Yep Damir, you're definitely right. The most important part *is* the player. Al DiMeola would still sound just like Al DiMeola playing on your gear, and you'd sound just like you on Al's gear! But, there's just that certain something about having a killer tone that makes you want to pick up the guitar and not put it down. It just seems to play itself.A friend of mine who played in another southern gospel group had the most killer clean lead tone I've ever heard, recorded or live. His rig was an old Japanese Strat with the stock pickups, a Peavey TubeFex processor, and an early Mesa Boogie 1-12" combo with a JBL speaker. Nothing exotic or fancy at all, but the combination was simply magical. I could sit and play for hours on his rig!
Sadly, their church was broken into and it was all stolen, along with the church PA system.........
Thermionic