My fx box (DOD GS30) can make my guitar sound so many different ways I don't think I would even hazard a guess what kind of kit a guitarist played with except that if they are very famous they're probably endorsed by Ibanez. Some great guitar players play some less well known makes though e.g. Nuno Bettencourt plays Washburns, Shaun Baxter Patrick Eggle, Allan Holdsworth plays Carvin (when not playing synthaxes). None of these are the big three (Ibanez, Gibson or Fender) but all have top tone. I guess perhaps the patents of those pieces of kit that secured particular tone qualities for particular companies have perhaps largely expired and that todays luthiers know exactly what's been done before and how to do it again.