Axis comparisons and question

So last night, I was comparing my three Axes (Axii?) side by side, and it was very interesting. I was prompted because my guitar teacher keeps raving about how the BFR sounds so much better than the other two. I assumed he was saying that because it’s newer and he likes it better than the other two. They all have the same pickups and materials, so it couldn’t be that much different, right?

To my surprise, I discovered that the BFR does indeed have a fuller, richer sound than the other two. It’s a very subtle difference from the Starry Night, and I would expect a little variation there due to the different materials, wiring and trem. So not a huge surprise.

What I wasn’t prepared for was the massive difference between the BFR and my original Axis. Side by side my No. 1 sounds very thin and tinny. I was a little stunned because the differences between the two material-wise are mainly cosmetic — same pickups, same woods. The only real differences are stainless frets, the newer-style trem on the BFR (which I love for the ease of going Drop D with the fine tuner) and the setup.

The action seems to be the common denominator between the two that sound better. It’s a good bit lower on my No. 1 than on the BFR and the Starry Night, which are set just as they arrived. I’ve been thinking about lowering the action on the BFR a hair, but now I’m thinking I may need to raise the action on No. 1. I can certainly see that making some difference, but could it really make that much difference?