The Quest for the Perfect Sound.

[Average Joe]

Best thing I ever did for my tone was acceptance. Good is good enough and there is little reason in chasing perfect. Let it go and focus on the playing. This works for me all the times i have to use house amps.

With my own gear, the important thing seem to be to learn how to work it, rather than to chase a new thing. Most good gear is more tonally flexible than it's given credit for.

Agree on the importance of picks.

[Stefan Eff]

It's interesting that this question is usually asked by players who use analog equipment. For many years, I couldn't find the tone I wanted with my tube amps. Only the current emulations (NeuralDSP!) gave me exactly the tone I was looking for! Regardless of location or volume. And don't think that picks, strings, or speakers (IRs) don't have the same tonal influence.