I think most on this forum have figured out what sounds/tones really translate well when live or recorded in a band context. Many of our absolute favorite guitar ‘sounds’ from classic recorded albums actually sound pretty dry as iso tracks. Sykes tracks on the 1987 ‘Whitesnake’ album come to mind - Jaw dropping playing, for sure. But drag the bass track and kick drum out and the actual guitar tracks really aren’t providing that signature ‘thump’ you hear in the final, full band mix. Along those lines, most of us have learned the hard way how quickly our favorite bedroom / guitar store ‘shred’ tones get swallowed whole in a live or recorded mix.
Whether clean, edge of breakup blues, classic rock, chunky rhythm, or searing leads, I think we all know what works and what doesn’t. I think the variety in what we hear comes from physical technique and how certain players literally ‘attack’ the instrument and ‘wring’ notes out of the guitar.