Overview

• The cherry red Gibson ES-345 used by Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly disappeared after Back to the Future wrapped in 1985 and was missing when Part II began filming in 1989.
• Gibson enlisted Back to the Future stars in a call-to-action video and set up LostToTheFuture.com plus a tip line to gather information on the guitar’s whereabouts.
• Mark Agnesi, Gibson’s director of brand experience, has tracked leads since 2009 and highlights the guitar’s distinctive single gold bar inlay on the 12th fret as its key identifier.
• Lost to the Future, directed by Doc Crotzer and produced by Gibson Films, is in production and will include interviews with cast members and musicians such as John Mayer and Chris Martin who credit the scene for inspiring them to play.
• Investigators are examining leads in prop warehouses, vintage guitar shops and auction houses, with some evidence suggesting the instrument may have been sold to Japan during the 1980s guitar boom.