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Welcome to paulkuntz.comI am a school teacher and administrator, web designer and programmer, guitarist for hire, and a member of Kids Don't Bounce, a country and rock cover band in southern New Jersey. Feel free to browse the site; I keep information on my professional life, music, equipment, recommendations, endorsements, guitar lessons and more. By the way, thanks for stopping by! I've been playing guitar both professionally and semi-professionally for nearly 20 years, with experience in rock, classic rock, metal, funk, county and dance. I've also been designing and developing web sites in HTML, PHP, ColdFusion and Flash for over 10 years now, and am always available for contract and freelance work. If you want me to build something for you or your company, contact me for rates. My Services Include:
Directly under my picture is an mp3 player loaded up with some random songs I've performed on during my original music years. It lists the band name and song name, so you can see who I recorded with at that time. If you like what you hear, you can always come out to see me perform live. My upcoming performances are listed directly under the mp3 player. Below that is an updates section for web design specials or news and happenings. Also please note: MusicMusical HistoryI started playing guitar when I was about 7 years old. I'm not a serious practicer; I'm just an experienced hack. Luckily, the noise I make seems to be enjoyable by some. I spent most of my time playing in original rock bands in the '80s and '90s, with a short interruption in the late '80s to play guitar for Robert Hazard (RCA/BMG), best known for the song "Escalator Of Life" and his song "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", made famous by Cyndi Lauper. I have also worked with well-known producers Steve Goldstein (Steve Perry) and Bill Klatt (Days Of The New). Others I have worked with include Bryant, Sight Unseen, Permanent Damage, Drastic Measures, Citizen Kane, Merritt Gant (Faith Or Fear / OverKill), Baby Heather and various studio recordings. Now, I spend my musical time on country funk rock and disco cover bands in the southern New Jersey and Philadelphia areas.
Virtual LessonsI'm overwhelmed by the number of emails I've received since taking down my virtual lessons back in 2002. I've literally gotten hundreds of requests for the files, and to be honest, I wasn't even sure where I put them. But after digging around some popular Internet arciving spiders, I was able to find most of the lessons I used in the past, and am now putting them back online. After a number of years teaching private lessons for guitar, I developed many of my own teaching packets. I wanted to prepare the student to perform and be familiar and comfortable with the fretboard, while being able to retain his or her musical freedom. Here - back by popular demand - are some of my standard lesson plans for free download. While none of these works is a lesson in its own, each outlines a section of scalular and chordal theory for a potentially infinite practice regimen and hours of discussion. They were built open-ended so they could be used with a variety of students under most situations. You will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Online PublicationsAlso, you can download a few of my guitar lessons from various electronic periodicals. Here is a list of my columns on guitar9.com. Exotic Scales, Part I EquipmentGuitarists are always on the quest for the perfect tone. If you're anything like me, you go to everyone's web site you can, probing the content for pedals they use, amplifiers they swear by, and guitars they play. There are so many manufacturers out there today, and most of them make crap (including the big-hitters). If you're a serious guitarist, you've long since given up on modeling amps (with the exception of those of us who need 50 sounds in a 1-hour casino gig), amps with printed circuit boards, Indonesian and Taiwan guitars, anything with LE, SE or LTD in the name, or pedals that cost under $30 MSRP. Most of the multi-effect pedals are great until it comes to overdrive, which negates their purpose anyway. And amps with built-in effects? Isn't that like having your keyboardist show to a gig with a Casiotone under his arm so he can do the drum beats as well? Now, let me set the record straight for those of you ready to write me off as an elitist. I've seen and heard guys play amazingly with a wall of tone using the cheapest junk on the market. But those who master their equipment also master their craft. So the question remains: do you want to master the Wal-Mart equivalent of gear, or do you prefer the best you can get? Remember, the idea of great gear is not just a price tag. In fact, most of my custom built amplifiers through Electrosonic Amplifiers cost less than one of Fender's woeful "reissues". It's much deeper than that. The idea is that we're all individuals, and what works perfectly for one will cause another to play like a first-week student. I believe that a guitarist's skill lies in three places: his heart, his fingers and his equipment. Get all three right, and you're unstoppable. So, the purpose of this page is to show you what I use to get my sounds. Your perfect tone could be completely different, but if you like to experiment with gear, I can give you my opinion on what I use and why I use it. I always answer questions about my gear, especially my amplifiers and hand-made guitars. I've been a long-time endorser of Electrosonic, and believe in them for ANY guitarist. My new endorsement is for ABC Relic Guitars in Texas. If you're into vintage guitars, but don't want to shell out the $30,000 for a vintage instrument in good working order, then this guy can recreate ANYTHING in looks, feel and sound. So feel free to contact me if you want to ask about the stuff I use, build or endorse.
