2005 NAMM: Fender announced a new amplification system at NAMM, the G-DEC. Dubbed the Guitar Digital Entertainment Center, the G-DEC combines a number of different guitar tones, built-in effects and instrument backing with drum beats and bass lines, to make it easy for practice sessions to sound like a full band.

With more than 2 years spent on developing this amplifier system, the G-DEC is the product of the same team of engineers at Fender that has designed everything from the Frontman series, to Fender’s flagship Cyber-Twin SE. Their goal was to create something never-before-seen in an amplifier of any kind, while at the same time creating a useful tool for every guitarist.

Designed for guitar players of all skill levels, the new Fender G-DEC is easy to use, entertaining and educational. Beginners can plug in an electric guitar for the very first time and have a number of different features at their disposal for a more enjoyable learning experience, while more seasoned guitarists can use the G-DEC to solo over backing tracks or to develop songwriting ideas in the context of a band.

The G-DEC provides a number of guitar tones–everything from heavy metal to jazz to punk to country to Latin to reggae–with easy tone recall at the twist of a knob. There is also a wide variety of often-used effects such as Reverb and Echo, as well as other fun and creative new sound effects.

Pre-programmed and adjustable drum beats, bass lines, and other instruments provide musical backing in any style and tempo. The internal synthesizer with MIDI interface allows playback of MIDI song files via computer. Users can download a favorite song, then play along with the backing tracks through the G-DEC.

The G-DEC’s top provides a flat surface for placing a portable CD or MP3 player, which can be hooked up with the G-DEC for “play along” capability. Additionally, an internal Phrase Sampler can sample the incoming guitar signal to create loops, or it can capture soundbites from CD/MP3 for careful study.

Compact and portable–it comes with a shoulder strap for easy transport–the G-DEC is a 15-Watt combo amplifier with an 8″ Special Design speaker. It has the familiar appearance of a classic Fender amplifier, but with special ultra-modern features added, such as a digital LCD display interface screen and a built-in, easy to use automatic guitar tuner.

US MSRP is $359.99.

For more information, visit the Fender site.