“If airlines can damage professional-grade instruments and then refuse to take responsibility, it puts every traveling musician at risk”: Emily Wolfe’s signature guitar smashed inside hardcase during flight – airline taking no responsibility

Blues rock ace Emily Wolfe has taken to Instagram after her signature guitar was decapitated during a Southwest Airlines flight to Las Vegas, revealing that the firm is taking no responsibility for the damage.

The White Wolfe Epiphone Sheraton was placed inside a hard-shell case for the flight. Wolfe says she followed every precaution to avoid such a fate, but the airline claims that “fragile items” like electric guitars fall out of the realm of its duty of care.

However, the guitarist is refusing to back down from the dispute. She believes that, if the airline gets away with this one, it sets a precedent that endangers the livelihood of travelling musicians.

“Yesterday I flew with my Epiphone White Wolfe on Southwest Air to Vegas,” she says in an Instagram post. “I followed every guideline for traveling with an instrument: hard-shell flight case, checked in properly, fragile stickers, and paid the new bag fees.

“When I opened the case, the headstock was completely broken off.” It reads like the stuff of nightmares.

“I filed a report at the airport, provided photos, proof of value, and repair estimates,” Wolfe continues. “Despite following their process exactly, I was told they are not responsible for anything inside the case and that instruments are considered ‘fragile items.’

“If airlines can damage professional-grade instruments, charge us extra to check them, and then refuse to take responsibility, it puts every traveling musician at risk.”

Wolfe's post has received over 8,600 likes, and plenty of supportive comments. Gibson's Mark Agensi told the airline to “do better,” while Pete Thorn has opened up about a scarily similar experience.

“My last trip to Vegas, Southwest Airlines, same deal: Les Paul, Broken headstock,” he writes in the comments. “Also, the same thing happened to Gilby Clarke's LP on the same trip! @southwestair you f-ing suck.”

Granted, this isn’t the first time a Gibson guitar has lost its headstock. Loosening the strings before a flight is said to help, but moreover, Wolfe feels the issue extends beyond this one incident.

“It is about protecting the tools of our craft,” she rallies. “Southwest Airlines, you can set a better example by doing the right thing. Cover the repair costs. Do better for all of us who fly with our gear.”

Speaking to Guitar World back in 2023, Wolfe had stated her intentions to use emotions – and a little psychology – as powerful sidekicks to her licks.

“I wanted to steer people’s brains into a certain direction, where they felt empowered to feel their own emotions and fight back,” she said of her 2021 album Outlier.