Fender G-Dec 3 - is it any good?

[VerySlowHand]

Been acoustic for a while and need to get plugged in again. It's the eternal question about practice amps. I only want to muck around at home, but my ears like nice stuff - I previously has a SCXD, a Boss RC2 and an RP500 (all sold when I bought the acoustic), with a laptop for backing tracks.

That's the context... here's my question:

I wonder if there's a simpler set-up... is the new G-Dec 3 any good? As usual they look great in the demo's, but I had one of the older ones for about 5 minutes before it went back in it's box...

The Boss JS-8 looks good, but there's no substitute for a bit of noise now and then.

Peavey Vypyr 30 (with looper) is on my list too.

Any thoughts?

 

[cbucki]

If you're going to use it as a practice tool, it's great. The backing tracks, and ability to add anything as a backing track is valuable to me.

Tonally, the SCXD is better.

I've owned both the GDEC 3 30 and 15 watt versions. I only need the 15, because I primarily use it for headphone play, and I wanted a smaller footprint.

There's not a vast amount of difference tonally between the two. The tweeter in the 30 adds a lot to acoustic amp simulations. Functionally, they are identical.

In general, I'd give them both an "OK" tonally, but it is an extremely versatile tool.

 

[jmontgomery]

Best practice amp I've ever used. Backing tracks are great. Easy to load more on an SD card. Clean sounds are great, OD sounds are very good.
I haven't used the looping or recording features yet.

 

[VerySlowHand]

Thanks guys. That's an unexpected response. I know there are a lot of purists here (nothing wrong with that - I'm one of them) who might have scoffed at the G-Dec, but it's good to hear something positive about the new one. I checked out the video's on Fender's website - it does look like a MUCH better thing compared to the previous versions.

 

[RiverDog]

Fender G-DEC 3 "Fuse Software" Demo with Greg Koch

I was just checking this thing out. Look what you can do by hooking up the amp to your PC. I think it's amazing.

 

[VerySlowHand]

Thanks RiverDog. I actually bought the G-Dec 3 30 last week, but only hooked it up last night to my laptop and I've not yet explored the software that comes with the amp. That demo is 'music to my ears'.

The thing I don't like about the G (and a lot of other multi-fx units and modeling amps) is the interface for tweaking everything. I love the way the Fuse software gives a graphic representation of the effects pedals and amp fronts... fantastic for an old Luddite like me. Can't wait to get back to the amp...:arrow: see you later....

 

[RiverDog]

Cool. Can you make it sounds as much like a tube amp as they claim in the demo?

 

[VerySlowHand]

What a complete disappointment!!!

I install Fuse to my laptop (Mac OS X 10.6.4), restart, open it up - and all I get is a darkened window with no functionality... just a dark screen hanging there. Dead.

Seems from Googling that Fuse does not support Power PC Macs and has problems with 10.6.4...

I have to decide if not having Fuse is a deal breaker... or is it just a nice visual interface?

I'm still within my 15 days to return the amp. Can anyone reassure me that it's still worth keeping it?

 

[figaro]

I was hoping the G-Dec 3 would sound better that the previous G-Dec but I was disapointed by the sound and tone, especially the 15. The 30 definitlely sounds better than the 15 but I bought the Boss JS-8 eband instead. It's easier to use and it's built-in speakers sound good but it really sounds great when you play it through a good sound system. The Boss effects are much better than the G-Dec 3 effects in my opinion.

 

[VerySlowHand]

Gotta say. Now that I've dug into the G-Dec (and understand what it can and can't do - and what I want from it) and then looked again at the JS-8, the Boss would seem to have the edge in terms of being a better thought-out package.

Okay, it's not a 30 watt amplifier, but for what the G-Dec tries to do as a practice tool the JS-8 seems to deliver more - with simpler functionality and a better interface, both graphically and ergonomically... and it's fully Mac compatible (and that's all Mac OS's, past and present).

Just can't decide if swapping the G-Dec for a system with monitor speakers (added) is a good move.

Something to think about until my 15 days with the G-Dec are up.

 

[VerySlowHand]

Update: Thanks to Loren at the Fender Knowledgebase I've got FUSE working... just needed the Mac to be hooked up to the G-Dec during download and installation. I can't say that I found that information on the web, or in any of the manuals, but I could be wrong, it might be there somewhere.

