Watch me for the changes and try to keep up. 1985’s Back to the Future is packed with memorable moments. But one that can never be fully recreated – no matter how much it cooks – is the scene where Marty McFly introduces the world to “Johnny B. Goode” at the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance years before it was actually released. And that’s because the Gibson ES-345 guitar used in that scene is missing. While there may not be a time-hopping journey to find the Gibson, there is an active hunt that involves the guitar company and Michael J. Fox.
This week, Gibson released a video calling for fans of Back to the Future to keep their eyes and ears peeled for the guitar in question, which has seemingly been “erased from existence”. Featured in the short video is Fox, Lea Thompson, Christopher Lloyd, Harry Waters Jr. (Marvin Berry), and writer/producer Bob Gale, and even Huey Lewis, all of whom want to find the famous ES-345. If you do happen to have information leading to the whereabouts, the video points you to https://losttothefuture.com/ and a phone number to call. The video is also part of a broader project called Lost to the Future, which “will guide viewers in the global hunt for this legendary instrument, from long-forgotten film prop warehouses, fascinating vintage guitar shops, auction houses and shadowy back alley.”
So what exactly happened to the Back to the Future Gibson guitar? For starters, it hasn’t been seen in four decades, meaning it likely vanished during filming, with someone on set possibly taking it home as a memento or to sell. As Thompson – who admits to lifting a few items from the prom sequence but never touched the guitar – recalled, “I have no idea how [the guitar] slipped through people’s hands. I mean, the first thing I thought was maybe one of the prop masters had it … but then I knew it was super expensive … so it had to go somewhere.” Whatever the case may be, this is a piece of film history that rightfully belongs in a museum.
With Back to the Future celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, we have and will continue to get reunions, tributes and more. But it would be incredible to get this Gibson guitar back in the hands of Michael J. Fox, who himself is a lover of music and has been spotted sitting in with major bands.
