It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 2:49 pm

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 16 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next
Author Message
Post subject: GDEC 3 Update After Few Months...
Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 7:37 pm
Offline
Amateur
Amateur
User avatar

Joined: Thu Apr 15, 2010 8:46 am
Posts: 135
Location: Nashville
I have used this amps in a lot of ways. I've had fun with it in the music room, I'm lugged it to a show and gigged it alone (not loud enough). I've gigged it with powered PAs (enough power), I have pitted it against a real 1969 Twin Reverb (The GDEC made me realize I didn't need a real Twin after the amp battle). I have successfully been able to get great blues tones, country tones, 70s rock tones and now I'm all into rockabilly/surf and I'm getting those tones as well. I love my guitar magazines and am always deciding I need a new tube amp for a certain type of music. I now have to remind myself to check and see if the GDEC 3 will do it before I buy one. So far the GDEC has done what I need it to. Does that mean the lead picker for MegaThrash only needs a GDEC 3? Probably not but for an average guitar/amp enthusiast like me it does a lot of what I need. My current fun thing to do is start on a preset, look at the chords that one of the users here provided for each song and play it. Then I play the lead lines. Then I mix it up and move to the next preset. Some stuff is not for me (heavy/hardcore metal) but there are tons of tracks that I really am surprised how much I enjoy.
So am I happy I laid the money out for the is amp? YES, yes and yes. Would I do it again...hell yes! I love it and so does my Strat, Tele, Paul Beard, Gretsch and Taylor. If you love/think and enjoy guitars and music then you should own this amp.


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2010 8:42 am
Offline
Fender Staff
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2010 1:12 pm
Posts: 4396
Hey Billy,

We're glad you really like the G-DEC 3. Let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

Loren
TSL@fender.com
480-596-7195


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: GDEC 3 Update After Few Months...
Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2010 7:49 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 5:26 am
Posts: 53
Billy,

I'm in your camp as well. I have been very impressed with the modelled tones. My prime reason for buying the amp were the practice features, not the actual tone, so that has been a big bonus for me. I have also had positive experiences overall with the amp, the software, saving stuff onto an SD card, loading backing tracks, etc.

I do see how others can run into snags though. Fuse can be finicky about the USB connection (although the 2.0 version seems to have fixed those problems). The user interface can be complex and I am still learning all the ins and outs of the software and the on-screen menus.

I also wanted to say that I enjoyed the heck out of your youtube videos :-)

Dave


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 6:00 am
Offline
Amateur
Amateur
User avatar

Joined: Thu Apr 15, 2010 8:46 am
Posts: 135
Location: Nashville
Thanks BD and Loren
Blues Dave - Thanks for watching my videos. Have you seen the one with the car chase and arrest? That was my best PR stunt to date. I started BillyHell.com to feature videos like the GDEC 3 shoot out and to feature artists and musical instruments that I am really into. I just modded a 5120 Jimmy C custom pinstriped Gretsch and will hopefully have a video up soon featuring that guitar and demonstrating the rockabilly sound I can get out of the GDEC 3. I'm also working on a series of videos demonstrating how I use the amp for live gigs, how to get songs and presets into the amp and how I tweak it in general based off actual rigs guitar players I want to emulate. Good stuff!
http://www.billyhell.com


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 6:36 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Fri Oct 24, 2008 11:55 am
Posts: 548
Still loving my G-DEC 3 Thirty. Got to gig with it two weeks ago and it did well. Of course, not as loud as my Vox AD60VTX, but the Vox does have a tube, and is 60 watts. Tones are actually better from my Fender, which is saying a lot, as I loved my Vox compared to anything I'd played before the G-DEC 3 came along! Love the presets shared online, and the ability to store everything on an 8MB SD card! The backing tracks are great, and I'm able to put MP3 copies of my band on the card to practice along with between gigs.

Keep the good stuff coming, Fender!

Bob


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 12:39 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Fri Mar 05, 2010 2:49 pm
Posts: 23
I'm leaning in the same direction. I bought a G-DEC3 Thirty back in May and enjoyed it for a few months. I am a home player with no band and no buddies who even play instruments. I usually play late at night with a small tube amp and a couple of pedals. With no backing band, my playing quickly turns into mindless noodling. The G-DEC3 was just what I needed to keep me focussed and bring some musicality back to my formless riffing. I was also impressed with the amp tones. Very convincing and a lot more versatility than the amp+pedals set up I usually use. The tones had a roundness and warmth that I wasn't expecting from digital, plus I was able to get a lot of tones that I couldn't with my simple tube rig. Not to mention the fact that I could get a "cranked amp with big room ambience" feel at "don't wake the sleeping baby" volume levels.

