Each and every instrument, piano, brass, woodwind, guitar by the same manufacturer sounds different than another; although, same model instruments will have similar family traits. Sometimes the difference is very subtle and sometimes it is very obvious and every possible degree in between. The difference is “felt” as well as heard by the player and may or may not be obvious to the listener depending on hearing acuity. Top players often go to the manufacturer (by invitation) and try many instruments in order to find THE ONE for he/she. The differences are due to differences in the composition of the metal in the case of brass instruments (including saxophones) and the craftsmanship that went into the construction of the particular instrument as well as differences in the actual design of different model instruments from the same manufacturer. Brass needs to be burnished with special tools in order to achieve the right “ring”. Inexpensive instruments are made from parts stamped out by machines without the final hand finishing and will sound very similar....bad. With woodwinds...think about it and all the potential differences in the grain of the particular piece of exotic wood as well as other natural differences in wood. Its all mainly about resonance and the differences in resonance. It is highly unlikely that two of anything will resonate the same way. But, rest assured that the differences are very real and can be very audible and important to a player if not necessarily to the listener.
