The Cherry Red Gibson ES-345, which featured in the 1985 film Back to the Future and inspired a generation of guitarists, hasn’t been seen in 40 years – but Michael J. Fox has a theory about what happened to it.
The guitar was loaned from Norman’s Rare Guitars, with the film's props team pivoting from the original plan of a Strat or a Gretsch with a Bigsby last minute. Doing so led to an on-screen faux pas that has irked guitar nerds ever since.
But that didn’t stop the likes of John Mayer and Coldplay’s Chris Martin from taking up guitar lessons because of Marty McFly’s “Johnny B. Goode” performance right at the end of the film. The guitar has since gone down as one of the most important instruments of the decade.
Back in June, to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the blockbuster smash, Gibson launched a global search to track down the electric guitar. It has since employed the team behind the Lost Bass Project, who helped find Paul McCartney’s iconic Höfner 500/1 violin bass 50 years after it was stolen, as the search goes on.
Details of its unique block parallelogram inlay on the 12th fret – as opposed to the usual split parallelogram – could play a big role in identifying the right guitar, and dismissing false leads. However, Michael J. Fox, who played Marty McFly, has offered his own account of where the axe went when filming wrapped.
He's made his claim in his new book, Future Boy, which, in part, looks back on his career-defining role as McFly, which he spent his nights preparing for after long days on set filming Family Ties.
“I wish I could claim to possess it, but I didn’t have the foresight to know how valuable it would become,” he writes (via Parade).
“Unfortunately, somebody did anticipate that and snagged it for themselves,” he then states. “Whether it’s in their active collection or stashed in their attic or home studio, they’re not speaking up.”
Gibson’s global search has made headlines around the world, and the gear firm has since been inundated with leads and tip-offs. None, however, has brought the search to an end. Fox believes someone out there knows they have it and is keeping a low profile.
“Perhaps,” he adds, “they’re waiting for the statute of limitations on vintage guitar theft to expire.”
The scene was particularly important for Fox. It gave him a chance to honor some of his earliest heroes.
“Guitar has always been a big part of my life,” Fox said back in June. “When we talked about the 'Enchantment Under the Sea' scene, 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.”
Gibson has also set to work on a documentary, called Lost to the Future, that charts the search for the guitar. However, he cynically feels that the film may never see the light of day.
“Apparently, the release of the documentary will come after the guitar is found,” he says, “if that ever happens.”
Meanwhile, GP reviewer Dave Hunter has looked back on the important role the ES-345 played in Gibson's history, bridging the gap between the more well-known 335 and 355 models of semi-hollow guitars. “It remains an underrated gem worth your time,” he writes.
