Another Metallica guy here - love the big crunch of Het's guitars.
Pete Anderson - smokin. I'm a huge fan of Dwight's and Pete's. Also the guy who has taken over for Pete, Keith Gattis. Great player, awesome tones.
I dig that liquidy sound Santana gets.
Knophler has great tone.
But really - my fave is my Les Paul plugged into any good tube amp and cranked. No effects but a little 'verb. Maybe a **** hair of delay to get some spacey shit happening.
I did a TV show with Gordie Johnson (Big Sugar, Grady) a few years back. I interviewed him, we went guitar shopping (browsing) and then jammed - just 2 guitars. That was cool. I used to be a big fan of his sound, but he has played SO LOUD, for SO LONG, that he is deaf. His tone, playing and singing have gone to shit, sad to say. I've maybe seen him 10 times. Downhill....