About the Company
Graetz was a long‑established German consumer electronics firm with roots going back to 1866, when Albert Graetz founded Ehrich & Graetz to make lamps and metal goods. Over the 20th century it expanded into radios, TVs and other audio gear. After World War II the West German business was re‑established in Altena, Westphalia by family members and grew into a significant radio and household electronics maker before being acquired in 1961 by Standard Elektrik Lorenz (SEL) — part of the ITT group.
Reel‑to‑Reel Tape Deck Production History
1960 – Company Restructuring & Acquisitions
In 1960, Graetz acquired Sander & Janzen (Saja), a German firm that made tape recorder mechanisms and dictation machines. The acquisition brought tape recorder expertise into Graetz’s German operations.
Tape recorder development and production were consolidated into the Graetz factory at Altena.
1961–1964 – Consumer Reel‑to‑Reel Machines
1961: Graetz introduced its first branded open‑reel tape recorder for the consumer market — the early Graetz models are simply listed generically as produced between 1961 and 1964.
These decks were tube‑based electronics, typical of early consumer recorders before solid‑state designs took over.
A representative example from this period is the Graetz “Model 1” (sometimes just cataloged as the Graetz 1). It used permalloy heads, had tube amplification, and supported standard open‑reel speeds such as 3¾ ips on 7″ reels with 2‑track mono/stereo formats.
The intent was to compete in the home audio segment — straightforward, consumer‑oriented reel recorders rather than professional studio gear.
Mid‑1960s Beyond Tape
After about 1964, Graetz’s named reel‑to‑reel products disappeared from collector registries, indicating that open‑reel production likely ended around that time.
The brand subsequently continued in consumer audio — including radios, TVs and (by the 1970s) cassette tape decks — but these later products (e.g., the Graetz Profi Corder 306 cassette deck in the mid‑1970s) are not open‑reel machines.
What Graetz Reel Decks Were Like
Target Market: Consumer / home audio, priced and positioned for domestic use rather than pro broadcast or studio.
Technology: Tube‑based electronics with basic record/playback functionality.
Formats & Specs:
2‑track open‑reel format typical for consumer decks of the era.
Speeds: Standard consumer speed such as 3¾ ips.
Head Type: Permalloy heads.
Reel Size: Usually measured for up to 7″ reels.
These designs were straightforward budget machines relative to contemporaries from specialist manufacturers (e.g., Uher or Telefunken), and their documentation today is sparse mainly because production was short and not widely exported.
Corporate & Market Context
Graetz KG was a significant German consumer brand in the 1950s–60s, producing radios, TVs, and other electrical goods before becoming part of Standard Elektrik Lorenz (SEL) in 1961.
SEL and its affiliated brands (like Schaub‑Lorenz) later focused on broader hi‑fi audio products including cassette technology, a format that overtook open‑reel in mainstream consumer audio through the late 1960s and 1970s.
Summary — Graetz Reel‑to‑Reel History
Graetz reel‑to‑reel production at a glance:
Brand: Graetz (Germany).
Reel‑to‑Reel Era: 1961–1964 (consumer reel recorders).
Technology: Tube‑based open‑reel machines targeting home users.
End of Production: Around mid‑1960s, with the brand phasing out open‑reel decks as cassette formats and other hi‑fi products dominated.
Corporate Change: Graetz operations absorbed into Standard Elektrik Lorenz (SEL) in 1961.
Legacy
Graetz’s reel‑to‑reel tape decks are rare today and generally of interest to vintage collectors of early German consumer audio rather than to those focused on high‑end professional gear. Their existence reflects a period in the early 1960s when many consumer electronics firms tried adding magnetic recording to their product portfolios before compact cassette technology eclipsed open‑reel in mass markets.