tabulated "average characteristics" in these sheets; the datasheet files themselves are linked, never rehosted.

PublisherTypeSource
RCA 12AY7 frank.pocnet.net ↗
Tung-Sol 12AY7 frank.pocnet.net ↗
General Electric 12AY7 frank.pocnet.net ↗

Circuit Codex model

A CC0 ngspice model in the Koren form, fitted here to the published anchor — no parameters copied from other model collections. Methodology →

Anchor
Va=250 V, Vg=-4 V → Ia=3.0 mA, gm=1750 µmho, µ=44
Source
RCA Receiving Tube Manual RC-19, 1959, average characteristics
File
models/12ay7.inc ↗

See these parameters drawn: the load line explorer plots the 12AY7's plate-curve family from this model and solves an operating point on it.

Maximum ratings

Design-centre values, each unit. The 10 mA cathode-current ceiling is generous next to the 3 mA a tweed input stage actually draws.

Plate voltage
300 V
Negative grid bias
50 V
Positive grid bias
0 V
Plate dissipation
1.5 W
Cathode current
10 mA
Peak heater-cathode voltage
90 V either polarity
Rating system
Design centre — carries an allowance for manufacturing spread
Source
RCA 12AY7 data sheet, 1 April 1953 (tentative data), design-centre values, each unit ↗