About
Kruse Amplification founder Jens Kruse was born and raised in Germany where he started playing acoustic guitar
at the age of five.
He received his first electric guitar and tube amp at age seven and began performing as a solo artist, in
classical orchestras and bands by the time he was eight.
Jens enjoyed a thorough musical education in Germany from classical to modern styles, studying instruments
like piano and clarinet as well as classical singing in addition to his first passion, the guitar.
Jens Kruse's father Alf Kruse worked as an electronics engineer for Siemens and Beckman Instruments. Through his father's profession and ham radio hobby Jens was introduced to tube and solid state technology from an early age. Needless to say Jens has benefited greatly from his father's 50+ years unmatched experience in vintage and modern electronics.
After moving to Los Angeles, Jens worked as a session guitar player and as guitar + bass amp technician. He ran the Diezel Amplification USA tech support and warranty center and worked with ENGL Amplification to perform warranty repairs, custom modifications and service amplifiers of ENGL's high profile endorsees.
Jens' expertise does not only cover the classic vintage tube amps, but his company
KRUSE KONTROL AMPLIFICATION also developed modifications for most of the modern, technically challenging
amplifiers built by Engl, Diezel, Randall, Peavey, Hughes+Kettner, Mesa Boogie, Marshall, Line 6 and EVH,
amongst many other brands.
Customers from all over the US and Canada send in their amplifiers for modifications. Jens also works regularly
in Europe to fulfill the growing demand for his skills and recently broke into the Chinese market, selling
and shipping modified amplifiers from Los Angeles to China.
His growing high profile customer base includes players like Bruce Bouillet, George Lynch, Zakk Wylde, Vivian Campbell, bands like KISS, Guns 'n' Roses, Slayer, Linkin Park, producers like John Shanks (Joe Cocker, Bon Jovi etc), recording engineers like Chris Collier (Korn, Lynch Mob etc) and movie sound track composers like Chris Fields (Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Blade etc.).
This combination of trained musician's ears and technical knowledge make Kruse Amplifiers invaluable for today's tone seeking guitar players.