'Back to the Future' Guitar Goes Missing, Gibson Launches Search

What ever happened to the Cherry Red Gibson ES-345 guitar used by Michael J. Fox in the 1985 film classic Back to the Future? Apparently the instrument has gone missing and Gibson is launching a global search to uncover the instrument.

At least in the film, the guitar played a key role in the development of rock 'n' roll as Marty McFly (Fox) went back in time to deliver a face melting guitar solo at the "Enchantment Under the Sea" high school dance while playing "Johnny B. Goode" that was eventually shared with future Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Chuck Berry.

Though that was a case of Hollywood fudging history for the sake of movie making and story telling, that moment was one of the most popular in-jokes of the original film as the awestruck teens looked on at Marty in amazement. It also managed to inspired a new generation of young guitar players.

But, apparently when filmmakers returned for a pair of sequels in 1989, they were no longer able to locate the instrument and it was reportedly never found.

The Search for Marty McFly's Cherry Red Gibson Guitar

As stated, Gibson has now launched a campaign to recover the instrument after all these years. Fans who have any tips regarding the whereabouts of the missing original Cherry Red Gibson ES-345 that Fox played in the film are asked to contact Gibson through the new Lost To the Future website or leave tips and text at 1-855-345-1955.

“Years ago, I was astonished to learn this beloved cinematic artifact had apparently disappeared into the space-time continuum,” says Bob Gale, co- creator / screenwriter / producer of Back to the Future. “Since we don’t have a functioning time machine, this effort is probably our best chance to solve a decades-long mystery.”

“This is one of the most exciting moments at Gibson for me,” says Cesar Gueikian, President & CEO of Gibson. “Back To The Future is one of the most important and significant movies of my life, and the ‘Enchantment Under the Sea’ school dance scene marked me musically in a profound way. Working with Michael J. Fox, Bob Gale and the rest of the Back To The Future team is a dream come true. I hope we find Marty’s Gibson ES-345! To everyone out there who is as passionate as I am about this iconic film, please help us find it!”

“I started searching for this guitar back in 2009 on my first day on the job at Norman’s Rare Guitars,” says Mark Agnesi, Director of Brand Experience at Gibson. “After 16 years of searching, I’m so excited to get the entire guitar community together to help find the guitar that made me, and so many other guitarists of my generation, want to learn to play.”

Gibson's Lost to the Future Guitar Search Trailer

Michael J. Fox Addresses His Guitar Playing 'Back to the Future' Legacy

“Guitar has always been a big part of my life,” said Michael J. Fox in a statement. “When we talked about the ‘Enchantment Under The Sea’ scene in Back to the Future, I sat down with the cinematographer and choreographer and said I want to riff through all of my favorite guitarists, like doing Jimi Hendrix behind the head, Pete Townshend doing a windmill, and the Eddie ]Van Halen] hammer thing, it was so cool that they were open to that, and we laid it all out there. I’m really happy with the scene because it was an expression of my love for guitar and all the great players."

Fox continued, "I didn’t realize the influence the scene had on people, John Mayer said, ‘I play guitar because of you,’ and Chris Martin said the same thing, and I am glad they took it further than I did, they went to the trouble of being really good players. I just love the guitar, and I love the movie.”

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“Watching Michael J. Fox’s iconic performance of ‘Johnny B. Goode’ during the ‘Enchantment Under the Sea’ dance was a moment that struck a chord with an entire generation of kids, inspiring them to pick up a guitar for the very first time,” adds Todd Harapiak, Gibson Media Director. “Few moments in film have had such a lasting impact on musicians as this scene in Back to the Future, and we’re thrilled to embark on a journey to find this guitar that’s carried the legacy of film and rock history for nearly four decades.”

'Lost to the Future' Documentary

It should also be noted that as Gibson launches the guitar search for the iconic instrument, there is also a new documentary in the works titled Lost to the Future. The documentary will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the film while sharing in-depth interviews with stars Michael J. Fox, Lea Thompson, Christopher Lloyd and Huey Lewis, who sang the film's theme song "The Power of Love."

The film will also document some of the musicians who've been inspired by the movie and also share some of the the search as they try to recover the iconic guitar from the film.

The Lost to the Future website actually has a countdown that is set to wrap in about four months and 18 days.