Head to head
Epiphone Thunderbird 60s Bass, Ebony vs Ibanez SR505N
The verdict
The Epiphone Thunderbird 60s Bass, Ebony comes out ahead overall — 68 to 65 on our estimated score.
Estimated from specs & owner reviews — a starting point, not a substitute for playing both.
Epiphone Thunderbird 60s Bass, Ebony wins on
- Better playability (72 vs 67)
- Better value (71 vs 65)
Ibanez SR505N wins on
No standout advantage.
Scorecard
| Metric | Thunderbird 60s Bass, Ebony | SR505N |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 68 | 65 |
| Build | 61 | 61 |
| Playability | 72 | 67 |
| Sound | 68 | 68 |
| Value | 71 | 65 |
Full specifications
| Spec | Thunderbird 60s Bass, Ebony | SR505N |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Epiphone | Ibanez |
| Type | Bass | Bass |
| Years | — | — |
| Country | — | — |
| Body wood | Mahogany | Okoume |
| Neck wood | 7-ply; Mahogany/Walnut Layered | Roasted Maple |
| Fretboard | Laurel | Rosewood |
| Strings | 4 | 5 |
| Frets | 20 | 24 |
| Scale | 34" | 34" |
| Pickups | Epiphone Probucker Bass 760 / ProBucker Bass 760 | Nordstrand™ Big Break / Nordstrand™ Big Break |
| Rating | — | — |
| Price | $749 | — |
| Body Finish | Gloss | — |
| Body shape | Thunderbird | — |
| Body Styles | Thunderbird | — |
| Bridge | 1960s TB-Bass Tune-o-matic; Adjustable | MR5S bridge |
| Bridge pickup | ProBucker Bass 760 | Nordstrand™ Big Break bridge pickupPassive |
| Case | Optional | — |
| Control Knobs | Gold Top Hats with Silver Inserts | — |
| Controls | Neck Volume, Bridge Volume, Master Tone | — |
| Finish | Nickel | — |
| Fretboard inlay | Dot | — |
| Fretboard radius | 304.8mm / 12.0in | — |
| Fret Count | 20 | — |
| Headstock | Thunderbird Bass Headstock | — |
| Joint | Neck Through | — |
| Model | EBTVEBNH1 | — |
| Mounting Rings | nickel | — |
| Neck pickup | Epiphone Probucker Bass 760 | Nordstrand™ Big Break neck pickupPassive |
| Nut width | 38.1mm / 1.5in | — |
| Output Jack | 1/4" Heavy-Duty Epiphone | — |
| Pickguard | 3-Layer (White/Black/White); Thunderbird logo in black | — |
| Profile | 1960s Rounded Bass Profile | — |
| Scale length | 863.6mm / 34.0in | 864mm/34" |
| Strap Buttons | 2-butt and shoulder | — |
| String gauges | .45, .65, .85, .105 | — |
| Tailpiece | 1960s Claw Tailpiece | — |
| Truss rod | Adjustable | — |
| Tuner Plating | Nickel | — |
| Tuners | Open-gear Bass Tuners with historic Clover buttons; 17:1 ratio | — |
| A Width | — | 45mm at NUT |
| B Width | — | 68mm at 24F |
| C Thickness | — | 19.5mm at 1F |
| D Thickness | — | 21.5mm at 12F |
| Equalizer | — | Ibanez Custom Electronics 3-band EQ w/EQ bypass switch (passive tone control on treble pot), 3-way Mid frequency switch |
| Factory Tuning | — | 1G,2D,3A,4E,5B |
| Fret | — | Medium frets |
| Hardware | — | Black |
| Neck Type | — | SR55pc Roasted Maple/Walnut neck |
| Radius | — | 305mmR |
| Recommended Bag | — | IBB540-BK |
| Recommended Case | — | MB300C |
| String Gauge | — | .045/.065/.085/.105/.130 |
| String Space | — | 16.5mm |
| Top Back Body | — | Okoume body |