Musical instruments would get more expensive under Trump's tariffs

The price of musical instruments skyrocketed during the pandemic, with some guitars going up hundreds of dollars in two or three years.

Now, the Trump administration’s trade policies are likely to keep those prices moving up.

Companies like Fender and Gibson have factories worldwide that make instruments of varying degrees of quality.

For example, Fender’s cheaper instruments are often made in China, while their top of the line products are hand assembled in America. But prices are likely to go up across the board.

“The supply chain and manufacturing industry does not like surprises at all," said Hitendra Chaturvedi, a professor at Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of business.

He says because parts like wood and electronics are often imported, all levels of production will see price increases. Wood could come from Canada, for example, and electronics from China.

And he said those price jumps could keep people from learning music in the first place.

“The $200 guitar that somebody who cannot afford even the $300 guitar, will suddenly have to pay close to $500 for that guitar. And that will make these guitars, these high quality instruments, out of reach of people who really really need them," Chaturvedi said.

Despite the tariff pause on most countries except China, Chaturvedi says companies are likely to raise prices to protect themselves from supply chain disruptions.