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, exclusive t-shirts, and more
Gibson is honoring the 40th anniversary of Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s Back to the Future with an exclusive and limited guitar and lifestyle collection, landing just in time for October 21—officially recognized as Back to the Future Day.
The most legendary scene from the beloved film, and one that inspired so many guitarists to pick up the instrument, famously features lead actor Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance, where he plays Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” on a vintage Cherry Red Gibson ES-345™. Supplied by Norman Harris of Norman’s Rare Guitars, the guitar’s whereabouts today remain a mystery. Gibson launched a global search to find the original Cherry Red Gibson ES-345 earlier this year and is now actively pursuing a handful of promising leads.
While work on the search continues, the Back to the Future Collection celebrates the film’s legacy, welcoming stunning ES-345 models from Gibson Custom and Epiphone that pay tribute to key aspects of the movie through innovative design. The lineup includes the Gibson Custom Back to the Future 1955 ES-345 Collector’s Edition, which is limited to just 88 models worldwide (a nod to the speed needed for time travel in the film), while the Epiphone Back to the Future ES-345 is limited to 1,985 guitars globally (a nod to the year 1985, when Back to the Future was released).
The 1955 ES-345 Collector’s Edition is built with a thinline, three-ply ES™ body of maple-poplar-maple, and has a solid maple centerblock for enhanced sustain and feedback resistance. The mahogany neck, joined with hide glue and featuring a long tenon, sports a 1961 Authentic Thin D-Shape profile and a bound rosewood fretboard with 22 medium jumbo frets. True to the original guitar’s rare design, it also includes a single parallelogram inlay at the 12th fret.
Equipped with a pair of unpotted Gibson Custombucker pickups featuring Alnico 3 magnets, the guitar offers a wide tonal palette. Each pickup is hand-wired to individual volume and tone controls using CTS® potentiometers and paper-in-oil capacitors. A mono Varitone switch adds further tonal flexibility, while aged gold hardware and a Bigsby® B7 vibrato tailpiece complete the upscale ES-345 aesthetic. The Murphy Lab’s expert aging process gives the guitar a worn-in look, and every detail has been handcrafted and meticulously recreated at the Gibson Custom Shop in Nashville, Tennessee. The guitar comes complete with a case candy package that’s sure to be a hit with fans of the movie, including a Flux Capacitor case light, Time Machine keys, Casio CA53W calculator watch, and more.
As for the new Epiphone Back to the Future ES-345, this guitar is a little more accessible while still remaining rare and unique. It features a five-ply layered maple semi-hollowbody with a solid maple centerblock. The top has four-ply binding with single-ply binding on the back, and a mahogany neck offers a comfortable, Rounded C profile. It has a single ply bound rosewood fretboard with 22 medium jumbo frets that are adorned with pearloid split parallelogram inlays. The model also has a 60s Kalamazoo headstock equipped with a Graph Tech® nut and Epiphone Deluxe tuning machines with cream Keystone buttons.
On the back of the headstock, in a nod to the film, you’ll also find a Hill Valley Music store decal. It has gold hardware, including an Epiphone LockTone™ Tune-O-Matic™ bridge and a Bigsby B70 vibrato tailpiece, and just like the guitar in the movie, the original Stop Bar studs are left in place. It’s powered by two of Epiphone’s acclaimed Alnico Classic PRO™ pickups, each with individual volume and tone controls, while a mono Varitone provides even more tonal versatility. Both guitars are available now alongside a new line of accompanying apparel and accessories.
Shop the Back to the Future Collection now, and submit information about the missing ES-345 from the movie via LostToTheFuture.com.
Back to the Future (all films) © Universal City Studios LLC and Amblin Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
