"The Lost Bass Project is now aiding in the search for Paul McCartney's stolen Höfner 500/1 violin bass - can they also locate Marty McFly's Gibson ES-345 from Back to the Future?"
In a captivating turn of events, the music world is abuzz with the ongoing search for a legendary guitar that has been missing since the filming of the iconic movie, Back to the Future. Michael J. Fox's character, Marty McFly, played the ES-345 electric guitar in the movie's most memorable scenes, and now, Gibson, the guitar manufacturer, has launched a mission to find it.
Gibson's Director of Brand Experience, Mark Agnesi, has confirmed that the search is still ongoing, with the Lost Bass Project, the same team that successfully found Paul McCartney's missing Hoefner bass, now aiding in the hunt. The Lost Bass Project investigative journalists, Scott and Naomi Jones, have joined Gibson's investigative team, bringing their expertise and determination to the table.
The ES-345 that Michael J. Fox used in Back to the Future could be either a 1960 or 1965 model. A unique feature of this missing guitar is the anomalous inlay at the 12th fret, which is a solid parallelogram, differing from the typical split parallelogram MOP inlays. Anyone who has seen a Cherry Red ES-345 from the early '60s with a solid inlay at the 12th fret is encouraged to submit a tip at Lost To The Future.
The electric guitar has been missing since filming on Back to the Future wrapped in 1985. It was originally borrowed from Norman’s Rare Guitars, but Agnesi confirmed that the guitar is not in their possession. The search has been aided by thousands of tips and ongoing efforts, yet the trail remains cold, and the guitar has not been recovered so far.
Gibson announced the search around June 2025, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the film, and has been actively pursuing leads with help from the guitar community and investigative journalists. The guitar manufacturer's Lost To The Future project aims to reunite Michael J. Fox with the guitar he played in the movie.
Meanwhile, in a triumphant reunion, Paul McCartney was reunited with his missing 1961 Hoefner Violin bass in December 2023. The bass, which had been missing since 1972, was found in an attic in Sussex. Agnesi encourages people to open guitar cases in their homes and send pictures and information if they find anything.
The McFly ES-345 could be in someone's possession and they might not even know they have it. So, if you think you might have stumbled upon this legendary piece of film history, don't hesitate to get in touch with the Lost Bass Project or Gibson. The search for Michael J. Fox's lost ES-345 guitar from Back to the Future continues, and every lead brings us one step closer to its recovery.
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