“I went to Guitar Center and said, ‘I want an ES-335 so bad. But I only have $600’”: How Emily Wolfe ended up with the Epiphone that’s defined her career – after missing out on her dream Gibson

Sometimes, dream gear remains just that: a dream. Vintage 1959 Gibson Les Pauls and Custom Shop Strats don’t come cheap, but for Emily Wolfe, being forced to go down a more affordable route was positively life-changing.

For the longest time, she dreamed of executing her musical vision with a Gibson ES-335. Those hollow-bodied beauties aren’t exactly the cheapest, though. So she’s had to get creative with her instrument choices.

“The reason why I started playing [Epiphone] Sheratons was because they were so beautiful to me. Like, an ES-335 is so pretty, but as a college kid, you don't have any money,” she tells Guitar World.

“So I went to the Guitar Center and I was like, ‘I want a 335 so bad. But I have $600, and that’s a really beautiful black Sheridan... I’m gonna get it.’”

The Epiphone-branded take on the 335 recipe was the perfect suitor for a budget-restricted Wolfe. The fact she didn’t have more to spend that day has ended up being a blessing.

“That was the thing I played forever,” she smiles. “It was the only one. It was honestly part of my body.”

As her profile rose, she was introduced to Cody Allen, who has been her Gibson/Epiphone representative ever since. It’s been a fruitful partnership.

“She was one of the first people that was like, ‘I really believe in you,’” Wolfe relays. “She was like, ‘We need to go to NAMM. We're taking you and your band, and you’re gonna play the Gibson Showcase.’

“I guess we crushed it,” she reflects. “Because then Epiphone people came over and were like, ‘We've got to do a signature.’”

Wolfe now has two Epiphone Sheratons to her name: her flagship black model, and the most recent White Wolfe.

Emily Wolfe - Kill Me With A Kiss [Official Music Video] - YouTube

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“I chose the Bone White this time around to represent my evolution as an artist,” she explained during its launch. “White is just something I wouldn’t normally pick, and I wanted to get out of my comfort zone. I feel like when you get out of your comfort zone that’s where the magic happens.”

The guitarist has since been expanding her guitar arsenal, and has also broken down her gnarly approach to tone. But her career may have taken a very different shape if she decided not to buy a Sheraton that day. It was $600 well spent.

Wolfe’s full interview is available to watch Guitar World’s YouTube channel.

Today, Wolfe released her new single, Kill Me With A Kiss, which you can listen to in the video above.