Steve and his detractors are both right. Steve can certainly tell when Don Mason is playing "arranger" guitar. Perhaps his ear is also good enough to discern other characteristics of arranger playing as opposed to live instruments.

But the way Don Mason (and others) plays an arranger is also a unique and legitimate sound of its own used to entertain live audiences. And I don't think Steve is denying that fact or trying to minimize it. At least that is the way I read the situation.