Great Scott! The guitar that helped save Marty McFly from vanishing into thin air has pulled its own disappearing act. Forty years after Michael J. Fox rocked the fictional 1955 with “Johnny B. Goode,” the Cherry Red Gibson ES-345 that starred in that unforgettable scene has become the subject of an increasingly fascinating treasure hunt.
The search — playfully dubbed “Lost to the Future” — reads like something straight out of a Hollywood script. Fox himself couldn’t resist poking fun at the situation: “It’s somewhere lost in the space-time continuum… or maybe just collecting dust in some Teamster’s garage.” Classic McFly humor, right there.
Here’s where things get complicated. The guitar started its journey at Norm’s Rare Guitars in Tarzana, California — just a rental, mind you. Then came the Japanese vintage guitar boom of the ’80s, and poof! The trail goes cold faster than you can say “flux capacitor.” Mark Agnesi, Gibson’s director of brand experience, has spent more than 16 years chasing this elusive piece of movie history.
Grammy-winning artist Jason Isbell didn’t mince words about the guitar’s significance. “That’s the most iconic guitar from a movie,” he declared. “I don’t think anything else comes close.” Hard to argue with that assessment, especially considering how that performance has inspired countless musicians to pick up a six-string.
The whole situation isn’t without its share of delicious irony. That ES-345? Technically shouldn’t have existed in 1955. And “Johnny B. Goode”? Still three years away from being written when Marty played it. But somehow, these historical hiccups only make the movie more endearing. As Charles Berry Jr. noted, it’s all part of what makes it “a nice wholesome movie” where his father’s music plays such a crucial role.
Thank heavens for one distinctive detail — the guitar’s solid inlay on the 12th fret stands out like a temporal anomaly compared to the split inlays typically found on this model. “That anomaly is the smoking gun we’re looking for,” Agnesi explains. “That will not be on any other guitar.”
Doc Crotzer (aptly named for this quest, wouldn’t you say?) is capturing the search on film, and his connection runs deep. “Back to the Future made me want to make movies as a kid, and made me want to pick up a guitar,” he shares. Even Coldplay’s Chris Martin credits the movie as “the main reason why we’re in a band.” Talk about impact.
For Fox, that scene represents more than just movie magic. “I just wanted to be a rock n’ roll guitarist,” he revealed recently on Gibson TV’s The Collection. “Being 23 years old and that scene, I was having the f-king best time. But I didn’t realize the influence it had on people.”
Gibson’s not giving up hope — they’ve launched a public campaign complete with a dedicated hotline (1-888-345-1955). Whether this cherry red time machine is tucked away in some collector’s vault or gathering dust in an forgotten corner of the world, its cultural significance only seems to grow with time.
Unlike Doc Brown’s precise calculations, this mystery can’t be solved with a DeLorean hitting 88 mph. It’ll take good old-fashioned detective work and maybe a bit of that McFly luck to bring this piece of cinema history back where it belongs. Perhaps somewhere out there, someone’s about to check their attic and make the discovery of a lifetime.