Iconic Gibson Guitar From “Back To The Future” Stolen

It’s one of the most unforgettable scenes in movie history: Marty McFly, played by Michael J. Fox, takes the stage at his parents’ high school dance and absolutely shreds “Johnny B. Goode.” But now, nearly 40 years after Back to the Future premiered, the iconic red guitar Marty used in that scene has mysteriously vanished—and Gibson is determined to find it.

The guitar in question is a Cherry Red Gibson ES-345, and while it may have played a fictional part in launching rock ‘n’ roll in the movie, its real-life disappearance is now at the center of a very real global search.

Rock History Meets Movie Magic

In the 1985 classic Back to the Future, Marty travels back to 1955 and stuns the crowd at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance with a face-melting guitar solo. The moment, packed with nods to Hendrix, Townshend, and Van Halen, was an in-joke to rock fans and helped inspire a whole new generation to pick up the guitar.

But when it came time to film the sequels in 1989, the production team hit a snag—the guitar was missing and has remained lost ever since.

Now, Gibson is going all in to track it down. They’ve officially launched a public campaign asking fans to help recover the guitar. You can leave tips on the Lost to the Future website or text your leads to 1-855-345-1955.

“Years ago, I was astonished to learn this beloved cinematic artifact had apparently disappeared into the space-time continuum,” said Back to the Future co-creator and screenwriter Bob Gale. “Since we don’t have a functioning time machine, this effort is probably our best chance to solve a decades-long mystery.”

Why This Guitar Still Matters

For Gibson CEO Cesar Gueikian, this isn’t just about an instrument—it’s personal. “This is one of the most exciting moments at Gibson for me,” he said. “Back to the Future is one of the most important and significant movies of my life, and the ‘Enchantment Under the Sea’ school dance scene marked me musically in a profound way. Working with Michael J. Fox, Bob Gale and the rest of the Back to the Future team is a dream come true. I hope we find Marty’s Gibson ES-345! To everyone out there who is as passionate as I am about this iconic film, please help us find it!”

Mark Agnesi, Director of Brand Experience at Gibson, has been hunting for the guitar for years. “I started searching for this guitar back in 2009 on my first day on the job at Norman’s Rare Guitars,” he said. “After 16 years of searching, I’m so excited to get the entire guitar community together to help find the guitar that made me, and so many other guitarists of my generation, want to learn to play.”

Michael J. Fox on His Guitar Legacy

Even Michael J. Fox himself weighed in on the guitar’s legacy and his part in the iconic moment.
“Guitar has always been a big part of my life,” Fox said. “When we talked about the ‘Enchantment Under The Sea’ scene in Back to the Future, 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. I’m really happy with the scene because it was an expression of my love for guitar and all the great players.”

Fox added, “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.”

Todd Harapiak, Gibson’s Media Director, emphasized how powerful that one scene was. “Watching Michael J. Fox’s iconic performance of ‘Johnny B. Goode’ during the ‘Enchantment Under the Sea’ dance was a moment that struck a chord with an entire generation of kids, inspiring them to pick up a guitar for the very first time,” he said. “Few moments in film have had such a lasting impact on musicians as this scene in Back to the Future, and we’re thrilled to embark on a journey to find this guitar that’s carried the legacy of film and rock history for nearly four decades.”

A New Documentary to Chronicle the Search

Gibson’s search for the guitar will also be documented in a brand-new film called Lost to the Future. The documentary is being created to celebrate the upcoming 40th anniversary of Back to the Future. It will feature interviews with the film’s stars—including Michael J. Fox, Lea Thompson, Christopher Lloyd, and Huey Lewis—as well as musicians who were inspired by the movie.
The film will also follow the actual search for the missing guitar and share the cultural impact that one unforgettable scene had on music and pop culture alike.

The Lost to the Future website even includes a countdown timer, ticking away to a mystery reveal in about four months and 18 days—possibly the anniversary celebration or maybe the hopeful return of a legendary red Gibson.