The Missing Famous Guitar
- Mark Valentine
- Jun 5
- 2 min read
We love the stories of famous, now priceless, guitars that were stolen or are somehow missing. George Harrison’s black Rickenbacker, Eric Clapton’s Les Paul named “Beano,”
Paul McCartney’s Honer Violin bass, are all on the missing list. Of course there are so many others that should be mentioned, but this is about the new entry that has been overlooked until recently.
The cherry red Gibson ES-345 played by Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) in the movie “Back To The Future” is missing. This is a guitar that has cultural significance beyond the normal music fanbase. This is a pivotal scene in an iconic movie. Marty comes back from the future and plays “Johnny B. Goode” before Chuck Berry plays it in real life.
That is not the only time traveling paradox. The movie guys borrowed the guitar from Norm’s Rare Guitars in LA. The Gibson ES-345 didn’t come out until 1958, but the scene was set in 1955.
Marty McFly’s guitar has been missing since 1985. There is a long history of bad things that happen to guitars when they are labeled “props.” Somebody woke up and started looking for the priceless instrument around 2007. Now they are stepping it up. They created a website for tips https://www.losttothefuture.com.
“Every Guitar Has A Story” is getting on the bandwagon with all the other famous people and groups and we are calling for your help. You must admit, it is a great story.
In “Back To The Future,” Chuck Berry’s song, “Johnny B. Goode” is a time travel paradox.
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