Despite my satisfaction with the amp, I sold it in July. Not sure why I did that. Maybe it was just the notion that I wanted as stripped down and "pure" of a guitar rig as possible for my modest needs. It didn't take long, though, to realize my playing was devolving back to where it was before. I ordered my second G-DEC3 Thirty from MF this past weekend along with the ULT-4 foot controller. Should be here later this week. I'm hanging onto it this time. I think it is an absolute steal for what it offers the bedroom guitar player, which is the only venue I am qualified to comment on.

BTW, BillyH, great comparison video and it mirrors my thoughts/experiences, as well.

-Mike


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 3:11 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 2:14 pm
Posts: 305
Like you Billy, I've found the GDEC 3 to have excellent tone and I think your comparison video illustrates that very well. So far I haven't used mine at a gig but I think I'm going to try mic'ing it up next time and go for it. It really is nice having that much tone in a lightweight package.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 5:00 pm
Offline
Roadie
Roadie

Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2010 8:15 am
Posts: 229
l88vette
Also try using the line out directly to the PA. You'll be impressed how full the tone is. What I found was that some of the thinner tones sound good through the PA


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2010 7:30 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Wed May 26, 2010 11:45 am
Posts: 5
Billy Hell wrote:
Thanks BD and Loren
Blues Dave - Thanks for watching my videos. Have you seen the one with the car chase and arrest? That was my best PR stunt to date. I started BillyHell.com to feature videos like the GDEC 3 shoot out and to feature artists and musical instruments that I am really into. I just modded a 5120 Jimmy C custom pinstriped Gretsch and will hopefully have a video up soon featuring that guitar and demonstrating the rockabilly sound I can get out of the GDEC 3. I'm also working on a series of videos demonstrating how I use the amp for live gigs, how to get songs and presets into the amp and how I tweak it in general based off actual rigs guitar players I want to emulate. Good stuff!
http://www.billyhell.com


billy i hope you end up doing this stuff. it would be a great contribution to us beginners. i loved the twin reverb comparison as well! thanks billy! :)


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2010 7:02 am
Offline
Amateur
Amateur
User avatar

Joined: Thu Apr 15, 2010 8:46 am
Posts: 135
Location: Nashville
I have a new video showing how I use the footpedal and GDEC 3 for practice and gigs. I'll try to get that up today.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2010 5:37 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Wed May 26, 2010 11:45 am
Posts: 5
Billy Hell wrote:
I have a new video showing how I use the footpedal and GDEC 3 for practice and gigs. I'll try to get that up today.


:( still not up?


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2010 8:40 am
Offline
Amateur
Amateur
User avatar

Joined: Thu Apr 15, 2010 8:46 am
Posts: 135
Location: Nashville
I shot it but I didn't like it. I'll look at it again. I just watched it again and I still don't like it. I promise to get something up in 48 hours.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2010 10:47 am
Offline
Roadie
Roadie

Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2010 8:15 am
Posts: 229
Hi Billy, any thoghts on organizing the presets for gigging using the footswitch? Lookiing forward to your demo...BTW, loved the one comparing it to the BF Twin.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2010 2:12 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Sun Aug 15, 2010 12:12 pm
Posts: 24
Hi Billy Hell! I saw your comparison video long time ago and my experience has been just the same. This little GDEC-3-30 has got excellent tone! I just tried out a big Cyber Twin SE amp and returned it because the GDEC 3-30 seemed to have better tone at the low practice volumes I use most of the time. And so I could not justify keeping the old technology and expensive Cyber Twin SE aside from Fender discontinuing it and aside from the fact that it came with a decfective 12AX7 preamp tube out of the box and aside from the fact that it seemed like it was not a factory new unit they delivered to me. So I returned it. Don't get me wrong folks, that Cyber Twin SE amp is one impressive killer amp to die for, but I just could not justify it having GDEC 3-30 sounding just as sweet next to it. The GDEC 3-30 of course could not play anywhere near as loud as that Cyber Twin SE could. The CT SE is deafeningly loud and will damage your ears! GDEC-3-30 is a great best buy in my books!


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2010 2:09 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Fri Oct 24, 2008 11:55 am
Posts: 548
Just another update after an extensive jam today. I now have been able to decide on 3 presets to use as my Quick Access settings. I'm using the "Jeff Beck Clean" downloaded preset for QA1 (clean), "60s Pop" for QA2 (dirty) and a preset I created, "Love Gun", for QA3 (lead & distorted tone).

I find that I can play about any song I want with one of the 3 presets and my Epiphone SG with GFS Retrotron Memphis pickups. The neck pickup gives me slight breakup and cleaner tones, while the bridge pickup gives me more distortion and "woman tone" leads with the tone control turned all the way down!

Talk about versatile! 8)

If I put a wah in front of this thing, I may never need another amp to gig with! :shock:

Just curious how others are getting along with their G-DEC 3s.


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 16 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next

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: