In a pivotal scene from Back to the Future, a Gibson guitar played a starring role—not just in the film, but in music history. Though the movie’s high school dance takes place in 1955, the guitar used was a Gibson ES-345™, a model originally introduced in 1959. Supplied by Norman Harris of Norman’s Rare Guitars, the Cherry Red ES-345 may not have been period-accurate, but its visual appeal and sonic presence made it a perfect fit for the film’s unforgettable “Enchantment Under the Sea” sequence.
Today, Gibson Custom proudly unveils the Back to the Future “1955” ES-345 Collector’s Edition—a masterfully crafted homage to the guitar that bridged generations. Built with a thinline, three-ply ES™ body of maple-poplar-maple and a solid maple center block for enhanced sustain and reduced feedback, this instrument is as sonically rich as it is visually striking. 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 includes a single parallelogram inlay at the 12th fret—a detail unique to the film-used model.
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 beautifully worn-in look, honoring both the legacy of Gibson craftsmanship and the cinematic moment that made this model iconic.
Limited to just 88 pieces—an nod to the film’s time-traveling speed—the Collector’s Edition is handcrafted by the Gibson Custom Shop in Nashville, Tennessee. Every detail, from the reverse-engineered 1950s specs to the hand-stained Cherry Red finish, has been meticulously recreated. Each guitar comes housed in a Lifton™ hardshell case adorned with Marvin Berry and The Starlighters graphics, along with a curated selection of case candy, making this a truly timeless collector’s piece.
