Rusty Cooley
Encyclopedia
Rusty Cooley is a guitarist from Houston, Texas known for his highly refined guitar technique.
After only three years of playing he became a guitar teacher at the music store where he had purchased his first guitar.
After high school Rusty went to the local college and studied Music Theory.
Perpetual Burn
Signature Distortion Pedal, as Jason himself now has ALS
and can no longer play the guitar. Pro Tone Pedals has posted several videos of Rusty testing prototypes of the pedal on YouTube
, and on one video, Rusty himself commented on it, saying that Jason was one of his biggest influences and that it was an honor to work on his signature pedal. Recently Pro Tone has also been working on a Rusty Cooley Signature pedal as well. Rusty has also released his signature 7-string model with Dean. Recently his lead work was featured on metal band Austrian Death Machine's new album, "Double Brutal." Recently, Rusty has been recording a demo with his new band Day of Reckoning (http://www.reverbnation.com/dayofreckoning).
) and Mica Roth, former member of Hybreed.
, EMG Pickups
, Morley Pedals
, GHS strings
, VHT, Rocktron, Eventide, Maxon
and more recently Peavey amplification.
He was previously endorsed by Jackson Guitars
and, more recently, Ibanez Guitars
.
His Signature Dean Model was released at NAMM in early 2007.
Early life
Rusty received his first equipment (a Peavey T27 guitar and a Peavey Decade amp) on his fifteenth birthday. From that day on Cooley immersed himself in music, practicing upwards of 4 hours a day. Rusty took guitar lessons for a while but became dissatisfied with local guitar instructors and decided to become self-taught. He relied on instructional books and videos like Doug Mark's Metal Method.After only three years of playing he became a guitar teacher at the music store where he had purchased his first guitar.
After high school Rusty went to the local college and studied Music Theory.
Solo work
Rusty was unsatisfied with local musicians and began to work on solo music in early 1996. He also began playing 7-string guitars exclusively at this time. His debut solo album Rusty Cooley was released in 2003 on Lion Music.Currently
Rusty recently collaborated with Pro Tone Pedals on testing their new Jason BeckerJason Becker
Jason Eli Becker is an American virtuoso neo-classical metal guitarist and composer. At the age of 16, he became part of the Mike Varney-produced duo Cacophony with his friend Marty Friedman. They released Speed Metal Symphony in 1987 and Go Off! in 1988...
Perpetual Burn
Perpetual Burn
Perpetual Burn is the first studio album by guitarist Jason Becker, released in 1988 through Shrapnel Records.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Jason Becker – guitar, keyboard, bass, production...
Signature Distortion Pedal, as Jason himself now has ALS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , also referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a form of motor neuron disease caused by the degeneration of upper and lower neurons, located in the ventral horn of the spinal cord and the cortical neurons that provide their efferent input...
and can no longer play the guitar. Pro Tone Pedals has posted several videos of Rusty testing prototypes of the pedal on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, and on one video, Rusty himself commented on it, saying that Jason was one of his biggest influences and that it was an honor to work on his signature pedal. Recently Pro Tone has also been working on a Rusty Cooley Signature pedal as well. Rusty has also released his signature 7-string model with Dean. Recently his lead work was featured on metal band Austrian Death Machine's new album, "Double Brutal." Recently, Rusty has been recording a demo with his new band Day of Reckoning (http://www.reverbnation.com/dayofreckoning).
Teaching
Rusty has been a guitar instructor since his third year of playing. He has also released five instructional products, done lessons for magazines (such as his Metal Guru column) and posted many lessons on sites such as Shredaholic. In addition, he has taught for the National Guitar Workshop three times (1996, 1997, 1998) and given many clinics. Rusty has many successful students, such as Chris Storey (ex All Shall PerishAll Shall Perish
All Shall Perish is an American deathcore band from Oakland, California, formed in 2002. Currently, the band is signed to Nuclear Blast and have released four full-length albums through the label. Their latest record, This Is Where It Ends was released on July 26, 2011...
) and Mica Roth, former member of Hybreed.
Endorsements
Currently Rusty is endorsed by Dean GuitarsDean Guitars
Dean Guitars is an American manufacturer of guitars. It was founded in 1976 by Dean Zelinsky in Chicago, Illinois and is currently under the ownership of Armadillo Enterprises in Tampa, Florida.- History :...
, EMG Pickups
EMG, Inc.
EMG, Inc. is the current legal name of a company based in Santa Rosa, California which manufactures guitar pickups and EQ accessories. Founded in 1976, the company was originally called Dirtywork Studios. The name was changed to "Overlend" in 1978 and then to the current name in 1983...
, Morley Pedals
Morley Pedals
Morley Pedals is the name of a guitar effects pedal company, famous for manufacturing wah-wah pedals and other treadle type effects for guitar. Morley pedals use electro-optical circuitry rather than a potentiometer to control the effect. The foot treadle controls a shutter inside the pedal that...
, GHS strings
GHS (strings)
GHS Strings is a Battle Creek, Michigan based guitar and bass guitar string manufacturer. The company was founded in 1964, and in 1975 was bought by Robert McFee, who is still the CEO...
, VHT, Rocktron, Eventide, Maxon
Maxon Effects Pedals
Maxon is the name used by the Nisshin Onpa company of Japan for its line of effects pedals designed for guitar and bass. The unrelated Maxon Corporation is a major global supplier of industrial heating equipment.- History :...
and more recently Peavey amplification.
He was previously endorsed by Jackson Guitars
Jackson Guitars
__FORCETOC__Jackson is a renowned brand of electric guitar that bears the name of its founder, Grover Jackson.-Early years:Grover Jackson obtained ownership in Charvel's Guitar Repair of Glendora, California in the 1970s with a promise to bolster Charvel's business...
and, more recently, Ibanez Guitars
Ibanez
is a Japanese guitar brand owned by Hoshino Gakki. Based in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, Hoshino Gakki were one of the first Japanese musical instrument companies to gain a significant foothold in import guitar sales in the United States and Europe, as well as the first brand of guitars to mass produce...
.
His Signature Dean Model was released at NAMM in early 2007.
Music
- Outworld - Outworld (band)Outworld (band)Outworld was a progressive metal band that was formed in 1997 by guitarist Rusty Cooley. Their name is allegedly taken from the fictional Outworld realm of the Mortal Kombat video games.-History:...
- Rusty Cooley
- Book of Reflections
- Shawn Lane Remembered Vol. 1
- Warmth in the Wilderness 2 A Tribute to Jason Becker
- Prog Power 4
- Prog Power 3
- The Alchemist
- Fresh Blood Vol. 4
- Lick This
- Guitarapalooza Vol. l
- Ball One Strike One
- Across the Miles
- Revolution 4-song EP
- Two guest solos on the track "From So Far Away" from All Shall Perish's album "Awaken the Dreamers"
- All solos on the track "Let off some steam Bennett" from Austrian Death Machine's album "Double Brutal"
Instructional products
- Shred Guitar Manifesto
- Extreme Pentatonics
- The Art of Picking
- Rusty Cooley Performance/Clinic
- Rusty Cooley Performance/Clinic 2
- Basic Training
- Fretboard Autopsy - Parts I & II
- Guest Lesson on Mark Tremonti - The Sound and The Story
Television appearances
- Stay Tuned
- Metallurgy Live
- Metallurgy Unplugged
- World Class Guitar Techniques
- Robb’s Metal Works
- Rusty Cooley's Guitar Asylum TV