Yes that idea has been said for years, but if it were really true, if t's all in the hands we would all have cheap gear. I don't care much for the pre-Wish You Were Here solo tones, but maybe his fingers were developing, LOL. I do think it's a blend of gear and fingers.
I have evolved immensely in my understanding and taste of tones from playing live with Peavey amps and over 38 years of recording. Same thing with singing, and attempts at engineering, producing. Learning to listen in recording and in the mix is a different world from common guitar thinking. Example: Alex Lifeson gets upset at the producer because he wouldn't let him use the tones he liked. Then he admitted the producer was right...
I'm in that field, so hopefully I have an idea or two about the psychology of sounds, but we all have blind sides. I do lots and lots of research before acquiring gear because I loathe buyer's remorse. Yes, I still love the guitar sounds on Kiss' Destroyer but I'd attribute that to Bob Ezrin.
Bless Your Music Journey Sir.