Totally understand - I agree most of "the sound" is the player.

My first ever guitar is a '94 squier fibre board strat. It lived in the cupboard for 15+ years. I recently dug it out and it sounds so better then I remember (about 15 years better in fact). So now I play it just as much as the others.

I think the saddle material may have an impact on the brightness - brass v.s. steel? I'm not sure what the kit bridge is made of - but I'm not after super bright country twang.

Perhaps having branded parts will give me a better chance of setting it up correctly. Also, I opted for the gotoh lockers so my OCD wants matching gotoh at the end other end.