It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 9:50 am

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 10 posts ] 
Author Message
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 8:58 am
Offline
Amateur
Amateur

Joined: Fri Jul 20, 2007 6:50 pm
Posts: 117
I sold my 15 and bought a 30.

I like the external speaker out plug on the back. There are more drum tracks. The sound quality is better - more defined midrange and more lower frequencies.

I haven't had any problems with either one.


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 9:58 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 2:19 pm
Posts: 8827
Mines in the shop too.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 3:51 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2007 10:59 am
Posts: 457
I record with my G-DEC 15 (not the 30 you're asking about) all the time.

Since I don't have the 30 with the multiple output options, I just run a cable from the headphone output jack to my Fostex recorder.

Works great.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 4:46 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2007 10:59 am
Posts: 457
Glad to help bbrodie. Let me know if you have other questions about recording with the G-DEC. I've never used a G-DEC 30, but I think I've done about all you can do using the original G-DEC 15 as a preamp for recording into a stand-alone recorder (not a computer) and even as a makeshift mixer for three inputs.

Sitting here bored at work on a Friday afternoon, I'm all too happy to take some time to give you (and anyone else who reads this) some ideas.

It's not hard to make decent preamp settings for both electric basses and acoustic guitars on the G-DEC. The settings I use for those wouldn't replace a quality bass preamp or a nice condenser microphone for acoustic guitar, but they're certainly good enough if you're just doing some basic home recording for your own enjoyment, demos for your band to hear your ideas and arrangements, and that sort of thing.

For bass, I use the Acoustic amp setting, no effects, some compression, and being at work now I obviously don't know my Timbre and EQ settings but just play with them until you find a sound you like. Same for acoustic guitar, except to me the Blackface 1 amp and a touch of reverb sounds better for an acoustic guitar with a built-in pickup.

In the past I've had a whole bunch of stuff all hooked up through a small mixer, but I find for most of my little recording sessions, I like the simplicity using the G-DEC with three inputs. Fewer cables and fewer devices mean less time untangling cords, tracking down hum, and doing things other than making music.

On the G-DEC, most often I have my Telecaster plugged into the front guitar input, a Fender bass plugged into the rear input, and an old Yamaha keyboard the AUX IN jacks. It's easier and faster to just set down your guitar, grab a bass and turn the knob to the bass setting, then turn and play the keyboard, etc. I'll vary that setup with different things, like an acoustic/electric into one of the guitar inputs and a drum machine into the AUX IN. You could probably even run two mono signals through the AUX IN if you had the right adaptors from Radio Shack or wherever.

The AUX IN is a "pass-through", meaning your G-DEC amp and effect settings don't change whatever you have plugged in there. It's perfect for keyboard, drum machine, bass direct box, guitar mulit-effects processors, etc.

I run everything through the G-DEC and out through the headphone jack. When I record to my Fostex recorder, I generally use a stereo cable and use two tracks to get the stereo effects, but just as often I'll run a mono jack from the headphone output to a Boss RC-2 Loop Station pedal and I don't notice any loss of signal running mono. Then again, I'm a "low-tech" recording guy and not trying to fool anyone into thinking my little basement recordings were made by a sound engineer in a pro studio.

I think the G-DEC is a great little amp. While I almost never use the built-in speaker, I constantly use the amp simulators and effects and have filled up a bunch of the user preset slots with my own sounds for recording and/or looping.

I have a Blackface 1 with reverb for clean electric guitar, another B1 w/'verb with different EQ for acoustic guitar, my "classic rock" setting which is a British 2 with a little delay, my bass setting, another bass setting with Touch Wah, and then a few effects settings - vibratone (which I sometimes use with keys too), mid-heavy Fixed Wah (for my best attempts at sounding like early Carlos Santana), fuzz, a twangy clean country Telecaster setting, and a couple of others I can't remember at the moment.

It takes a little time to get the signal volume from each setting to be the same, so your favorite "lead guitar" setting isn't five times louder than your "rhythm guitar" setting, but once you do, it's easy to just turn the knob and have another sound ready to go.


I'd never try to use the G-DEC on stage; there are better products for that (with foot controllers) but in my little home studio, it's a great tool and I've never considered "upgrading" to the G-DEC 30 because my G-DEC 15 does everything I want it to.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 10:24 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2007 6:49 am
Posts: 38
If you have an oportunity to upgrade to I GDEC-30, go for it!
I had the GDEC-15 and the same problem with the selector wheel acting up. Fender repaired it no problem (actually replaced the amp both times).
But I happened to score a deal on Craigslist and bought a like-new GDEC-30 for under $200. So I sold my GDEC-15 for the same price!

Anyway, the obvious advantages of the GDEC-30 is more features (you can compare them on the Fender website for details).
I use mine just for practice but I do like using the built-in speaker. I found (and have verified when I had them side-by-side) that the GDEC-15 will easily distort at low volumes because the preamp can be overdriven easily. A single-coil pickup guitar will sometimes sound OK but humbuckers or hotter pickups will distort. Reducing the guitar volume to the amp sometimes helped. This apparently was corrected in the GDEC-30 plus you get the advantage of 30watts vs 15 watts. The GDEC could be used if you were gigging for a small venue (coffee house gig) or practice session. You also have the option of using an external speaker. Oh yeah... did I mention the GDC-30 has an optional footswitch? Well worth it! So the determination of a deal for a upgrade cost is up to you. In my case it was $0 cash difference. But knowing what I know now, I would still do it given your oportunity.
BTW... I've had the GDEC-30 for over a year now with no problems what-so-ever.

Play on...


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 2:39 pm
Offline
Amateur
Amateur

Joined: Fri Jul 20, 2007 6:50 pm
Posts: 117
My upgrade was similar to yours. I got the original Gdec used at a discounted price, then sold it for what I paid 3 years later. Now I have a -30 I found used at a greatly reduced price.

The sound quality is better in the -30. You are very correct about over-driving the amp. The 15 would break up very easily. I can't get the -30 to breakup from too strong of a signal with any guitar going direct.

The foot switch, line outs, external speaker out, extra phrase sampler are all advantages.

If you are interested in recording, the -30 has an "Acoustic" amp selection to emulate an acoustic guitar amplifier. I use it with a Yamaha 12 string. It sound much better then clean patches on the 15.

Ive played at church with the 12 string plugged in the back and an electric in front. Swopping guitars and switching to an acoustic amp sound makes things very practical in a small space.

These are great amps. Both of them.


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 10 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: