In an early incarnation of my current band (the Screamin' Armadillos) the other guitarist and I would switch guitars during the breakdown of a song I wrote called "Travis County Line"...the song is reminiscent of a Vaughan Brothers jam, for sonic reference. We didn't just switch guitars, we actually played the other guy's rig--axe to amp.

I was playing my '95 MIM Telecaster with a P90 in the neck position and a stock Tele bridge pickup, through a TS9 Tubescreamer, a Leslie Simulator and my '63 Reissue Vibroverb.

He played a '84 G&L F-100 with a Gibson PAF humbucker neck pickup and a Dimarzio shredder/metal bridge pickup (don't know the model) and a couple of Boss pedals into a Roland JC120. (I hate that amp, BTW. What do you call a thousand Jazz Chorus amps at the bottom of the ocean? A good start!)

Incredibly, we still sounded just like ourselves when we were playing each other's guitar...I sounded like me playing a hard rocker's rig, and he sounded like himself playing a blues player's rig.

Yes, my rig sounded different--it had a different pilot. He also couldn't figure out how I got some of the sounds out of his rig that I did (and he is a much more accomplished guitarist); once again, it was the driver, not the car.

Of course, playing ability is necessary, and different guitars, effects & amps will change the sound...but all things considered,

the tone is in the hands, brothers and sisters!