Amps and EffectsI am currently an official endorser of Electrosonic Amplifiers, and use four of their amps religiously. My main amplifier is my Fireball custom head through a 1x12 Weber Blue Dog AlNiCo cab. This thing lights up when using it for country, classic rock or funk. It's an amazing amplifier. My second favorite is a Fireball standard-series head through a custom 2x12 Weber AlNiCo cab. That amp is truly Josh's masterpiece in the standard series. It is so completely versatile, I can't possibly explain. They only cost peanuts compared to the big-league repro crap too! For small gigs, I use a Thermosonic custom - a little 15 watt killer with oodles of tone (that's right, I said "oodles". No big whoop. Wanna fight about it?) All of these amps are hand wired with extreme attention to detail. They are simply the best amplifiers you can buy today - all point-to-point wiring and solid, roadworthy construction with tone that can't be achieved elsewhere. They were kind enough to add me as an official endorser! Trust me, this company is the best kept amplifier secret in the world! People stop me at every show to ask what that little green amp is, and how it can possibly sound so big. Nothing sounds better! I have also emphatically used Dr. Z Amplifiers; currently, I own a 1996 Prescription head that is out of this world. I had a cabinet manufacturer custom build me a 2x12 diagonal cabient to house two Weber Silver Bell AlNiCo speakers for this head. The Dr. Z amps are nearly as good as the Electrosonic counterparts, but the price tag is a bit higher and they aren't quite as helpful and accessible as Josh. They're still a great company that makes a great amp though! If my E head were in the shop (which I doubt will ever happen), I'd grab the Z head immediately. OK, this might sound a little weird considering my huge E endorsement, but I also own an early '80s JCM800 2x12 combo. This amp has been around the block, but it's the early release with the EL34 power tubes, and has "that '80s rock" tone. Yeah, it's PCB and production line, but like I said - I'm no elitist. If it sounds good and feels good, it IS good. And that amp, my friends, is good.
I use (almost exclusively) Robert Keeley pedals and mods. I am currently using three of his pedals: an SD-1 GE*****, a Katana Boost and the industry-standard Keeley Compressor. Robert was even kind enough to post some of our correspondence to his web site on the SD-1 GE***** page. If you aren't familiar with any of his work, you owe it to yourself to check it out now! I also use a stock Craybaby wah, a stock Morley NSW wah, and stock Boss pedals (a TU2, CE3 and a DD3). I have a closet full of other production pedals that sometimes make it to my pedalboard, but you can ALWAYS count on the Keeley GE***** SD-1 being there.
GuitarsOK, the five guitars I've built for myself are all Telecaster-style. Fender got this idea right the first time. I, like countless others, wish they never screwed with it. Unfortunately, the modern versions are lackluster and the Mexican and imports are useless. As for those that I've built, my purpose was to recreate a classic Telecaster style mixed with a San Dimas Charvel feel and modern tonal options. Model 1 is a black body with white binding, cream perloid pickguard, and OLD Warmorth reverse neck, and a Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge and a boutique rails neck pickup. 3-way switch, coil-tap, tone and volume knob. Model 2 is a Flame maple semi-hollow body with a Warmoth fat reverse neck with 6100 fret wire. A Wilkinson trem and Sperzel locking tuners are installed for a little Strat-style action. These pickups are DiMarzio (Air Zone and Air Norton S) with the same 3-way and coil tap options. Model 3 is a pseudo-relic model. It's a Gold Rush paint job, aged appropriately with a combination of new and old hardware so it appears to have been modded from time to time over the years. It has a golden perloid pickguard with a matching Filtertron-styled boutique pickup in the bridge. The neck position is a boutique mini-humbucker. Again, same switching options. I was SUPPOSED to have made Model 4 on my own, but Anthony at ABC Relic Guitars intercepted this build and made it better than my expectations. It still has the PK headstock logo, neckplate and assembly, set-up and rewiring, but all of the relic work was done by Anthony. You HAVE to check out his work if you need a serious guitar! Model 5 is the "Stacked Blonde". It's a Warmoth neck - the same as the Flame Maple model (#2), 1" thick, but with a maple fretboard. The neck is painted in nitro, paper thin. The body is a transparent blonde finish with standard Tele routing. I decided to go with Seymour Duncan stacks on this one (Seymour's from my home town, and is a great guy who builds great pickups!), so I used the Tele Vintage Stack set for traditional tone, but no hum. A dual-load Wilkinson bridge holds the bridge pickup. I chose it for the compensated 3-saddle assembly and the top-load or string-thru load options. While the guitar is a string-thru-body loader, I can use the Wilkinson top-load section if I add a Hipshot B-Bender system.
