It’s been 40 years since Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly rocked “Johnny B. Goode” in “Back to the Future.”
But while the moment lives on in the classic film, the cherry red Gibson ES-345 (that Fox really played) is missing. And Gibson wants your help finding it.
That’s why the guitar maker has launched an official search and is asking the public for help finding it.
According to the Tennessean, Mark Agnesi, director of brand experience at Gibson Guitars, said that while an official search launched in 2025, he’s personally been looking for it since 2009.
New Documentary Focuses on Search for Iconic Guitar
Gibson is doing more than issuing a plea for help.
The guitar maker’s “Gibson Films” is making a documentary called “Lost to the Future,” about the search for the iconic guitar.
”We have a whole bunch of leads and tips that we want to investigate. But we also want to make sure we can capture it on film so that fans can go along for the ride with us,” said the film’s director, Doc Crotzer. “And hopefully that magic moment when we find it, they get to share in.”
And Gibson is getting some pretty iconic help in that search. Stars from the original movie including Michael J. Fox, Leah Thompson, Christopher Lloyd, Harry Waters Jr. and even Huey Lewis all appear in the teaser for the documentary, asking for help.
The documentary itself will feature interviews with the “Back to the Future” stars along with co-creator/screenwriter/producer Bob Gale.
‘Back to the Future’ Guitar Scene Inspired World Class Musicians
The scene with that cherry red Gibson ES-345 set a course for the future for some world class musicians.
Cold Play lead singer Chris Martin told Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show” that watching Michael J. Fox play the guitar in “Back to the Future.” Martin told Fallon, “I think there are certain things for people that are your age and my age that are so imprinted on us in terms of what made us dream of doing this job. And one of those things for me is Michael in ‘Back to the Future.'”
John Mayer has also said that the scene first inspired him to pick up a guitar.
Gibson Guitar Has Unique Feature That Makes It Identifiable
The missing Gibson was rented from Norman’s Rare Guitars in Los Angeles for the film. After the scene was shot, what happened to it is a mystery.
But of course it wasn’t the only cherry red ES-345 Gibson made in the early 1960’s. Which may make you wonder how Gibson can find the right one.
The answer lies in an anomaly in the guitar used in the movie.
“ What’s really peculiar and what makes this whole thing even stranger and cooler and better is this guitar has a very, very unusual anomaly that shouldn’t be on this guitar,” Agnesi said.
Gibson ES-345s have a unique design feature called a “split parallelogram inlay.” The one Marty McFly played in the school dance scene had two parallelograms going down the neck of the guitar. But one is solid instead of split at the 12th fret.
“This is not a stock or standard feature,” Agnesi said. “This is a complete and total anomaly that was either custom ordered or it was a factory second guitar where the little piece of wood chipped out so they just put a solid piece in. The fact that happened to be the one that got rented to the movie is the one saving grace that is going to help us know we have found the guitar because it shouldn’t be there.”
They May Not Need Roads, But They Do Need Tips
To get to a future where the cherry red Gibson is found, the company has set up several ways to help. Gibson is asking anyone who knows anything about it to call 1-855-345-1955. Or submit a tip at losttothefuture.com.
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‘Back to the Future’ Guitar is Missing- Gibson Wants Your Help