Funny...you guys already beat me to it, but I was going disagree with Axl too. That's simply not true. I can take a crappy guitar and a crappy amp and sweep no problem. In fact, for a number of my home-made recordings, I use a cheap little Peavy Rage amp, 1 Sure mic, and my guitar and I get phenomenal results. Technique comprises a huge part of your sound. Think about it. How come an excellent guitarist can also make a cheap steel-string acoustic guitar sound great as well? Bottom line: if you buy an amazing guitar rig (amp, guitar, effects, etc), but you're a mediocre guitarist, it will be evident.