An Iconic Guitar That Transcends Time - The Gibson Custom Shop Back to the Future "1955" ES-345 Semi-Hollow Collector's Edition Electric Guitar in Cherry Red

During a high school dance in 1955, a Gibson guitar helped change the course of music history—and even rewrote history itself—in one unforgettable cinematic moment. The ES-345™ model featured in Back to the Future became an icon and bridged the past, present, and future in a way that only a great instrument can. The Gibson ES-345 was initially released in 1959, and the film’s producers were notified of that fact by Norman Harris of Norman’s Rare Guitars, who supplied the guitar that was used for the film, which takes place in part in 1955. The producers of Back to the Future took artistic liberty when they selected the Cherry Red model to use for filming, and historical accuracy aside, the guitar’s aesthetic seemed right at home in the film’s mid-50s Enchantment Under the Sea school dance scenes.

Now, Gibson Custom is proud to introduce the Back to the Future “1955" ES-345 Collector’s Edition, a stunning tribute to a classic guitar that transcends time. It features a thinline, three-ply ES™ body made from maple, poplar, and maple, with a solid maple internal centerblock adding sustain and feedback resistance. The mahogany neck has a long tenon and is attached with hide glue. It features a 1961 Authentic Thin D-Shape profile and is equipped with a bound rosewood fretboard, 22 medium jumbo frets, and celluloid split parallelogram inlays. In a nod to the original guitar, which is the only known example from the era with a single parallelogram inlay at the 12th fret, the Back to the Future “1955" ES-345 Collector’s Edition also displays this rare feature. Powered by a pair of unpotted Gibson Custombucker pickups with Alnico 3 magnets, with each hand-wired to individual volume and tone controls with CTS® potentiometers and paper-in-oil tone capacitors, the Back to the Future “1955" ES-345 Collector’s Edition is also outfitted with a mono Varitone switch for added tonal versatility. The hardware is aged gold, as is befitting the upscale ES-345 model, including a Bigsby® B7 vibrato tailpiece. The Back to the Future “1955” ES-345 Collector’s Edition also features an artful interpretation of wear and aging by the Murphy Lab team. This meticulously crafted instrument celebrates an iconic moment in film history and the Gibson legacy of craftsmanship—both of which will stand the test of time.

Only 88 of these iconic guitars were crafted as part of this very special run, a nod to the speed required for time travel and the enduring legacy of the film. The artisans of the Gibson Custom Shop in Nashville, Tennessee, matched every unique specification of the original guitar, including the solid 12th fret parallelogram inlay, reverse-engineered 1950s appointments, and a hand-stained Cherry Red and aniline dye finish. In another nod to the motion picture, a Lifton™ hardshell case with Marvin Berry and The Starlighters graphics and a collection of case candy is also included, making this a unique Collector’s Edition guitar for the ages.

SPECIFICATIONS

Body

• Binding: 3-ply top, single-ply back and fretboard
• Body Finish: Murphy Lab Aged Nitrocellulose Lacquer
• Body Material: 3-ply maple/poplar/maple
• Body Shape: ES-335
• Body Styles: ES-335
• Centerblock: Maple

Neck

• Fingerboard Material: Rosewood
• Fingerboard Radius: 304.8mm / 12.0in
• Fret Count: 22
• Frets: Authentic Medium-Jumbo
• Inlays: Celluloid split parallelogram with celluloid parallelogram at 12th fret
• Joint: Long tenon, hide glue fit
• Neck Material: Mahogany
• Nut Material: Nylon
• Nut Width: 42.85mm / 1.69in
• Profile: 1961 Authentic Thin D-Shape
• Scale Length: 628.65mm / 24.75in

Hardware

• Bridge: ABR-1 No-Wire
• Control Knobs: Black top hat with gold reflector
• Finish: Aged gold
• Mounting Rings: Black M69 medium & tall
• Pickguard: Short ES-335; black 5-ply, wide bevel
• Pickup Covers: Gold
• Strap Buttons: Burnished brass
• Switch Tip: Cream
• Switchwasher: Gold with black lettering (Varitone)
• Tailpiece: Bigsby '59 B7, gold with black paint
• Truss Rod: Authentic 1950s no-tube
• Truss Rod Cover: Authentic stepped 2-ply
• Tuner Plating: Aged gold
• Tuning Machines: Kluson single line, single ring

Electronics

• Bridge Pickup: Custombucker Alnico 3, Unpotted
• Controls: 2 Volume, 2 Tone, CTS 500k audio taper potentiometers, paper-in-oil capacitors; 6-position mono Varitone
• Neck Pickup: Custombucker Alnico 3, Unpotted
• Output Jack: 1/4" Switchcraft
• Pickup Selector: Switchcraft 3-way toggle

Miscellaneous

• Accessories: Certificate of Authenticity, Dance poster, Clock Tower flyer, Goldie Wilson campaign button, Flux Capacitor case light, Time Machine keys, Marty and siblings photo, BTTF strap, Casio CA53W calculator watch, Pinheads picks
• Case: Lifton™ hardshell with Marvin Berry and The Starlighters graphics
• Headstock Inlay: Gibson logo and crown in mother of pearl; Hill Valley Music dealer plaque on headstock rear
• Strings Gauge: .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046

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