2/13/2023:

"Ideal Settings"
and
"Decoding Fretted Instruments"

Transcript
Page 1.

Ken in the World On A String. No. 4: Ideal Settings and Decoding Fretted Instruments. 2/13/2023. CC BY-SA 2023 Ken Alleman. TheWorldOnAString.NeoCities.Org. Ken looks at an overdrive pedal. Ah, my old overdrive pedal. I haven't looked at it in years. This reminds me of the time I went through all the settings, narrowing them down to the one that sounded just right to me.

Page 2.

First panel. Ken stands in a blank white void. He says, "I'm Ken. This is the World on a String. It's a teaching comic for guitarists. The first of its kind, as far as I know." Text below reads, "Volume 1, number 1. CC BY-SA Ken Alleman 2019."

Second panel. Ken, in closeup, says, "New gear is always exciting. Guitars, amps, effects. But it can be hard to know where to start with it. There's a lot of possible settings for each control, in countless possible combinations.

Third panel. Ken holds an overdrive pedal in the foreground, called the Westech BS-9. It has knobs labeled "drive," "tone," and "level." He says, "This is a brand new overdrive pedal. It has three controls. I'll be using this for demonstration purposes. This could be any piece of gear that has knobs, switches, or sliders. The goal here is to get a good sense of how each control affects the overall sound, and the full range of sounds available. Once you have that, you can find any sound you want and figure out what's right for you.

Page 3.

First panel. Ken says, "Start with everything halfway up. This will give you a little bit of everything. One by one, turn each control down, then up again until each one is maxed. Make these changes little by little. Play a little every time you change something. Get a sense of how it sounds and feels."

Second panel. Closeups of each knob at various settings. With the drive knob at halfway, Ken says, "A goodly amount of drive. Maybe too much?" With the tone knob at halfway, Ken says, "Pretty close to well-balanced." With the level knob at half way, Ken says, "Pretty close to unity." A footnote explains, "[Unity is] when the volume is the same, whether the effect is engaged or not."

With the drive knob at minimum, Ken says, "Very subtle. Too subtle?" With the tone knob at minimum, Ken says, "A little on the bassy side. Could be useful." With the level knob at minimum, Ken says, "Well, that's not anything."

With the drive knob at maximum, Ken says, "Whoa, that's hot!" With the tone knob at maximum, Ken says, "Very bright. Harsh, even. Ouch." With the level knob at maximum, Ken says, "Pushing the amp, even without the drive control. Nice!"

Page 4.

Ken stands before a pile of gear. Amps, cabinets, effects, guitars. He says, "This isn't meant to be world-changing. You may already be doing it. Just think of it as a step-by-step process instead of random hunting. Once you know your gear, you can find the right sound for you. Remember: if it sounds good, it is good!" End.

Page 5.

Ah, that certainly was new information, wasn't it? Anyway, here's the second half of today's comic. Never mind the cruder drawing style. Or different numbering system. Or the dates from several years ago!

Page 6.

First panel. The World On A String, in the style of a secret agent gun barrel image. Text below reads, "Volume 1, number 2. CC BY-SA Ken Alleman 2019." Below that, a man resembling Desmond Llewelyn says, "Now, pay attention, Double Oh Zero."

Second panel. This character, named K, presents an obect in a box to Ken. They stand in front of a door marked "K Labs." K says, "Here, we have a miniature decoder which is conveniently worn about the wrist." Ken says, "Huh."

Third panel. K has mounted the object on his wrist. He points it at a banjo, which rests on an instrument stand. K says, "The decoder analyses any fretted instrument and provides a guitar-friendly readout." The device says, "The banjo. Fretted, four to six strings, finger-plucked or picked with thumbpicks, the banjo is frequently tuned to open tunings and is suited to guitarists who are accustomed to those things." Ken says, "Gee!"

Page 7.

First panel. Closeup of Ken. He has the device reflected in his glasses. He says, "Cool!"

Second panel. Ken has the device on his own wrist now. He shines it on a ukulele. The device says, "The ukulele. A close instrument to the guitar. Chord shapes that work on the four thinnest strings on the guitar will work on a standard-tuned ukulele."

Third panel. In a dramatic pose, Ken shines the device on a mandolin. The device says, "The mandolin. Shares tuning with the four thickest strings of the guitar in reverse order. Four pairs of strings, or 'courses,' each of which is treated as an individual string."

Fourth panel. In a ridiculous over the shoulder pose, Ken shines the device on a violin. The device says, "The violin. Shares tuning with the mandolin. Strings are actuated by bowing or plucking. A fretless instrument, fret positions are implied."

Page 8.

First panel. Ken shines the device on an Appalachian dulcimer.

Second panel. The device is starting to fizz and pop. It says, in tortured text, "Appalachian dulcimer. The Appalachian dulcimer is an instrument with strings that are tuned and fretted..." Standing behind Ken, K says, "Now, Double Oh Zero, do try to return the decoder in..."

Third panel. The device has fully blown. K says, "...pristine order." End.

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