From Keith Richards and his swagger to Jimmy Page with his operatic solos, sexy guitarists have been dominating our minds for more than four decades now, causing fans to riot as if the guitarist itself exuded something magical. In the '50s, Beatle-mania forced police to wear riot gear while thousands of screaming girls (and more than a few boys) climbed stages across America to snag a piece of John Lennon's Rickenbacker 325 or Paul McCartney's Hofner Violin bass. In the '60s, Hendrix inspired fans with his upside down American Stratocaster and blazing riffs.
Today, musicians are still able to hypnotize fans with the same tool used by the legends: a sexy guitar. To honor these beauties, here are seven sexy guitars played by some of Texas' hardest-working rockers currently touring.
See also: The Nine Best DFW Metal Guitarists
7. Jim Crye - Volume Dealer
No, Crye's not a member of the Duck Dynasty clan. He's the lead guitarist in one of Fort Worth's best new metal bands - Volume Dealer. And this Texas thrasher takes his white-gold Dean to levels not seen since Dimebag Darrell ignited the stage with his pulse-pounding riffs. "It's eye catching," Crye says. "It's such a cool stage guitar. I always get compliments on it; it's my favorite guitar." Its golden-white finish blazes in the darkness, and its flying V shape is an ode to another legendary guitarist - Randy Rhoads.
6. Gene Grinolds - Nevermind the Darkness
This guitarslinger wields a PRS SE Zach Myers signature model. "I really like the feel of it and the tone of it is massive!" Grinolds says. Its beefy tone and his slinging skills are helping to take this emerging band to the next level. And with a sparkle-burst and clear knobs, this sexy monstrosity detonates eardrums with a little help from its amplifier friends.
5. Kes O'Hara and Holly Wood - Honey
Trying to separate this angel and demon is like offering yin without yang. Gibson Les Paul Studio and '63 Fender Jazz Bass are two instruments that belong together. And these ladies' classic rock sound reverberating through their solid bodies is helping to bring recognition to this Dallas-based band. "I'm too small to play a standard or a classic," Kes explains, "so I go with a studio or a junior just cause the neck's still nice and fat; it still feels like a Gibson and still has that beautiful tone." Kes' Gibson's scorching body reflects the guitarist's fiery stage presence.
4. Zack Sham - Hellgoat
This Texas thrasher plays his Frankenstein bass as if he were a lead guitarist shredding his ax. "It's kind of a mix between a Rickenbocker and a Music Man," says Sham. "I call it the 'ZS1'." Watching him brings to mind Cliff Burton, a legendary bassist who drove some of Metallica's most memorable tunes - "Call of Ktulu" and "Orion" - before his untimely death. This monster's swagger bleeds through Zack's playing and adds that extra thump to his aggressive style. With her luscious curves and low B string offering, this five-string bass raises the dead and invokes the gods.
3. Chris Watson - Chris Watson Band
This Texas blues/soul man's 15th Anniversary Fender Stratocaster nearly topped this list. Its hard body, lightning quick action and American-made quality enhancing its sound are just a few of the many reasons why bluesman after bluesman select a Strat to bare his tormented soul through. "For my style of music, the Strat achieves the right amount of smoothness and grit at the same time," says Watson, whose electrifying solos and funky rhythms cause the Strat to talk to angels whenever he wraps his hand around her neck.
2. Tom "The Mole" Frank - Scorpion Child
This Austin guitarslinger wields an old green '83 Gibson Flying V with dirty fingers. "I've rebuilt it and painted it several times," says Frank. "I pulled off the Gibson tailpiece and put one on from the first guitar - a Japanese Ventura Les Paul copy - my dad gave me for nostalgic reasons." This Gibson's battered body and faded headstock ooze a sexiness that only comes with age.
1. Rick Perry - Gammacide/Warlock
For this last guitar, we're going back to the future and honoring a Texas thrasher whose name strikes terror into the hearts of Democrats everywhere, a man whose ax dominated stages across Dallas/Fort Worth and caused several fire alarms to erupt as Perry's fingers blazed across the fretboard. Perry has been playing the same Jackson Randy Rhoades signature guitar (number 656) since the early '80s. "I've played it for so long that now any other guitar doesn't really feel the same for me," Perry explains. "Its body is all beat to hell, and the paint on the back is all worn off from my spiked belt buckle rubbing against it." But its brutality raises it to a whole new level of sexy.
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