One upon a time, the geniuses in Fender Laboratories were cooking up a next generation guitar amplifier for the everyday guitar player. Something that could be simple, but advanced enough to go where no consumer practice amplifier had gone before. Luckily for us guitar players, that day has come. Say hello to the Fender G-DEC.

Requirements:

• an electric guitar
• 1" inch male amp cable

A NEXT GENERATION AMP
Every guitar player wants a little more out of their practice amp - especially when it comes to features and sound quality. The Fender G-DEC practice amp is the first of it's kind. The G-DEC is much more than just an amplifier. It's a Guitar Digital Entertainment Center (G-DEC), which as it’s name implies, has a variety of features unavailable in most guitar amplifiers.

SOUND & PRESETS
You'll immediately hear the sound potential of this device right after you strum your first note. The variety of sound presets available in this amp range from heavy metal to country. There are 50 in total. These presets make it very easy to quickly get the sound you are looking for when you are composing a song or just playing along with your iPod. The G-DEC also has plenty of built-in effects. Everything from a Peter Frampton "wah-wah” sound to several types of distortion are all included.

In addition to all the effects and presets, the G-DEC also features a full catalog of synthesized instrument loops. Just pick a preset for your guitar sound and the instruments loops will match that style. The speed of the instrument loops can be modified if you need to speed up or slow things down. Also note that the 50 user presets can be customized if you feel like messing around with your own settings.

CONTROLS
The Fender G-DEC is very easy to use and only takes about 10 to 15 minutes to figure out. Since the menu knobs and display make it intuitive, there's really no need to study the tiny 15 page manual that the G-DEC comes with.

BUILT-IN TUNER & AUX INPUT
The G-DEC looks like your average practice amp, but its digital interface hints at something more. One of the most useful options of the G-DEC is the built-in digital tuner. I love not having to disconnect my guitar from the amplifier when I need to tune a couple strings. When the tuner is activated, the guitar sound is cut from the speaker. This way you can quickly tune your guitar and not piss off your audience or band mates.

Another cool feature of the G-DEC is the 2nd guitar input. This way you can jam along with a friend using the same amplifier. You can also use the AUX input to plug in a CD/MP3 player or even a microphone.

FIRMWARE UPDATES
The midi "in" and "out" ports can also be used to update your G-DEC's firmware or add more presets from the Internet or from other G-DEC amps (the downloaded presets are saved in the user presets).

G-DEC FEATURES

• A modeling amp, which can sound like any of 17 different amplifiers
• A digital effects processor containing 29 effects (many in stereo) so you can add reverb, phasing, flanging, wah, etc.
• An on-board General MIDI synthesizer with MIDI In and Out jacks on the front panel
• 50 factory presets and 50 user-definable presets
• A 14 second phrase sampler, so you can record licks and practice against them
• Auxiliary input for CD or mp3 player
• Phones jack can be used with stereo headphones or as a stereo Line Out jack
• A second input jack on the rear panel
• A chromatic tuner

FINAL THOUGHTS
The G-DEC is a great product but it's not perfect. There's annoying "humming-sound" produced by the amplifier in almost all presets (if volume, distortion, and gain are on high) and an inability to connect a pedal or foot switch keeps me from giving the G-DEC a 5 star rating. Some of these issues were corrected by Fender with the release of the G-DEC30 (a 30 watt version of the G-DEC) and the bass version of the amplifier (B-DEC).

All in all, the G-DEC is a great inexpensive practice amp (~$250) that's small enough to fit in any living room, bedroom, or home studio. It even comes with a shoulder strap for easy transport to band practice (16 lbs or 7.27kg). However, the G-DEC is still just a practice amplifier. If you are thinking about getting an amp for live performances, then you should consider something bigger.

BUY IT NOW: Fender G-DEC Amp

This item is available for purchase from Guitar Center Online Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) is the world’s foremost manufacturer of guitars, amplifiers and related equipment. Since 1946, its name has become synonymous with all things rock ‘n’ roll. Iconic Fender instruments such as the Telecaster®, Stratocaster®, Precision Bass® and Jazz Bass® guitars are known worldwide as the instruments that started the rock revolution, and they continue to be highly prized by today’s guitarists and collectors. FMIC markets using the brand names Fender®, Squier®, Guild®, Gretsch®, Jackson®, Charvel®, SWR®, Tacoma®, Olympia® and Brand X®. For more information, please visit www.fender.com. Rating: Requirements: any guitar capable of hooking into an amp Manufacturer: Fender