Airline's refusal to admit fault upon breaking a musician's professional-grade guitar during flight poses a threat to every air-traveling musician: Damage to Emily Wolfe's signature guitar within its hardcase remains unacknowledged by the airline.
Southwest Airlines Under Fire for Damaging Musicians' Instruments
Blues rock musician Emily Wolfe's signature guitar, the White Wolfe Epiphone Sheraton, suffered severe damage during a Southwest Airlines flight to Las Vegas. Despite following all the airline's guidelines for transporting instruments, including using a hard case, checking in properly, labeling it fragile, and paying extra fees, Southwest denied responsibility for the damage.
Wolfe's post about the damaged guitar has received over 8,600 likes and supportive comments from fellow musicians and fans. The post sparked a conversation about the treatment of musical instruments by airlines, with Gilby Clarke and Pete Thorn also reporting broken headstocks on the same Southwest Airlines trip.
Southwest Airlines classifies electric guitars as "fragile items" and explicitly does not take responsibility for damage to such items when checked as baggage, even if packed in hard-shell cases with fragile stickers and extra fees paid. This means they exclude electric guitars from their duty of care and compensation policies for damage during flights.
When she opened the case, the headstock of the guitar was completely broken off. Wolfe filed a report at the airport, providing photos, proof of value, and repair estimates, but was still told that the airline would not cover repair costs. Mark Agensi of Gibson commented on the post, telling Southwest Airlines to "do better."
Emily Wolfe is refusing to back down from the dispute, stating that if airlines can damage professional-grade instruments, charge extra to check them, and then refuse to take responsibility, it puts every traveling musician at risk. The airline is taking no responsibility for the damage to Wolfe's guitar, claiming that instruments fall out of the realm of its duty of care.
Wolfe had stated in 2023 that she intended to use emotions and psychology as powerful sidekicks to her licks. However, this incident has raised questions about the protection of musicians' tools of the craft and set a precedent that endangers the livelihood of traveling musicians. It is essential for airlines to take responsibility for the safe transportation of musical instruments and ensure that musicians can travel with their equipment without the fear of damage or loss.
