G-Dec now up and running

[VikingBlues]

So - it's 4 days since I unboxed the G-Dec 3 30 on my birthday.

Though I've not really been in a creative mood recently I've managed to play around with it a bit in a more technical sort of way. How it works, trying out presets, varying he presets etc.

So - this is it - nothing special looking really but a step up for me.

The G-Dec 3 30

100_0197sm.jpg (183.12 KiB) Viewed 13006 times

More importantly after some struggles (it became easy when I tried a different SD card ) I managed to reconfigure ir's factory set up - as shown below:-

Reconfigured to something better!

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Although the blues based presets are not perfect (and a number make me cringe in horror ) they are muh more to my taste than the standard factory mix across all the genres.

I've now got some of my backing tracks loaded up on it, and I've got a couple of presets set up for quick access. I do like being able to use BTs without having to use the PC and having cable strung across the room to the hi-fi. The 30 watt version of the G-Dec 3 has a tweeter speaker which helps to gibe the backing tracks a better sound than if tehy were just ging through the main speaker the guitar goes through.

It's quite easy to use, but it's much easier to change the presets using the PC and the Fuse software - using FUSE also means there's more you can change and there's then also an option as to whether fx are before the amp in the chain or are in an fx loop. Nice selection of reverbs and delays. Not keen on the "heavier" amp models but I'm guessing that'll surprise none of you.

I found a Fender based blues preset I quite liked, changed it slightly to suit my ears and the "VB sound" by going from small room to large room and reducing the overdrive. This is a quick recording using this preset direct line out (I'm to get a replacement mic soon) and using a different guitar for each verse - VSA590 (semi with P90s), Hagstrom (semi with 'buckers), Strat (single coils) and PRS SE (P90s). I think there's evidence getting through of the semi hollow sound (particularly the VSA) and there are differences suggesting that the amp is allowing some of the character of each guitar to come through. All middle pup position except mid/neck for the Strat. The playing is very uninspired and repetitive but it's just a tone demo.
download/file.php?id=1911

I'll try and get a mic'd up recording in due course. Hopefully the creative spark will kick in again.

[vancouverois]

Nice Amp! I've read only good things about it
How do you compare it to the Vox Tonelab series, I mean tonewise?
Happy (belated) birthday, BTW

[HalfBlindLefty]

Hey VB, congrats on the new (Bluesy) amp :)
Sounds killer to me, great tone and more clearity I'm not gonna comment on your playing, you're much better at that yourself this time

Mhh, you gotta remember you can't use exact the same settings ( or almost the same) for all of your guitars, a different input type (humbuckers / single coils) calls for a change in the settings.
Fi : the mids are up to much with the stratocaster, while thats fine with the humbuckers and quite allright with the p90's If you want the character of the guitar shining through that's the way to go. I actually have different presets for all of my guitars, many times only making minor changes to the input and EQ stages to allow their soundcharacter drive the amp in stead of having my amp throw all my guitars on one big sound heap and make them sound alike in a way. ( that's what's the real danger of modeling) you'll learn that yourself though

yes, I have seperate settings for my Tokai and my Fender strat, there wouldn't be much sense in having two strats and make them sound the same
yes, to answer that, I would sell the Fender, no doubt, First Lady will stand beside me at my funeral ( not due for a long long time I hope) , she my musical soulmate

If you'd like to play around with some CT patches, just say so ( they can be more or less amended to the Gdec)

Have heaps of fun with your new amp my friend

[HalfBlindLefty]

Darn, I forgot :/ happy birthday VB ( and I should have remembered....... )

[Strummer07]

Looks like a good bit of kit VB

Have a happy birthday !!

[VikingBlues]

Looks like a good bit of kit VB

Nice Amp! I've read only good things about it
How do you compare it to the Vox Tonelab series, I mean tonewise?

Thanks Strummer and VC.

Tonewise v the Vox Tonelab series VC? I would say Voxes do the Vox simulation better, and G-Dec does the Fender better. Which I guess isn't surprising!

I do feel that I'm getting more of a help toward the bluesier type of tones with the G-Dec, but for the more rock skewed tones (say the sort of tones you'd want for a Green Manalishi style sound) I'd go Vox.

But early days yet - I've not yet started to play around very much with tweaking the presets yet, and given I've gone for reformatting with the Special Edition Blues presets and BTs I think I need to explore more to get an appreciation of the range outside of the blues that the G-Dec can do (subject to my limitations). I did lose rather a lot of hours getting the computer side of things up and running - as usual - with repeated tries at getting the blues edition set up with an SD card that must have had some sort of incompatibilty with the software despite it being listed as an OK card by Fender.

The G-Dec 3 seems a much more substantially built modelling amp than my Vox AD15VT. I'm rather impressed too with how much closer the G-Decs line out is to its speaker sound.

Hey VB, congrats on the new (Bluesy) amp :)
Sounds killer to me, great tone and more clearity

Thanks HBL - I'm sure it's got much more to offer too. Just give me time!

