FENDER G-DEC 30 AMP

Jim Mitchell · Post by **Jim Mitchell** » 27 May 2008 4:58 am

Has any one tried the FENDER G-DEC 30

I got one a year ago
Since I got 4 days off this weekend from BOEING
I pluged My RONDO 6 string lap steel into the G-DEC

There is a lot you can do with this amp for practice
It has a BASS player in it and you set the KEY and drums

It also has a built in tuner just puch a button when you are pluged in and tune up

I am not in the MUSIC businees I do not sell Fender amps
I build Helicopters

I was just wondering if any steel playes have used this amp and how they did

some info

The world's first all in one guitar amp with modeling, effects, and synthesizer backing tracks.

Combine measures of different patterns into whole songs; go way beyond the simple included patterns.

MIDI song files can be loaded from computer and stored onboard.

28 second phrase sampler with overdub capability: keep laying down more elements to the groove!

Left and right line outputs may be selected for ALL or SYNTH or AUX ONLY for output to PA or recording mixer.

Speaker output can drive an external cabinet with ALL signal or Guitar and Phrase output only.

30 watts into a 10" Special design speaker is loud enough for small solo gigs.

Optional 4-button footswitch to start/stop songs or phrases, select presets, or select tuner.

MY SITE FREE C6 TAB AND MORE
http://www.geocities.com/insp/SUPRO6420.html

Richard Cooper · Post by **Richard Cooper** » 27 May 2008 6:29 am

Hi Jim
I like the 30 better then the first one they came out with.
I put a eminence ramrod speaker in it, that added more
bass and improved the over all sound.
Richard

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 27 May 2008 7:27 am

Moved to Electronics from Steel Without Pedals.

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 27 May 2008 2:47 pm

I have the original and think it's the best practice tool any guitarist - 6-string or steel - can buy. If you step "outside the box" and try playing along with patches far outside your style it really opens your playing. It's an incredible little unit, and I plan on selling mine to upgrade to the 30. Some like the original better for the simplicity; I'd prefer the programmable functions of the 30. Fender really came out with a winner in the GDec line IMO.

Jerry H. Moore · Post by **Jerry H. Moore** » 28 May 2008 6:53 am

I like the headphone feature. I have the first one. The speaker really sounds bad. Richard has me thinking about changing it now. Lot of good effects to experiment with. I use a GB-2 by Kawai sometimes as well. Another good practice tool. Anybody with the cards for one of these I would be interested. I messed with the 30 but haven't upgraded yet. The bass player or drummer has never called in sick!!!

Jim Mitchell · Post by **Jim Mitchell** » 28 May 2008 7:33 am

The bass player or drummer has never called in sick!!!

[/quote]

You are right but sitting in the bed room with head phones on and playing with you self may not be legal in all states.

I would like to know what voice in the Amp do people use and what settings, there has to be bunches

Should we call this an Amp or a toy

Would you use it in a show ?

Jerry H. Moore · Post by **Jerry H. Moore** » 28 May 2008 9:13 am

More a toy than a gig amp. I wouldn't gig with it. It was designed for practice. I use the "take 5" or the "ladies man" for pedal steel.Just the effects settings only. Any other settings are OK for 6 string. I like it because it plays in time and doesn't drink my beer.

Jim Mitchell · Post by **Jim Mitchell** » 28 May 2008 9:51 am

Thanks JERRY it sounds like you know my brother In-law

He playes left handed bass and drinks my beer

Don't BASS players ever bring their own beer.

and you got to feed them

James Collett · Post by **James Collett** » 29 May 2008 4:59 pm

Jerry- do you have the 30-- the original odistorts when I run my steel through it (pedal).

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 30 May 2008 6:20 am

James - Just as when running through some guitar effects pedals, DSP (digital signal processing) amps like the GDec sometimes need the input signal "dumbed down" by an impedance-matcher like a Steeldriver II or a simple clean-boost pedal turned down. This is one beef I've had with most new steels - the lack tone/volume controls on the guitar and require outboard gear to use them with anything but steel-specific equipment. Many steel players DON'T use Peavey steel amps and have to compensate for the high-output/high impedance pickups and lack of controls.

