ES345 « back to the future »
 
Collector’s Edition · Serial No. A55014 · 2025
There are guitars that belong to music history, and there are guitars that transcend it. The 2025 Gibson Custom Back to the Future “1955” ES-345 Collector’s Edition occupies a rare position between instrument, cinematic icon and highly exclusive collector’s object.
Limited to just 88 pieces worldwide, this extraordinary Gibson Custom creation was conceived to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Back to the Future and the unforgettable moment when Marty McFly takes the stage at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance and delivers his legendary rendition of “Johnny B. Goode.” The number 88 is, of course, a deliberate tribute to the film’s famous 88 mph time-travel reference.
This example, serial number A55014, is part of that exceptionally restricted worldwide edition.
The concept is itself a remarkable piece of cinematic history. The guitar seen in the 1955 sequence is an anachronism: the ES-345 would not enter production until 1959. Gibson Custom has embraced this fictional time-travel paradox, meticulously recreating the distinctive appearance and character of the guitar as it exists within the world of the film.
 
Handcrafted by the Gibson Custom Shop in Nashville, the instrument receives the level of detail expected from one of Gibson’s most ambitious limited editions. Its Cherry Red finish, thinline ES construction, maple centerblock, mahogany neck and bound rosewood fingerboard capture the unmistakable visual language of the screen-used guitar.
Particularly striking are the period-inspired details: the single parallelogram inlay at the 12th fret, aged gold hardware, Bigsby B7 vibrato and Murphy Lab treatment, which gives the instrument an authentically aged appearance and the unmistakable character of a guitar that appears to have travelled through time rather than simply been manufactured in 2025.
Underneath the historic appearance lies a thoroughly considered Custom Shop specification. Two unpotted Gibson Custombucker Alnico III pickups are paired with hand-wired CTS controls and paper-in-oil capacitors, while the mono Varitone circuit provides additional tonal versatility.
 
The presentation is every bit as exceptional as the instrument itself. Housed in its specially commissioned Lifton hardshell case, decorated with artwork celebrating Marvin Berry and the Starlighters, the guitar arrives as a complete cinematic collector’s package rather than merely a limited-production instrument.
 
At only 88 examples worldwide, the Back to the Future “1955” ES-345 belongs to a very small circle of modern Gibson Custom creations. Serial A55014 therefore represents not simply a rare ES-345, but a highly distinctive piece of contemporary Gibson history—where the worlds of fine guitar making, popular culture and cinematic mythology converge.
 
Complete Collector’s Package
Gibson Custom Back to the Future “1955” ES-345 — Serial A55014
Special-edition Lifton hardshell case
Custom case artwork featuring Marvin Berry and the Starlighters
Flux Capacitor case light
Time Machine keys
Casio CA53W calculator watch in its Casio box
Official Back to the Future guitar strap
Collectible Back to the Future guitar picks
Film-related production photograph
Back to the Future posters / printed memorabilia
Gibson Custom Certificate of Authenticity
Original Gibson Custom case candy and accompanying limited-edition documentation