The Lost Bass Project, responsible for locating Paul's McCartney's Höfner 500/1 violin bass, is now eyeing Marty McFly's Gibson ES-345 from Back To The Future - could they be next?
In the world of iconic movie memorabilia, few items hold as much significance as the cherry red Gibson ES-345 guitar played by Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly in the classic film Back to the Future. This guitar, a 1960 or 1961 model, with an anomalous inlay at the 12th fret, was last seen during filming in 1985 but has been missing ever since.
Originally borrowed from Norman’s Rare Guitars for the film’s “Enchantment Under the Sea” dance scene, the guitar's whereabouts remain a mystery despite a large ongoing search and thousands of public tips. Gibson, the guitar's manufacturer, has taken the initiative to reunite Michael J. Fox with the guitar he played in the movie, launching the Gibson's Lost To The Future project.
The search for this lost ES-345 has gained momentum with the involvement of investigative journalists Scott and Naomi Jones, who have a successful track record, having found Paul McCartney's missing Hoefner Violin bass guitar in 2024. These journalists, known for their work with the Lost Bass Project, are now assisting Gibson in their quest to find the missing ES-345.
The story of the lost ES-345 is being documented in a film titled Lost to the Future, which aims to highlight the efforts to find the missing guitar and its cultural impact. However, no public record indicates where the guitar was last physically seen or displayed after filming, only that it disappeared at some point after the movie’s production.
Mark Agnesi, Gibson's director of brand experience, issued an update on the GibsonTV YouTube channel, suggesting that the McFly ES-345 could be in someone's possession and they might not even know they have it. Agnesi admitted that despite the tips, the trail is still cold. Norman's Rare Guitars, where the ES-345 was purchased from, does not have the guitar.
Paul McCartney, another iconic musician who has lost and later found a precious instrument, was reunited with his missing Hoefner bass guitar in December 2023. He played the Hoefner bass on the final date of his Got Back 2024 Tour at London's O2 Arena. Jason Isbell is also involved in Gibson's Lost To The Future project.
The search for the lost ES-345 continues, with hope that this piece of cinematic history will one day be found and returned to its rightful owner.
[1] GibsonTV YouTube Channel Update on the Lost ES-345 [2] Lost to the Future Documentary Trailer [3] The Telegraph: Gibson Launches Search for Michael J. Fox's Back to the Future ES-345 Guitar [4] Channel 4 News: Paul McCartney's Lost Bass Guitar Found by Investigative Journalists from the Lost Bass Project
- The search for the iconic Gibson ES-345 guitar, last seen in the film Back to the Future, has gained traction in the realm of both pop-culture and music, with investigative journalists, known for their work in music memorabilia, assisting in the hunt.
- The story of the lost ES-345 guitar, a symbol of movie memorabilia, is being chronicled in the documentary Lost to the Future, demonstrating the intersection of entertainment and music history that the search represents.
