Rex
Dignified but Approachable
So this.My friend and I played the same riff on the same guitar, same strings, and same rig with same IR and BMT hitting the same levels on the VU meters.
His tone is more upper mids and sounds like there is a bass roll off at 150 Hz.
My tone sounds like it has a bass boost at the same frequency and a more even tonality in the upper mids.
If we didn't do it in the same room literally with a couple of minutes passing while we passed the guitar and pick to each other, then I would be incredulous regarding your fingers/hand being a major component of tone too.
That experience made me realize how much hand structure, tissue/bone density, and hand pressure contribute to tone variance.
The way you address the strings — with both your picking and your fretting hand — makes a significant contribution to tone.
Tone isn't entirely in your fingers, but your fingers do make a meaningful contribution to tone.