IncX,
Now for the sake of deltaslim who is taking a bit of time to answer some questions (-- akala ko ba alam mo anong gusto mo? -- heh heh joke lang:)), I believe that we can try to describe that which attracts us to a guitar, effects or amp. I went thru the same process and Arie had guided me thru it. Alam mo kasi, if its not clear in your mind what you want then you will drift to whatever is new or in the moment. After clarity of mind, you now have to assess where to get what component of sound. For example, I get response from the guitar and not the amp. On the other hand, I get distortion from the amp rather than the guitar. Treble cut, I get from my tone pots and the amps eq controls, etc... But what makes me different from the person I was 20 years ago with regards to tone, I can estimate much better now what % of the certain factor that I want to adjust is affected by each component that contributes to that specific factor. At this stage, I can even tell by listening to your playing a guitar if it lacks response specially if you bend it.
True, artists change equipment due to timbre variations that they find new and refreshing at that point in time. But I never saw an artist downgrade to a hot cabs or lumanog guitar and claim that it provided him a refereshing sound. This just means that he is still maintaining a certain standard which is what I mean by clarity of mind. On the other hand, somebody who keeps on changing equipment every quarter sometimes sounding bad and sometimes sounding good, and playing a specific guitar for three months and then moving on to another guitar after that and then moving back to the same type of guitar after a year is clearly uncertain of him or herself or possibly he or she cannot hear the nuances and therefore treats everything as the same because no standard has been set.
In my 20 years buying guitar gear and equipment, I have reached a point where I just call up Cliff or Ken and ask if there is anything worthwhile that I should buy. Alam nila ibang timbre and hinahanap ko but they will makes sure that they recommend something that has the same basic characteristics that make all good sounding amps sound good and make all legendary guitars sound magical. Because they know my standard and they themselves CAN RELATE AND HAVE THE SAME STANDARD AS I HAVE, I can buy gear without ever actually hearing it. Proof my friends is the fact that Baker#55 is here and is killer sounding and proof is the Diezel Herbert both which I believe have a 90% chance of impressing and getting any guitarist to say that it sounds good. This phenomenon could never happen if KANYA KANYA lang iyan.
DISCLAIMER: It was Ken Volpe who recommended Baker. It was Cliff who actually pushed despite my intense skepticism because I thought guitars were KANYA KANYA. It turns out there are some guys who can prove that hindi KANYA KANYA. Ang impression ko nga sa kanila ay tingin nila sa akin ay DOUBTING THOMAS, PILOSOPO AT KUNG SINONG MAGALING NA HINDI NAMAN KAHARAP NG MGA PINAMAGANDANG MGA INSTRUMENTO NA PANG GITARA 24 HOURS A DAY.
if you put it that way, i guess i can agree to that.
in a way theres something that we can call "good guitars" that every guitarist would like... there are just some factors that make them not choose the same guitar (i.e. looks/aesthetics, price, playability). if i was given a chance to buy say a baker (like yous, im sure thats an amazing guitar knowing how sensitive you are to tone), and also assuming that i have the money, i dont think i would go for it ... id definitely choose another guitar, although i cannot tell you what it is because i am a bassist and my soul is closely tied to the bass.
i agree with everything you said regarding distortion from the amp, treble cut, etc. (that is also why i dont understand ppl who insist on stomp boxes to have this "godly distortion," not to mention, ppl who compare their stomp boxes to tube amps, when it really is all about the amp).
i guess that "drifting to what is new" is what we call GAS attacks. im still in the stage where i am susceptible to GAS attacks, but not as bad compared to other ppl i know (they really dont have any idea what they want and change their set up everytime they have money). as for me, i keep a "consultation group" in my YM, so i could ask them before i blow money away. i still cant tell how a piece of gear will work in conjunction to my overall sound.
regarding artists downgrading... i guess its rather extreme to compare say a vintage strat and a lumanog downgrade... im not sure how you really consider downgrading whether it is pushing for digital or going for high end analog. i do not know anyone downgrading for one... maybe someone who checks out other equipment from the other point of view. billy corgan for one used pro tools on adore but avoided them on machina... i really dont consider it downgrading, its just "trying out new flavors." i also read about some bassists who choose musicman stingray over expensive warwicks and foderas.... do you consider that downgrading? after all, they own both brands.
this is a very healthy discussion, and eventhough i am a bassist at heart, the ideas thrown around are about tone - something both bassists and guitarists strive ... its just, basses tend to be ignored.