After his prized 1965 Gibson ES-335 sustained nearly $2,000 worth of damage following a Delta flight from Buffalo to Detroit, musician Dave Schneider says the airline tried its damnedest to avoid paying up.

Dave Schneider did everything he could to get Delta to let him bring his classic 1965 Gibson ES-335 on board his flight from Buffalo, NY to Detroit — going so far as to offer to buy the guitar its own seat — but was rebuffed.