One other thing to consider is the knob installation. Just because the knob points the same direction as another, doesn't mean they both have the same starting point. We have our normal way of installing knobs, but especially if you've had work done on the electronics, they may have been installed to point a different direction.
Normally on an Epic, the center of the bass and treble controls, as well as the center of the pan control will point directly toward the strings, that is, perpendicular to them. The volume knob is usually oriented so that maximum volume is pointing toward the peghead, or parallel to the strings.
Some left handed basses have specially made left handed pots. Even if the knobs are installed in the same position, if the pots are mirror images, you will see different positions.
Different woods and different string numbers even on the same wood will produce different sounds. The particular strings and the individual playing will also affect the tone. When I play a bass here, hand it to another person to play without changing the settings on the bass or the amp, it can sound like a completely different bass.
There's lots of variables.
