Have you seen the glistening, cherry red ES-345™ Gibson that Michael J. Fox rocked in Back to the Future? Are you hiding it in a safe somewhere and bringing it out only for periodic heavy petting sessions? If so, a lot of people would be interested in speaking with you.
When it came out in 1985, Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s release was the highest-grossing film of the year worldwide. The slick axe was so beloved that it, of course, earned a sequel. When that project began in 1989, the filmmakers went to resurrect the guitar, but it was nowhere to be found.
Now, decades later, Gibson has launched a global search for the guitar that Fox played during one of the film’s most iconic scenes, “Enchantment Under the Sea,” where his character Marty McFly picks up the guitar with no prior experience, and blasts out a perfect rendition of the classic rock and roll tune made famous by Chuck Berry, “Johnny B. Goode.”
If someone out there does have it, this A-list level of visibility regarding its return might make its current holder a little timid about handing it over, but, along with appeasing the Hollywood crews, it sure would sate a lot of inquiring minds.
The actors — including Emmy winners Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, as well as Lea Thompson and Huey Lewis, whose song “Power of Love” featured in the movie was nominated for an Academy Award — have all come together to make a video for the Lost to the Future call-to-action effort to get this guitar returned.
The site is for tipsters and will undoubtedly generate some interesting leads, possibly including one that will forge a trail to the missing six-string iconic prop.