Anyway, huge relief... I hope this helps other Mac users who might be stumped.

 

[jonkay1]

Guys, if you really want an amp loaded with great backing tracks and amazing guitar tones, forget about the Fender G-dec. I owned one for a while, but it quickly made its' way onto Craigslist. Go check out the Line 6 Spider Jam. You'll not be disappointed. In addition to realistic sounding rythym tracks and guitar tones, it also has a 24 minute looper. I love mine.

 

[VerySlowHand]

I'd forgotten about the Spider Jam... probably because I had a JM-4 that, to me, sounded horrible (I mainly used it through phones or a Roland Cube, which I also thought was horrible). So maybe I was unfair on it.

How do you find a 75 watt amp just for home noodling at low volume jonkay1?

 

[jonkay1]

Well, um, like most amps, it has a volume control. You can dial in the level of volume to your liking. I used to practice at home with a Fender Twin, because it was the only amp I had. All I did was turn the volume down. Works every time.

 

[jonkay1]

Slowhand, I was not familiar with the JM4 until you mentioned it. I went to the Line 6 website to check it out. It looks to me like they took the JM4 and put it into an amplifier. I never heard ther JM4, but why did you find it to be so horrible? Not all of the guitar tones in the Spider Jam are great, some are indeed are garbage, but I've found some really great guitar tones in there. Plus you can tweak the tones to your liking. It's not a perfect thing, but it's way better than the Fender G-Dec.

 

[jmontgomery]

The tones on the Fender Gdec weren't very good.
The new Fender Gdec 3 30 has tone for days. Nothing like the first ones.

 

[bluende]

I have really been enjoying my GDEC 3 30. The Fuse software is very handy but I also like that I can set the options I want and then unplug it. In other words, I don't have to be playing tethered to the computer, which I find to be quite unnatural.

Playing into the GDEC is like playing into your amp....because it is an amp. The footswitch makes switching between patches and using the built-in looper very easy.

Does it sound amazingly, super, omigod, how did they fit all that tone into such a tiny box good? Er, no.

But, I think the GDEC sounds great for what it is: a small practice amp. FWIW, my "real" amps are a 1965 non-reverb Deluxe and a Clark 5e3, which also sound great (of course) and the GDEC--to its credit--does not sound like a mere toy in comparison.

My former "backing track" practice setup was a MicroCube and my stereo. All I can say is that it's much harder to practice when you're simultaneously futzing with the remote control.

 

[djphelan01]

Guys, if you really want an amp loaded with great backing tracks and amazing guitar tones, forget about the Fender G-dec. I owned one for a while, but it quickly made its' way onto Craigslist. Go check out the Line 6 Spider Jam. You'll not be disappointed. In addition to realistic sounding rythym tracks and guitar tones, it also has a 24 minute looper. I love mine.

+1

 

[VerySlowHand]

Well, um, like most amps, it has a volume control. You can dial in the level of volume to your liking. I used to practice at home with a Fender Twin, because it was the only amp I had. All I did was turn the volume down. Works every time.

Not all amps work to their optimum simply by turning down the volume - even digital ones and certainly not a tube amp - so the sarcasm is a little misplaced (but I don't take offence - it might have seemed a silly question!)

I don't think you Spider Jam guys are comparing them with the NEW G-Dec, which - like a previous post said - has tons of tone tweakability... unlike the Jam, which has just one little knob, shared between several effects, and with very limited parameters. (I had a previous incarnation of the G-Dec and hated it too.)

Jonkay - the JM-4 is basically the innerds of the Spider Jam - I thought the tones were too digital and synthetic. The impression I get is that Line 6 tone is for metal heads and kids (not that I'm accusing you of either, but that seems to be a view that keeps coming up in reviews). I'm puzzled that you say you can adjust the tones of the Jam to your liking... with just that one effects parameter knob?

Anyway, my concerns about the G-Dec were nothing to do with tone - which is why I'm making these points - I've had some nice tube amps and I think the G-Dec is good on the tone front. My issue was with the FUSE software and since I've resolved that I'm happy with the G.

 

[jonkay1]

My apologies, Slowhand. I was trying to inject a little humor into my post. Perceived sarcasm was not intended. I once owned a Fender G-dec, which I found to be total crap. I must make a run out to Guitar Center anf check out the new Fender G-dec3, which I am not familiar with. My opinions, for what they are worth, will be forthcoming.