Production of the SR305 began in 1997. It is the 5 string version of the Ibanez SR300.  Originally they had agathis bodies with maple necks, but as of 2014 the transparent finish SR505 has a mahogany body with jatoba/bubinga neck. The first models had Ibanez DX soapbar pickups but these were changed to split-coil Bartolini MK-1 pickups. Tone controls were also changed from a single tone control and two volume controls, to two tone controls & two volume controls and then to a single volume control an EQB-IIIS 3-band equaliser with a Mid frequency switch.