Do you think it's the guitar, amplifier or guitarist technique that has the most impact on the guitar sound?
Amplifier, guitar, guitarist, in that order.No it’s not the technique that has the most impact on the guitar sound.The amplifier has the biggest impact on the sound of an electric guitar setup because it is the one directly connected to the speaker, which in turn directly creates the sound. You can change the EQ, gain, distortion, presence, and sometimes reverb or some other effects with the amp. In combo amps, you’re also stuck with the kind of speaker it comes with, which ultimately is what generates the final sound, and you can only change the sound by hooking up another speaker cab or replacing the speaker altogether.Next is the guitar. The guitar is in itself the instrument, so it is the source of the guitar sound. No guitar, no guitar sound. However, the reason why it “ranks lower” than the amplifier is because the range of adjustment available in the guitar is not as many or as drastic as what is available on the amp.Next is the guitarist. Now, no, “tone is in the fingers” does not make a world of difference in guitar tone. The majority of the difference a player makes in terms of tone is basically whether they play properly or not, or in other words, the difference between an absolute beginner, and one who has been playing for a while. Improper playing is flat and scratchy and does not resonate, because the string is not freely vibrating because there’s improper technique. But between players who can execute techniques properly, there’s little to no difference. What about the tone of really good players, as most people say? That’s not tone, that’s technique. You can write technique down in a music sheet, and any competent guitar player will be able to mimic it very closely if not exactly. It does not have anything to do with guitar sound.