Head to head
Gibson Rex Brown Signature Thunderbird, Ebony vs Rickenbacker 4003
The verdict
The Gibson Rex Brown Signature Thunderbird, Ebony comes out ahead overall — 77 to 71 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 playability (72 vs 64)
- Better sound (74 vs 60)
Rickenbacker 4003 wins on
- Lower price ($1,900 vs $2,799)
Scorecard
| Metric | Rex Brown Signature Thunderbird, Ebony | 4003 |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 77 | 71 |
| Build | 91 | 87 |
| Playability | 72 | 64 |
| Sound | 74 | 60 |
| Value | 67 | 67 |
Full specifications
| Spec | Rex Brown Signature Thunderbird, Ebony | 4003 |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Gibson | Rickenbacker |
| Type | Bass | Bass |
| Years | — | 1979 |
| Country | US | US |
| Body wood | Mahogany | Maple |
| Neck wood | Mahogany | Maple (neck-through) |
| Fretboard | Rosewood | Rosewood |
| Strings | 4 | 4 |
| Frets | 20 | 20 |
| Scale | 34" | 33.25" |
| Pickups | Rexbucker Thunderbird / Rexbucker Thunderbird | HH single-coil |
| Rating | — | — |
| Price | $2,799 | $1,900 – $2,400 |
| Accessories | Gibson Accessory Kit | — |
| Body Finish | Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer | — |
| Body shape | Thunderbird | Cresting wave |
| Body Styles | Thunderbird | — |
| Bridge | Hipshot Bass Bridge | Fixed |
| Bridge pickup | Rexbucker Thunderbird | — |
| 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 | — |
| 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 | — |
| 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 | — |
| Weight | — | 4.5 kg |