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Gibson has launched a global hunt for the guitar that Michael J. Fox used in the iconic 1985 movie "Back to the Future." The instrument company announced the search in a news release on Tuesday, June 3.
Fox, in his role as McFly, rocked out on the cherry red Gibson ES-345 in the "Enchantment Under the Sea" school dance scene at the crux of the film. Despite going back in time to 1955, McFly played Chuck Berry's 1958 song "Johnny B. Goode," and ended his intense guitar solo by saying, "I guess you guys aren't ready for that yet, but you're kids are gonna love it."
The guitar was last seen during the filming of the classic movie that spawned a trilogy, video games, a musical, and even an amusement park ride. When the 1989 sequel was in production, the filmmakers realized the guitar was missing.
Gibson created the "Lost to the Future" website so fans can help solve the 40-year mystery.
"Guitar has always been a big part of my life," Fox said. "When we talked about the 'Enchantment Under The Sea' scene in Back to the Future, I sat down with the cinematographer and choreographer and said I want to riff through all of my favorite guitarists, like doing Jimi Hendrix behind the head, Pete Townshend doing a windmill, and the Eddie (Van Halen) hammer thing. It was so cool that they were open to that, and we laid it all out there."
Fox also said his shredding, which helped spark the romance between McFly's future parents, inspired major musicians.
"I'm really happy with the scene because it was an expression of my love for guitar and all the great players," he said. "I didn't realize the influence the scene had on people. John Mayer said, 'I play guitar because of you,' and Chris Martin said the same thing, and I am glad they took it further than I did. They went to the trouble of being really good players. I just love the guitar, and I love the movie."
Gibson Films is also producing a "Lost to the Future" documentary about the guitar search, coinciding with the movie's 40th anniversary. The doc will feature interviews with Fox, co-stars Lea Thompson, Christopher Lloyd, and Harry Waters Jr., and Huey Lewis, a musician who wrote several songs in the movie series.
"Back to the Future" co-creator Bob Gale will also be part of the documentary.
"Years ago, I was astonished to learn this beloved cinematic artifact had apparently disappeared into the space-time continuum," Gale said. "Since we don't have a functioning time machine, this effort is probably our best chance to solve a decades-long mystery."
Gibson CEO and president Cesar Gueikian said the search is personal for him.
"This is one of the most exciting moments at Gibson for me," he said. "Back To The Future is one of the most important and significant movies of my life, and the 'Enchantment Under the Sea' school dance scene marked me musically in a profound way. Working with Michael J. Fox, Bob Gale, and the rest of the Back To The Future team is a dream come true.
"I hope we find Marty's Gibson ES-345! To everyone out there who is as passionate as I am about this iconic film, please help us find it!"
The "Lost to the Future" documentary is also expected to explore 80s pop culture, prop warehouses, vintage guitar shops, and auction houses.
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