Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Guitars
  • Guitar Pedals
  • Synths
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Controllers
  • Guitar Amps
  • Drums
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About Us
More
  • Radiohead theory
  • Steely Dan's drum machine
  • Deep Purple in the dungeon
  • Prince's drummers
  • 95k+ free music samples
Don't miss these
Gibson Marcus King ES-345 in Sixties Cherry: the NC soul/rock phenom's new signature model is based on his 1962 heirloo, Big Red, and offers a slightly different set of specs as his Custom Shop version.
Artists Gibson unveils new signature ES-345 for Marcus King, and it is the evolution of a family heirloom
Dickey Betts [left] and Warren Haynes trade licks onstage with the Allman Brothers Band at the 1993 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Haynes's Strat would soon be stolen in New York.
Artists How Warren Haynes turned to Les Pauls after his favourite Strat was stolen
Zach Myers of Shinedown is bathed in blue stage lights and plays his custom-relic'd Silver Sky.
Artists Shinedown’s Zach Myers on Paul Reed Smith, signature model updates, and that relic’d Silver Sky
Jimi and Billy in 1968
Artists “I was playing the Fender Strat that Jimi Hendrix gave me”: Billy Gibbons on the making of ZZ Top's greatest blues song
The Fender Richie Kotzen Stratocaster is made in Japan and features a contoured ash body with a stunning figured maple top, and comes with DiMarzio pickups and Gotoh tuners.
Artists Fender gives Richie Kotzen’s figured-maple topped MIJ signature Strat a global release
Zach Myers of Shinedown plays a hunter green PRS NF53 live onstage at Download Festival 2025.
Artists Zach Myers on Shinedown’s secret weapon, the limits of shred guitar, and getting schooled by BB King
Jackson Pro Series Limited Edition Phil Demmel KV King V: the V-style electric is finished in black-and-white polka dots, and looks good in all settings, against a white background or barroom scene alike.
Artists Jackson and Phil Demmel salute Randy Rhoads with limited run Pro Series King V in polka dot finish
John McLaughlin
Artists “I’m not a collector. I get guitars, but I give them away”: Why John McLaughlin regrets gifting a '67 Strat to Jeff Beck
Don Felder plays his iconic white Gibson doubleneck electric guitar onstage. Note the double jack: that mod is crucial when playing Hotel California, which he surely is in this picture.
Artists Don Felder on why he had to mod his white Gibson doubleneck to play the Eagles’ biggest hit – and how he got the idea from Chet Atkins
Rick Graham is photographed in a dark setting with a warm stagelight in the background; he holds his new signature electric guitar, a shell-pink S-style with a reverse headstock
Artists Charvel and Rick Graham team up for Pro-Mod signature model with relic'd nitro cult colour finish
Duesenberg Alliance Series Tom Bukovac: the new semi-hollow signature model is a stunning singlecut with a quilted maple build in a natural finish.
Electric Guitars “Unbeatable... A play-anything guitar”: Duesenberg Alliance Series Tom Bukovac Session Man review
Marty McFly (Michael J Fox) takes to the air with the Gibson ES-345 that has been missing since Back To The Future wrapped in 1985. On the right, a teaser of a forthcoming Gibson replica of the guitar.
Guitars Cesar Gueikian teases Gibson Custom Shop replica of Marty McFly’s “1955” Back To The Future ES-345
The new Gibson Murphy Lab Light Aged Acoustics released on 9 September 2025, all lined up in a wood-panneled show room with round windows and a rural landscape outside.
Guitars Gibson expands acoustic Murphy Lab collection with five Light Aged classics – including a Nick Lucas 1929 reissue
PRS SE Silver Sky 2025: refreshed for the brand's 40th anniversary, the SE Silver Sky John Mayer signature model is pictured in its new Laurel Green, Derby Red, Dandy Lion and Trad Blue finishes. A PRS tube amp and speaker cabinet is in the background.
Guitars John Mayer’s PRS SE Silver Sky Rosewood is refreshed with 4 fashion-inspired solid-colour finishes
Gibson Tony Iommi Humbucker: the all-new humbucker, a reissue of its first-ever signature pickup.
Artists Gibson goes back to the beginning with reissue of its first-ever signature pickup for Black Sabbath icon Tony Iommi
  1. Guitars

Gibson unveils Skunk Baxter Firebird

News
By Rob Power published 28 March 2014

Steely Dan and Doobies man bags sig

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Gibson unveils Skunk Baxter Firebird

Gibson unveils Skunk Baxter Firebird

Gibson has announced new signature for everybody's favourite ex-Doobie Brother/military technology advisor Skunk Baxter.

