Today, Gibson has launched a search for the legendary Gibson ES-345 electric guitar seen in Back to the Future. The guitar, played by Michael J. Fox's Marty McFly during the pivotal "Enchantment Under the Sea" dance scene, has since cultivated a legendary status among guitarists and film buffs alike.
Despite the critical and commercial success of the film, producers could not locate the original ES-345 when production began on 1989's Back to the Future Part II, after it was returned when the filming of Back to the Future wrapped. In spite of its status as physically lost, the iconic Gibson guitar never dwindled in cultural relevance.
Along with the worldwide search effort to recover the lost ES-345, Gibson has begun production of a documentary, Lost to the Future, all about the ES-345 and its impact on guitar players universally. Lost to the Future will be produced by Gibson Films and directed by Doc Crotzer (Roadhouse). Featuring archival footage and photos from the production of Back to the Future, the documentary will highlight the music and culture of the era, chronicle Gibson's search for the original ES-345, and commemorate its legacy.
For any information about the Back to the Future ES-345, Gibson can be contacted via call or text at their tip line, 1-855-345-1955, or at losttothefuture.com.
"I’m really happy with the scene because it was an expression of my love for guitar and all the great players. 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.” - Michael J. Fox
Fox's Marty McFly remains one of the great film heroes of time in no small part due to his triumphant wielding of Gibson's ES-345. The legendary Back to the Future guitar has remained a cultural icon for a reason in the four decades since the film's debut, making Gibson's search for it a worthy endeavor. Forty years on, Marty's theatrical playing, infused with flashes of Hendrix, Townshend, and Van Halen, remains a touchstone of electric guitar on film. Leagues of guitarists today owe their lifelong passion to Fox and the ES-345 and that impact cannot be overstated. Maybe the film's 1950s teenagers weren't ready for a guitar like Marty's ES-345, but just as he predicted, we – the kids – love it.