Thomas Reussen Zehn

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Thomas Reußentei ( April 1, 1955 in Frankfurt-Sachsenhausen – February 3, 2022 ) was a German electrical engineer , developer and manufacturer of hand -made tube amplifiers . He was the owner of the Tube Power factory based in Offenbach-Bieber (Hessen).

training

In 1968, as a teenager, Reußenzehn began experimenting with electroacoustics , for example by building his own stereo system , using tube radios as guitar amplifiers, increasing their volume and installing tremolo or vibrato effects. He first completed an apprenticeship as a telecommunications technician and then studied communications engineering .

During his studies, Reussenzehn repaired and modified guitar amps for a music store for years. There he gained practical experience with the models available on the market. For Albrecht "Ali" Neander, the guitarist of the Rodgau Monotones , he built a master volume into his amplifier, which was a novelty in amplifier technology at the time. According to Joachim Becker, the bassist of that band, his enthusiasm for tube amplifier technology was strongly influenced. During his entire apprenticeship he remained interested in tube technology, although this was then replaced by transistor technology in the hi-fi sector . In 1978 he graduated as an engineer and opened his own music shop in Offenbach with an attached repair shop, from which his company emerged. In 2011 he trained to become a state-certified energy consultant.

manufacture

From 1982 Reußentei gave up his music business and concentrated entirely on developing and manufacturing his own products for everything to do with tube sound. The product range includes the three main areas of guitar and bass amplifiers, hi-fi amplifiers and loudspeakers. From 1999 he moved his manufactory to the Rhön until he moved to Frankfurt-Oberrad in October 2009 , but kept Offenbach-Bieber as the company headquarters.

The company is organized as a family business. Although some devices are mass-produced, Reussenzehn renounced mass production in order to continue to be able to respond flexibly to individual customer requests. He did not use any components manufactured in a low -wage country because he rejected the working conditions there as inhumane. Most components come from German, many from our own production. Attention is paid to energy saving and strict compliance with the current RoHS guidelines prescribed by law .

Until the switch to direct sales in 1994, Reussentei sold most of its products through specialist shops. His manufactory employs only a few, mostly freelancers. He still did most of the manual work himself. Up to 1994 he built a total of around 2,500 devices, at that time more than 100 a year.

His customers included lovers of handmade tube amplifiers and well-known rock musicians, for example from BAP , Die Toten Hosen , ZZ Top , Cream ( Jack Bruce ) and the Scorpions .

in-house productions

Tube bass amp

As early as 1968, Reussentei built the first tube bass preamplifier that could be combined with the power amps of the then popular Fender Bassman amplifiers , thus increasing their sound quality and variability. In 1971 he developed his own transistor amplifier, but remained true to the tube technology because of its peculiarities: "It maps the second harmonic overtone series with a very nice sound spectrum, requires comparatively little negative feedback and, especially with short circuits with as few phase shifts as possible, allows an incomparably good and direct Sound is created.” In 1978 he began to develop devices for rock musicians who wanted a distortion sound that was as pure and authentic as possible . For the Rodgau Monotones, he modified their amplifiers (various Fender Twin Reverb and various models from Marshall Amplification ) in such a way that one could switch between undistorted (“clean”) and distorted (“distortion”) sounds and thus achieve a variable tube sound. This "tuning" principle (called "Reu-o-Grande") found enthusiastic supporters, so that Reussentei's small business soon enjoyed cult status among rock musicians.

Also in 1978 he built the Tube Basspreamp Mk1 in 19-inch format, which could be combined with any PA transistor power amplifier. It contains three double triodes and a three-band tone control, with which bass, middle and treble can be amplified separately. The frequency ranges can also be set for bass and mids. Later, the sheet steel housing was reduced in size and the mains transformer was moved to a separate mains plug part in order to largely prevent background noise. The model is considered the world's first example of selective modern bass amplification and is still available today.

The Daniel D Tubebooster Mk IV was born in 1983 from the desire of musicians to get their Vox guitar amplifier to produce a more distorted sound . It contains an ECC83 tube with an operating voltage of 200 volts and as few control parts as possible. According to test reports, with a low ohm output voltage and very large level reserves, the booster refreshes the undistorted overall sound considerably and also improves the transparency of the distorted sound. It enables a wide range of different guitar sounds and has extremely low inherent noise.

