If you’re a Back to the Future fan, you know the scene: Marty McFly, played by Michael J. Fox, shreds “Johnny B. Goode” at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance and blows the 1955 crowd’s minds with some very un-1955 guitar licks. The guitar? A cherry red Gibson ES-345. And here’s the wild part — that very guitar has been missing ever since the movie came out.
Now, 40 years later, Gibson is on a mission to get it back.
The guitar was originally rented from Norman’s Rare Guitars in L.A. and returned after filming, but somewhere along the line, it vanished. There’s no record of a sale, no paper trail — it’s like the guitar time-traveled itself.
Gibson just launched a full-blown campaign to track it down, complete with a “Have You Seen This Guitar?” poster and a video featuring the cast, including Michael J. Fox, asking the public for help. It’s the kind of pop culture mystery that makes collectors drool and superfans obsess.
Fun fact: While the ES-345 is unforgettable, it’s technically a goof — the movie scene takes place in 1955, but the guitar model didn’t exist until around 1960 or ’61. Still, it’s become a symbol of cinematic cool.
If this guitar’s been sitting in someone’s basement for decades… it might be time to check the case.