The reverse-body Skunk Baxter Firebird has everything you might expect from a guitar designed for a man who has both played alongside Hendrix and devised civil defence strategies, and includes new Jim DeCola designed mini-humbuckers, independed on/off and full/split-coil switching for each.

A Lyre tailpeice, Steinberger gearless tuners and a Copper Metallic finish round off the look of a guitar that has been precision tooled to push the Firebird forward.

Click through our gallery for more pictures and full specs.

For more information visit the official Gibson website.

Page 1 of 6
Page 1 of 6
Skunk Baxter Firebird: front

Skunk Baxter Firebird: front

Gibson Skunk Baxter Firebird press release

With one of the most jaw-dropping resumes in music, Skunk Baxter knows about tone. After playing bass in Jimi Hendrix’s pre-Experience band, Baxter became a founding member of Steely Dan, then joined hit-makers the Doobie Brothers in 1974. He’s worked with Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart, Linda Ronstadt, Ringo Starr, and several others—and if that isn’t enough, has also worked as a high-security-clearance consultant in Ballistic Missile Defense for the U.S. government, and been named a Senior Fellow and Member of the Board of Regents at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies. His weapon of choice? A Gibson Firebird, of course—and with that kind of background, you just know that his Firebird is going to be something special.

The Skunk Baxter Firebird by Gibson USA is built in the tradition of the original “reverse-body” Firebird, with its distinctive looks and multi-piece “neck-through-body” construction for superior strength and sustain. However, a radically new set of Firebird Mini-humbuckers (designed by Jim DeCola), while the hottest mini-hums yet, retain the sweet, dynamic tone similar to that of Gibson’s original ’57 humbuckers. Route three of these powerful pickups through independent on/off and full/split-coil switching for an insane number of variations and combinations, and this is the most sonically versatile Firebird yet to take flight.

The high-quality Tune-o-matic bridge, Lyre vibrato tailpiece, and Steinberger™ gearless tuners deliver consistent performance on stage or in the studio—and when it come to looks, the high-gloss Copper Metallic finish, black plastics, white fingerboard binding, and pearloid block inlays make the Skunk Baxter Firebird a visual treat. Don’t miss out: experience this fabulous Firebird today at your authorized Gibson USA dealer.

Page 2 of 6
Page 2 of 6
Skunk Baxter Firebird: back

Skunk Baxter Firebird: back

Skunk Baxter Firebird specs

Body
Top Mahogany
Body Type Firebird
Adhesive Franklin Titebond 50

Finish
Copper Metallic
Sealer Nitrocellulose
Process 1-1.5 mils

Page 3 of 6
Page 3 of 6
Skunk Baxter Firebird: neck (reverse)

Skunk Baxter Firebird: neck (reverse)

Skunk Baxter Firebird specs

Case
Type Gibson Hardshell
Exterior Black w/Gibson Logo

Accessories
Additional Materials Each Skunk Baxter Firebird comes with a Truss Rod Wrench, adjustment literature, and documentation for the guitar’s Limited Lifetime Warranty, along with Gibson’s 24/7/365 Customer Service.

Case
Type Gibson Hardshell
Exterior Black w/Gibson Logo

Accessories
Additional Materials Each Skunk Baxter Firebird comes with a Truss Rod Wrench, adjustment literature, and documentation for the guitar’s Limited Lifetime Warranty, along with Gibson’s 24/7/365 Customer Service.

Page 4 of 6
Page 4 of 6
Skunk Baxter Firebird: neck (front)

Skunk Baxter Firebird: neck (front)

Gibson Skunk Baxter Firebird specs

Neck
Species Mahogany/Walnut
Profile .800 / .850 Firebird
Truss Rod Standard
Adhesive Franklin Titebond 50

Neck Fit
Joint Mortise & Tenon
Adhesive Franklin Titebond 50
Joint Angle Tolerance +/- .005"

Fingerboard
Species Rosewood
Radius 12"
Nut/E.O.B 1.695/2.260
Binding White
Inlays Acrylic block

Nut
Material Corian
Width 1.695

Page 5 of 6
Page 5 of 6
Skunk Baxter Firebird: side

Skunk Baxter Firebird: side

Gibson Skunk Baxter Firebird specs

Hardware
Knobs Black top hat w/silver Tone & Volume inserts
Pickguard Black Firebird
Control Plate Cover Firebird style, solid black
Trim Rings Black Chrome
Strings .009 - .046, Genuine Gibson strings
Strap Buttons Aluminum

Pickups
Rhythm Skunk Baxter
(Alnico V)
Middle Skunk Baxter
(Alnico V)
Lead Skunk Baxter
(Alnico V)