My GFI Ultra's GFI II will just barely distort in the GDec, so I use a Steeldriver - my old MSA would distort like crazy...but had controls on it and was no problem. My Shobud HAD to have the Steeldriver on.

James Collett · Post by **James Collett** » 30 May 2008 9:33 pm

Yeah, I kinda' figured that, due to the low RMS. I've been running it as a send from a mixer, and that works pretty good. I wonder if the 30 watt would though?

Doc Rickles · Post by **Doc Rickles** » 31 May 2008 11:20 am

I have actually used it for a Jam. Hooked a Emminence 15 8ohm lite speaker. Have to make sure you have it set and peaked for your sound.You can change every user setting on it if you want to.Tone,delay,reverb. bass, treble, and loudness. One guy asked where did you get that little baby monster. Best practice tool I've ever had.
Doc

Jerry H. Moore · Post by **Jerry H. Moore** » 1 Jun 2008 6:34 am

James, I have the 15 and it does distort. I like the idea of knocking the signal down a little.

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 4 Jun 2008 6:52 pm

Any other settings are OK for 6 string.

Except that to me that kind of defeats the whole purpose of the thing.

The way it's designed it's perfect to get you OUT of your comfort zone-playing and cliche-mode and let you stretch out.

Play along with the surf patches, or som of the classic rock or blues stuff if you're not real adventurous. You find yourself discovering things to play you would never find playing the same old thing with the same old tone.

Then once you get used to extending yourself a bit, punch up one of the more "metal" or "punk" patches (which you can do and still tweak your guitar to sound reasonably normal...

That, to me, is what this kind of tool is about. It's NOT about playing stuff you always play - that's pointless. Save $300, but a $60 practice amp and put on a CD if all you want to do is use two vanilla patches.

Jerry H. Moore · Post by **Jerry H. Moore** » 4 Jun 2008 7:27 pm

The way it's designed it's perfect to get you OUT of your comfort zone-playing and cliche-mode and let you stretch out.

You're right Jim, there are quite a few on there that will make you get out of the routine cliche stuff. But some of them are just OUT of my "comfort zone" I tried a different speaker on mine the other night and it was a little better for the steel. The steel pickup is just a little strong for some of the "out there" selections. I guess I like about a third of the patches...maybe more.
I'm still sticking to my guns though....NO RAP and ABSOLUTELY ......NO BLUEGRASS....

LET IT SWING.......

Curt Langston · Post by **Curt Langston** » 5 Jun 2008 1:58 pm

Hey Jim,
What sort of variable volume control, or impedance matcher would you recommend? I would like to be able to find a simple volume knob mounted in a small steel box like a pedal or something. Something inexpensive. I plan on trying one of these GDEC 30s.
I love how you can change the key. You cannot do this on the Spider Jam, even thought the SJ has real artist recordings, as opposed to the midi files on the GDEC.

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 5 Jun 2008 7:57 pm

Curt - the simplest (from a practical standpoint) is probably a Matchbox - I'm fairly sure it has volume AND tone controls. The Steeldriver does for sure and works great if you avoid the (IMO) awful fuzz circuit.

You could take a simple Fender Esquire wiring diagram, put the two pots and one 3-way switch in a small enclosure with a plug on one side (to fit onto your guitar's jack) and a jack on the other) which runs to your volume pedal, effects, amp, whatever. You'd likely play around a bit with the cap value on switch position #3 to make it usable, but you'd end up with volume (to help cut down the distortion on the pedal side), tone and a faux-two pickup switching system. I've experimented around and it works quite well. It's just a simple passive box that replaces the mysteriously deleted controls that were on ALL the early guitars!

I may just make one up out of the cheapest stuff I have on hand as an example tomorrow.

If I give it a custom paint job and cool name, I could then toss it on eBay for a couple hundred clams!

mike nolan · Post by **mike nolan** » 6 Jun 2008 9:33 am

I have a G-Dec 30.... I had the earlier one, but it was far less useful, IMHO. The 30 is great for shedding new material. You can send Band in a Box midi files to the internal memory, or play the tracks via MIDI from your computer. Audio in jacks let you plug in a CD player or iPod. I replaced the speaker in mine with a Weber, and it is better, but it will never be a gig amp for me. I almost wish it came as a table top unit with no speaker.... throw it in the case with the laptop for hotel room practice sessions.

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