With its hunt for the long-lost Back to the Future electric guitar still ongoing, Gibson has celebrated its connection to the Hollywood hit and made good on earlier teases by releasing not one, but two, replicas of the ES-345 that starred in the film.
2025 marks the 40th anniversary of the first Back to the Future film, which, thanks to its iconic ‘Enchantment Under the Sea’ school dance scene, is firmly cemented in guitar lore.
After all, when Michael J. Fox’s character Marty McFly picked up an (historically inaccurate yet incredibly classy) ES-345 to rip through Johnny B. Goode during the film’s third act, it became a source of inspiration for generations of guitarists – Gibson’s Mark Agnesi included.
40 years on and that performance is still probably the most beloved guitar movie moments in the history of cinema. Ironically, though, one of the most-watched guitars in Hollywood hasn’t been seen in four decades – the ES-345 famously went missing once filming had wrapped on Back to the Future,.
It’s a mystery that has spawned a concerted effort from Gibson to locate and retrieve the Back to the Future guitar, with the firm releasing various clues and hiring the investigative journalists behind the recovery of Paul McCartney’s Hofner violin bass to aid the search.
Unfortunately, that OG guitar is still in the wind – but that hasn’t stopped Gibson from producing both a Gibson Custom and Epiphone replica of the model.
Unsurprisingly, both guitars bear all the main hallmarks of what makes the Back to the Future ES-345 so distinct – namely, the Cherry Red finish, Bigsby B7 vibrato, gold hardware, varitone switch and block 12th fret inlay, around which Gibson has pinned its hopes on an actual recovery of the lost guitar.
At $20,000, the Gibson Custom package is, of course, the closest you’ll get to the real thing, with a load of case candy and accoutrements to sweeten the deal. The guitar itself – of which only 88 will be made – has been aged by the Murphy Lab, and boasts a rear headstock plaque tying it to the movie.
As per Gibson, the Custom Shop luthiers “matched every unique specification of the original guitar” – presumably through archived documents and photos – reverse-engineering 1950s appointments for even greater authenticity in the process.
Standard ES specs feature, including a maple/poplar/maple three-ply body, thin D-shape mahogany neck and bound rosewood fretboard, which features those split parallelogram inlays, as well as a pair of Custombucker pickups.
Kluson tuners and an ABR-1 No-Wire bridge – as well as the thumbscrews for the long-replaced Stop Bar tailpiece – complete the package.
It ships in a ‘Marvin Berry and The Starlighters’-styled Lifton hardshell case, which comes with a certificate of authenticity, an Enchantment Under the Sea poster, and a (non-functioning) Flux Capacitor.
The Epiphone model, understandably, ditches the Murphy Lab treatment, Custombuckers and case candy to bring the cost down, but it still comes with a licensed Bigsby, rear headstock plaque, Varitone switch and the hardshell case.
It’s not an Inspired by Gibson Custom model, meaning it doesn’t feature the Gibson open-book headstock – an interesting design choice from its maker, given the pitch here hangs around the visual appeal of the original prop – but it does double down on its Back to the Future ties with the all-important 12th fret block inlay.
The Epiphone is $999, making it the priciest non-artist and non-Inspired By Gibson Custom model currently on Epis books.
“While the search continues to find the original Cherry Red ES-345 used in the movie, Gibson is celebrating the most treasured guitar scene in movie history with the launch of limited-edition Gibson Custom and Epiphone guitar models,” the firm writes.
“The Gibson ES-345™ electric guitar holds a special place in pop culture history, largely thanks to its memorable appearance in the 1985 film Back to the Future. In one of the movie’s most iconic scenes, Michael J. Fox’s character, Marty McFly, performs an electrifying rendition of Johnny B. Goode at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance.
“Although the ES-345 was introduced in 1959, the guitar fits seamlessly into the film’s 1955 setting, providing a touch of anachronistic magic. This moment not only cemented the Gibson ES-345’s legacy in cinema but also solidified its status as a beloved icon in the world of rock ’n’ roll.”
Head over to Gibson to find out more.
In related news, Gibson's efforts to track down the guitar haven't been entirely unsuccessful, after the guitar from the second movie was located earlier this year.
More recently, Michael J. Fox himself shared a theory as to what happened to the original Back to the Future guitar.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