Mhh, you gotta remember you can't use exact the same settings ( or almost the same) for all of your guitars, a different input type (humbuckers / single coils) calls for a change in the settings.
Fi : the mids are up to much with the stratocaster, while thats fine with the humbuckers and quite allright with the p90's If you want the character of the guitar shining through that's the way to go. I actually have different presets for all of my guitars, many times only making minor changes to the input and EQ stages to allow their soundcharacter drive the amp in stead of having my amp throw all my guitars on one big sound heap and make them sound alike in a way. ( that's what's the real danger of modeling) you'll learn that yourself though

Good point, though TBH I was just experimenting here to see how transparent the G-Decs input was. Certainly more transparent than the Vox Tonelab ST or the Vox AD15VT. I feel it's got the same sort of transparency as the Vox Tonelab LE, which is great as I love the way that piece of gears sounds. I ended up with different settings on the Tonelab LE for the different guitars to bring out their best attributes - and it looks as if it will be worth doing the same with G-Dec. If it's not obvious I've been using the PRS SE to tweak the tones on the G-Dec - I think it does show up in how much more the tone sings when the PRS plays the final verse. Probably the VSA590 stands out a bit on the recording too this way - but that's P90s too, so that makes sense.

If you'd like to play around with some CT patches, just say so ( they can be more or less amended to the Gdec)

Have heaps of fun with your new amp my friend

Many thanks for the offer (I didn't know that could be done) - I'll think about that further down the line, when (hopefully) I'll have more idea of where I am. And ... yes ... I'm going to try and have fun with this - cheers!
.....................................

Interesting - I last made a post here using this BT almost exactly a year ago.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=933&p=7601&hilit=mi ... in+G#p7601
And .....
1) I was complaining then of a lack of creative inspiration and lack of well-being. Guess it's the time of year.
2) The opening phrase in the two recordings is almost identical - shows I can only think about a BT in one way and then it's stuck there like that for ever.

[12bar]

Darn, I forgot :/ happy birthday VB ( and I should have remembered....... )

Me, too - shame on me!

[2WheelsOfBlues]

Now thats a very nice precent to get on youre birthday and yes congrats from me to also for the amp.
I know it a beautiful amp, as sad before i had the one before this one.
Beautiful sound and a lot to discover, you can make changes way deep in de software of the G-Dec.

And when you have some questions or throubble there is a G-dec forum that want to help and theye help quickly

Enjoy youre new toy, the sample you made was nice, very nice and a great tone, Fender makes good amp's , well.... i like the tone of it.
I made a stap to Line 6 but that was a short trip i can tell you

[VikingBlues]

Darn, I forgot :/ happy birthday VB ( and I should have remembered....... )

Me, too - shame on me!

Worry not guys - I've reached the sort of age when i try to forget it's another year gone!

Beautiful sound and a lot to discover, you can make changes way deep in de software of the G-Dec.

I'll agree that the depth of editing, particularly using the USB link to the Fuse Software, is impressive, and even better it's easy to understand!

Enjoy youre new toy, the sample you made was nice, very nice and a great tone, Fender makes good amp's , well.... i like the tone of it.
I made a stap to Line 6 but that was a short trip i can tell you

Thanks - the tone came out pretty well for a very quick rough and ready edit.

I think I will enjoy this amp - it's a piece of modelling gear I've felt really quickly connected to and at home with, which has only ever happened to me before with the Vox Tonelab LE. I'm glad i sold some surplus gear to add to the birtday fund to allow the budget to go high enough to get it.

[weelie]

Only tried the very first G-Dec version those years ago. Hated it, becasue I could get a decent tone out of it, all plastic and buried in effects. Glad to hear the later version is actually very useful. Maybe I will get on one day.

I am a big fan of Jim Campilongo, and he has given the thumbs up to the G-Dec 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fl2vFmobXF4

[VikingBlues]

Interesting video weelie - hadn't seem that one - and believe me I looked at a LOT of G-Dec 3 videos over about 4 weeks! Along with Fender Mustang videos, and Boss JS8 E-band videos, and Super Champ videos, and ..... well you get the picture.

So - a quick recording using a dynamic instrument microphone. This is a recording of both me and the backing track playing through the amp - so all mono. Normally I would have the BT in stereo on the DAW and multitrack the lead. But this is to give an idea what the amp itself sounds like when you play along / practice on it with an on board BT. I'm giving you the truncated version - 2 minutes of aimless noodling is not as mind numbing as six (hopefully).

download/file.php?id=1916

If any of you are interested - and I'll admit most of these setting mean nothing to me and I've never played the real gear so I don;t know how well (or not) it compares:
Amplifier Model : Fender Deluxe : Gain 5, Volume 9, Treble 6, Mid 7, Bass 7 (Orinal preset was called Hot Rod Grit but I've tweaked things including less Gain)
Compression : Low (Gain 20%, Treshold 33%, Ratio 963, Attack 50%, Release 16%)
Noise Gate : Low
Tone Stack : Pre Distortion
Pedals befoe pre amp : NONE
Modulation in Rack / FX Loop :
a) Delay - Mono (Level 8%, Delay Time 147ms, Feedback 4%, Brightness 23%, Attenuation 97%)
b) Reverb - Large Room (Level 32%, Decay 31%, Dwell 50%, Diffusion 50%, Tone 50%)

There's nothing done in the DAW for EQ, modulation, etc - just what was picked up by the microphone (including the fluffed notes).

Using the PRS SE, so P90s.

This is essentially the same settings as on my first post in the thread except that one was recorded using line out. I do think this mic recording has better tones for my ears.

[MichaelRobinson]

Happy birthday, VB.

I can guess way you don't find the creative spark. I'm in the same position regarding that.

[tytlblues]

Happy B day VB......the new amp sounds great! I'm sure you'll produce some fine music with her!

[HalfBlindLefty]

Good sounds again VB :)

Mhh I will see if I can find the time to elaborate on the FX settings and meaning, in most cases a little of basic undestanding what a setting means or does, helps to pick the right setting.