what comes out of any guitar is in our hands and skill.
I actually think there's a feedback loop that is brain >> hands >> instrument (and amp) >> ears >> brain >> hands >> instrument >> etc.
Folks probably mean that when they say "hands" I suppose, and in any case, we are on the same page.
Then, too, I think lots of people are so used to the relatively few guitar sounds they heard on recordings back in the day that anything unlike those sounds simply doesn't ring a bell, tick the boxes, etc. I can understand feeling that way, though I certainly think most PRS guitars are capable of making the so-called classic sounds, and that they can also go beyond those sounds.
As with anything, personal taste becomes a gigantic factor, but then what should be regarded as mere opinions are bandied about as though they were facts.
If I had a ZM, and it wasn't bringing the "it" factor, I think I'd at the very least try different pickups, different ancillary gear like pedals other than my usual suspects, and try to see if I could make it work for me. If not, well, that's life.
But so many times in my experience, a little thing like a pickup, or just the right pedal, can really bring a guitar to another level. It's certainly worth thinking about.