I also use some production-line guitars. They are mostly Ernie Ball Silhouette guitars and Telecaster-style guitars, but I have many other fun guitars to enjoy. My main production guitar is an Ernie Ball Silhouette Special with the Ernie Ball vintage trem system. The pickups have been replaced with Fender Custom Shop Texas Specials and the Silent Circuit has been replaced with a 5-way midrange booster. It gives me a really versatile guitar with a lot of tone combinations. I also frequently use my black Ernie Ball Silhouette with the stop tailpiece. The pickups have been replaced with DiMarzio (Tone Zone and Air Norton with a DiMarzio classic-style single coil in the center position). The 5-way switching has been enhanced with a coild tap for the two humbuckers to give me a 3 single coil guitar when needed. Again, the guitar is quite versatile. Also, I have a 1996 Fender American Tele with GFS fatbody pickups (trust me - these pickups are GREAT, and an absolute steal for the price). And of course, I own a Fender Esquire Custom GT for those rocking nights. My other guitars are scattered in style: a Fender Custom Shop SRV Strat, a 1980's Yamaha SBG-200, a Washburn ES335 knockoff, and some scattered acoustics and basses. Really too many to actually play, but they all have such unique character I hold on to them all.
Media DesignI have been involved in Internet technologies since 1996. In that time, I have been part of over 4 million dollars in web site design and development, and have worked with many of the area's top companies and firms. My specializations are in graphic design, GUI and layout, Flash, PHP, multimedia, ColdFusion, and AV production. I have also managed projects, directed production, and consulted for marketing, and have been a leader in developing public relations concepts, marketing strategies, and web site positioning. After working for the area's top web firms, I began to see how only tier1 clients got the best web sites. After a lot of soul searching, I decided it would be an invaluable service to offer these features and designs to mid-sized businesses and other musicians at a lower rate. I decided to revisit my desire to become a teacher for primary income and supplement it with independently-designed web sites for those who would otherwise not be able to afford them. I partnered with Black Diamond Services, a full-service programming and hosting company in southern New Jersey and now offer the same site designs and applications used by the "big guys" to everyday businesses.
ClientsI have done web work at many capacities for countless clients. Some of my work includes services for:
AvailabilityI am currently available for proposals to have your web presence rediscovered. If you wish to contact me to set up a consultation, please click the CONTACT button above and I will return your inquiry as soon as possible. Information On My Professional LifeCurrent ProfessionI am the Assistant Head of School, Technology Director and teacher of Mathematics and Computers for Woodland Country Day School, an independent PreK3-8 school in southern New Jersey. With my experience in education, management, the Internet, operating systems, software, networks, and hardware, I am a natural fit in all aspects of this position. The school provides an extraordinary development environment for children PreK3-8 with its small class sizes and specialized teaching staff. Woodland Country Day School was founded as St. John's Day School in 1959 by Salem and Cumberland County parents who wanted a strong preparatory education for their children. Woodland was the first independent elementary school in South Jersey to be accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools in 1984. To learn more about the school and what they offer, you may visit them online.
HistoryI began my professional work as a guitar instructor in 1986. I attended Musicians' Institute in Hollywood, CA and graduated in 1990, after which I returned to guitar instruction. I went back to college to become an English teacher, and switched my major to music education. Shortly thereafter, I moved into communications and graduated Cum Laude from Rowan University. I have been a substitute teacher, an office manager, a support supervisor, and even a professional guitarist before I became involved in technology. This varied experience has enabled me to call on past experience in almost any situation to provide quick, useful solutions to any problem. To view my resume in printable format, click here. |
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| 46828 visitors. Copyright 2008 Paul Kuntz. All rights reserved. All downloadable files for personal use only. Do not redistribute.  |
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