Head to head
Gibson Rex Brown Signature Thunderbird, Ebony vs Ibanez SR505N
The verdict
The Gibson Rex Brown Signature Thunderbird, Ebony comes out ahead overall — 77 to 65 on our estimated score.
Estimated from specs & owner reviews — a starting point, not a substitute for playing both.
Gibson Rex Brown Signature Thunderbird, Ebony wins on
- Better build (91 vs 61)
- Better playability (72 vs 67)
- Better sound (74 vs 68)
Ibanez SR505N wins on
No standout advantage.
Scorecard
| Metric | Rex Brown Signature Thunderbird, Ebony | SR505N |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 77 | 65 |
| Build | 91 | 61 |
| Playability | 72 | 67 |
| Sound | 74 | 68 |
| Value | 67 | 65 |
Full specifications
| Spec | Rex Brown Signature Thunderbird, Ebony | SR505N |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Gibson | Ibanez |
| Type | Bass | Bass |
| Years | — | — |
| Country | US | — |
| Body wood | Mahogany | Okoume |
| Neck wood | Mahogany | Roasted Maple |
| Fretboard | Rosewood | Rosewood |
| Strings | 4 | 5 |
| Frets | 20 | 24 |
| Scale | 34" | 34" |
| Pickups | Rexbucker Thunderbird / Rexbucker Thunderbird | Nordstrand™ Big Break / Nordstrand™ Big Break |
| Rating | — | — |
| Price | $2,799 | — |
| Accessories | Gibson Accessory Kit | — |
| Body Finish | Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer | — |
| Body shape | Thunderbird | — |
| Body Styles | Thunderbird | — |
| Bridge | Hipshot Bass Bridge | MR5S bridge |
| Bridge pickup | Rexbucker Thunderbird | Nordstrand™ Big Break bridge pickupPassive |
| Case | Modern Series Hardshell | — |
| Control Covers | Backplate Doodle by Rex Brown | — |
| Control Knobs | Gold Metal Knurled | — |
| Controls | 2 Volume, 1 Master Tone with Push/Pull for Active/Passive Switching (Pull Up for Passive) | — |
| End Of Board Width | 58.93mm / 2.32in | — |
| Finish | Gold | — |
| Fretboard inlay | Acrylic Dot | — |
| Fretboard radius | 304.8mm / 12.0in | — |
| Fret Count | 20 | — |
| Headstock Inlay | Gibson Logo in Gold Silkscreen | — |
| Joint | Glued In, Set Neck | — |
| Model | BAT4RB00EBGH1 | — |
| Neck pickup | Rexbucker Thunderbird | Nordstrand™ Big Break neck pickupPassive |
| Nut | Graph Tech | — |
| Nut width | 38.1mm / 1.5in | — |
| Output Jack | 1/4" | — |
| Pickguard | Gold | — |
| Pickup Covers | R.B. Stamped Pickup Covers | — |
| Profile | Rounded | — |
| Scale length | 863.6mm / 34.0in | 864mm/34" |
| Strap Buttons | 2 | — |
| String gauges | .045, .065, .085, .105 | — |
| Truss rod | Adjustable | — |
| Truss Rod Cover | Black with Gold Rex Signature | — |
| Tuner Plating | Gold | — |
| Tuners | Hipshot Mini-Clover with Drop D Xtender | — |
| 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 |