Jim, that's because many people listen with their eyes...which is why brands etc have become more important to some people than the player's talent, creativity and ability...
Also, I believe that all those knobs on an electric guitar and amp are there to be used...especially if you can only afford one or very few guitars! The results may not be forensically accurate as many enthusiasts demand and discuss and argue about ad infinitum , but to me it's more important to try for a sound which fits the style and mood of music I'm playing.
I have found over the years that a versatile simple ruggedly built solidbody like a Tele or Strat style guitar and a solid state amp with adequate volume and a range of clean sounds and a few built-in effects can cover pretty much any style, and can stand up to gigging, practices, loading and transport with minimal maintenance, and the rest is up to me to play appropriately and as individually as I can.
Perhaps that puts me in a minority on this site!


