Dennis, congrats on the Elan!
I don't think that the bass you purchased on Ebay is the same bass that's pictured in the Showcase thread you originally posted to. The pattern of the grain in the Coco Bolo appears to be quite different.
As Peter said, the only difference in the AXY and MXY is the appearance of the shell. There is another pickup that comes in the AXY shell called a Fat Boy that uses a larger magnet and does have a different sound.
The choice of tailpieces is also, essentially, cosmetic.
Neck laminates do have a significant impact on tone. Note that the two basses in the Showcase thread have different neck tapers. The Elan has the Classic taper and the Europa has the Comfort taper. So not only are the Purpleheart lams wider on that Europa, so are the Maple lams; it's a wider neck. Both of these basses appear to have standard neck configurations for the particular model.
There is a page describing body woods
here.
I don't know the answer to the weight question. The Elan has a smaller body and a narrower neck; but I don't know the difference in the relative weights of Mahogany and Maple. I probably did know at some point, but the answer isn't coming to me now.
Not many Elan Plus's show up on Ebay, not nearly as many as Europas; and I tend to think that people are not as familiar with the Elan Plus as the Europa. The difference in the neck taper is, to me, a significant factor. Personally, I prefer the Classic taper on the Elan, but others prefer the Comfort taper of the Europa. The difference between the Mahogany and Maple bodies is also a significant factor; there will be a difference in tone. The price you paid does not seem significantly different from what one might be able to pick up a Europa for in the current market.
I think the bass you bought is a wonderful combination of woods, electronics, and aesthetics. I think you'll love the tone and the playability. Congrats again!
