Sovtek is a brand of vacuum tube owned by Mike Matthews's New Sensor Corporation and manufactured in Saratov, Russia. They are often used in guitar amplification and include versions of the popular 12AX7, EL84, EL34, and 6L6. Many of the vacuum-tube amplifiers in modern production are factory-fitted with Sovtek valves, due to their low noise performance[citation needed] and lower prices than other makes.
As of 2012 Sovtek was used only as a brand name for vacuum tubes manufactured by the New Sensor Corporation.