Hi-Fi

Amplifier with KT66 output tubes from Reussen Zehn

From 1983, Reussentei also developed tube amplifiers for private hi-fi customers. With a sound filter as the output stage, he helped to soften the sound of the first compact disc players, which some customers found harsh. In years of experimentation, he developed a hi-fi output transformer .

Amplifier Tube 66 from Reussentei interior view

The "Tube Slave S" developed at that time is still manufactured almost unchanged today. It contains strip core transformers with particularly narrow winding layers and optimal nesting, which ensure very low stray losses. In addition, there is the flowing triode-pentode operation typical of Reußen ten amplifiers and the internal wiring with fabric-wound silicone silver wires. The output power is 2 × 36 W with a 5881 military output tube and 2 × 45 watts with a KT 88 output tube. The device excludes impedances of up to 2 ohms and can therefore be used universally.

In 1996, Reussentei built the "Classic" power amp monoblock for domestic hi-fi systems. It has an output power of 95 watts into 4 ohms and tolerated impedances of up to 2 ohms. Its input sensitivity could be regulated. The negative feedback can be adjusted so that you can change the distortion behavior of the amplifier and achieve more brilliance and three-dimensionality in the playback. The power amplifiers contain four pentodes (five-pole tubes) whose circuit effectively combines the respective sound and performance advantages of triodes (three-pole tubes) and pentodes. A cut strip core output transformer prevents DC voltage from reaching the speakers and ensures a high level of interference immunity. – The tube preamp “The Stereo Tube Preamp” supplements this monoblock with five high-level inputs and a phono input. It contains two ECC83 V 10cc electron tubes. Critics praised the price-performance ratio of both devices and the playback of analogue and digital audio carriers.

In 2016, Reussentei built a new hi-fi tube headphone amplifier for all modern low-impedance headphones. According to press reports, special features of the circuit concept are the air wiring instead of printed circuit boards, self-made high-quality output transformers, cut ribbon cores for the lowest possible leakage, an external power supply unit and separate "voice" controllers.

In 2018, Reussentei developed a low-noise tube phono preamplifier for moving-coil pickups.

Devices for pain patients

In 1994, Reussentei developed the “Harmonie” tube headphone amplifier to support distraction analgesia (pain relief through distraction). A voicing control enables the harmonic overtone series in the audio signal to be emphasized, especially the octaves, in order to audibly freshen up dull recordings. Dentists have reported successful use of the device, for example in complicated treatments lasting several hours.

In 1997, Reussentei developed the particularly handy headphone amplifier “Klanginsland” with a double triode from the “Harmonie” system. This allows the overtone spectrum of the sound to be regulated in a differentiated manner, sharpness to be avoided, and the fullness, depth and spatiality of the sound to be optimally conveyed. The die-cast housing prevents interference from high frequencies, which occur particularly in dental practices and hospitals. The model takes into account the findings of distraction analgesia, according to which receptive music, transmitted in high audiophile quality as realistically and "warmly" as possible, allows patients to perceive the pain less strongly and react more relaxed. For the German Pain Day in 1997, Reussentei put together the headphone amplifier with boxes that are suitable for overall therapeutic sound reinforcement in medical practices and hospital departments. The complete system met with a positive response.

In cooperation with an ear, nose and throat doctor, Reussentei tried to relax tinnitus patients with the excellent sound quality of the music. He also developed a system for the severely hearing impaired.

Solar Amplifier

In the summer of 2011, Reussentei built the world's first solar-powered tube amplifier. The model is based on a tube-driven EL34 Eco Plus guitar amp, whose power consumption has been reduced to 12 volts and 2.4 amps to be compatible with a standard 12-volt solar panel . This is built into the transport case. While the first accumulator is charging energy, the second can be used for three to four hours of gaming without being connected to the mains. The rock band Sun Power & Groove demonstrated its use in a concert.