Electronics
Potentiometers 1 Volume Control, 1 Tone Control
Type 500K Non-Linear
Pickguard Switch (black) (3) pickup on/off switches
Body Switch (black) (3) pickup coil split switches
Output Jack 1/4" mono

Page 6 of 6
Page 6 of 6
Rob Power
Read more
Gibson Marcus King ES-345 in Sixties Cherry: the NC soul/rock phenom's new signature model is based on his 1962 heirloo, Big Red, and offers a slightly different set of specs as his Custom Shop version.
Gibson unveils new signature ES-345 for Marcus King, and it is the evolution of a family heirloom
 
 
Dickey Betts [left] and Warren Haynes trade licks onstage with the Allman Brothers Band at the 1993 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Haynes's Strat would soon be stolen in New York.
How Warren Haynes turned to Les Pauls after his favourite Strat was stolen
 
 
Zach Myers of Shinedown is bathed in blue stage lights and plays his custom-relic'd Silver Sky.
Shinedown’s Zach Myers on Paul Reed Smith, signature model updates, and that relic’d Silver Sky
 
 
Jimi and Billy in 1968
“I was playing the Fender Strat that Jimi Hendrix gave me”: Billy Gibbons on the making of ZZ Top's greatest blues song
 
 
The Fender Richie Kotzen Stratocaster is made in Japan and features a contoured ash body with a stunning figured maple top, and comes with DiMarzio pickups and Gotoh tuners.
Fender gives Richie Kotzen’s figured-maple topped MIJ signature Strat a global release
 
 
Zach Myers of Shinedown plays a hunter green PRS NF53 live onstage at Download Festival 2025.
Zach Myers on Shinedown’s secret weapon, the limits of shred guitar, and getting schooled by BB King
 
 
Latest in Guitars
Jackson Pro Origins 1985 San Dimas: these retro S-styles take the high-performance electric guitar brand back to the '80s, offering single and dual-humbucker platforms for shred with the choice of rosewood or maple fingerboards – and what about that "Two-Face" black-and-white finish?
“These guitars empower metal artists with the authentic, crushing tone that built Jackson’s legendary reputation”: Jackson takes us back to the heyday of shred with the Pro Origins 1985 San Dimas series – and what about that Two Face finish?
 
 
The new Gibson Murphy Lab Light Aged Acoustics released on 9 September 2025, all lined up in a wood-panneled show room with round windows and a rural landscape outside.
Gibson expands acoustic Murphy Lab collection with five Light Aged classics – including a Nick Lucas 1929 reissue
 
 
PRS S2 Mira 594: lined up against a PRS head and cab, the relaunched and refreshed Mira 594 is presented in blue, Matcha Green, red and Antique White
“I don’t think it found its true voice until now”: Revived, refreshed, PRS adds the Mira 594 to the S2 range
 
 
Walrus Audio Canvas Power USB: The compact pedalboard power supply can be charged via USB.
Walrus Audio’s Canvas Power USB is the super-compact device for powering your rig with a laptop charger
 
 
Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi perform live in 2023, with Trucks playing his Dickey Betts Artist Series SG, Tedeschi playing her Les Paul Standard.
Derek Trucks says Tedeschi Trucks Band have completed new album and have been sneaking in some of the tracks live
 
 
The Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom Hummingbird photographed in all its glory, in close-up and against a wheat-coloured rug.
“One of the handsomest guitars around, it plays great, and punches well above its weight in the tone stakes”: Epiphone Inspired By Gibson Custom Hummingbird Deluxe EC review
 
 
Latest in News
Mark Ronson and Michael Jackson
How a teenage Mark Ronson convinced Michael Jackson to write him a bassline so he could make a hit song out of it
 
 
English singer-songwriter FKA twigs attends the MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, on September 7, 2025
"It shows the breadth of talent from across all of our nations”: The Mercury nominations are out and diverse as ever
 
 
A mac book being closed
Transform your MacBook into a theremin! Or a creaking door!
 
 
Elektron Tonverk
“Made for expansive sound design and immediate play”: Elektron Tonverk is real, and it's out now
 
 
TORONTO, ON - AUGUST 04: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO STANDALONE PUBLICATION USE (NO SPECIAL INTEREST OR SINGLE ARTIST PUBLICATION USE; NO BOOK USE)) Taylor Swift, Swift and Bryan Adams rehearse onstage during the Taylor Swift reputation Stadium Tour at Rogers Centre on August 4, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Jason Kempin/TAS18/Getty Images for TAS)
Bryan Adams explains why the only person to do justice to Summer of '69 was Taylor Swift
 
 
Stu Mackenzie of King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard Rock band performs in a concert at Alcatraz in Milan
King Gizzard albums dominate the Bandcamp album chart after bold ‘name your price’ move
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...