Other

Reußenzeen's developments include the first multi -channel MIDI tube preamplifier ("Double-Twin"), the conversion of a Marshall amplifier into the first three-channel MIDI Marshall amplifier and a tube -based Leslie simulator . They came about as a result of suggestions from practicing musicians who were dissatisfied with the products available on the market. Reussen Zehn's technical ideas were often initially rejected by large manufacturing companies as being too inappropriate, but were later taken up.

social commitment

Reußenzehn was involved in social aid projects, for example for seriously ill children and young people in the Frankfurt am Main area. From 2012 he organized instrument making courses and auctioned instruments.

literature

  • Susanne Stahl: Handmade! Manufactories in Frankfurt and the surrounding area. Henrich, 2015, ISBN 3943407411 ( Review )
  • Frank Pieper: The PA Handbook: Practical introduction to professional sound reinforcement technology. 4th edition 2011, GC Carstensen Verlag, ISBN 3910098428
  • Rainer zur Linde: Audio and guitar circuits with tubes. Elektor, 1993, ISBN 3921608694
  • Rainer zur Linde: Tube amplifiers for guitars and hi-fi. Elektor, 1992, ISBN 3921608414

web links

individual receipts

  1. ↑ guitarbass.de: Amp developer and tube specialist Thomas Reussentei died , accessed February 5, 2022
  2. ↑ Company information on Thomas Reussentei: Trading in tube amplifiers ( Memento of March 5, 2016 in the Internet Archive ); Sample Company Profile ( Memento of March 5, 2016 at the Internet Archive )
  3. ↑ a b Thomas Schmidt (Hifitest.de 11/2014): Reussen Zehn Tube Phono ; Page 2
  4. ↑ a b c Simone Weil (OP-Online, July 5, 2011): Tube sound with solar power
  5. ↑ a b Jürgen Schultheis (Frankfurter Rundschau, July 9, 2011): Noble amplifier from the inventor: sound technology for the grown-ups
  6. ↑ a b c Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung No. 189, August 16, 1994: Who?
  7. ↑ a b Udo Pipper: The Reu Is Back In Town: Reußenlehns Frankfurter Rohrenmanufaktur. In: Guitar & Bass 6/2010, ISSN  0934-7674 , pp. 92–94
  8. ↑ Jochen Remmert (FAZ, May 22, 2015): Manufactories in the region: Travel guide to handmade things
  9. ↑ Dirk Groll: Tube Basspreamp Mk 7. In: Guitar & Bass No. 9/2012, ISSN  0934-7674 , p. 176
  10. ↑ Heinz Rebellius : Daniel-D-Tubebooster MK IV Reuss Ten Anniversary. In: Guitar & Bass 1/2008, ISSN  0934-7674 , pp. 196–199
  11. ↑ Gerold Lingnau (FAZ No. 243, October 19, 1999): Pleasing to the eye and pleasant to the ear: The Tube Slave S Reuss Ten tube amplifier in concert with the Thorens TCD 2300 CD player
  12. ↑ Gerold Lingnau (FAZ No. 300, December 24, 1996): Tube amplifiers also for less bulging wallets
  13. ↑ Wolfgang Tunze: Air and freshness from the Oberwelle FAZ, February 16, 2016; Thomas Schmidt: In a figurative sense. (LP Magazine #4, 2016)
  14. ↑ Wolfgang Tunze: For those who don't smoke. FAZ, March 2, 2018
  15. ↑ Gerold Lingnau (FAZ No. 301, December 28, 1994): With Mozart, pain and drilling noise disappear
  16. ↑ Gerold Lingnau (FAZ No. 250, October 28, 1997): Tube sound against pain
  17. ↑ Moritz von Hohenthal (FAZ No. 47, February 25, 1997): Relaxation by listening to music can relieve pain
  18. ↑ FAZ, July 19, 2011: Guitar power without a network
  19. ↑ Niels Britsch (Offenbach Post, September 30, 2011): Rocking energy transition
  20. ↑ Guitar & Bass 2002: 10 years Reu-o Grande - and not a bit quiet , p. 78
  21. ↑ Moritz Eisenach (Frankfurter Neue Presse, June 5, 2013): They build guitars for a good cause ; Alexandra Flieth (Frankfurter Neue Presse, October 22, 2014): Oberrad Trade Association: Craftsmanship for a good cause
personal data
SURNAME Reussen Zehn, Thomas
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German electrical engineer, developer and manufacturer of hand-made tube amplifiers
BIRTH DATE April 1, 1955
PLACE OF BIRTH Frankfurt-Sachsenhausen
DATE OF DEATH February 3, 2022