Guitars and Tariffs

Tariffs are dominating the news this week.

Nobody really knows how tariffs will affect guitar

sales. The predictions all fall along partisan lines.

It is going to be OK or it is the end of guitar sales

depending on your political leaning.

The obvious fact is that the most popular guitar brands

sell products that are manufactured in Mexico, China, Korea

or Canada.

Fender has American manufacturing at Corona, California and

Ensenada, Mexico.

Gibson has American manufacturing at Nashville, Tennessee and Bozeman,

Montana. Gibson also owns Epiphone and they are manufactured in China.

Paul Reed Smith has American manufacturing in Stevensville, Maryland.

Their SE models are made in Korea.

This pattern is similar for Taylor with manufacturing in America and Mexico.

Martin is mostly America with some Mexico.

Gretsch is America and Japan.

D’Addario is Long Island, New York.

Jackson is America, Japan, Mexico, Indonesia and China.

Charvel is America, Mexico and Japan.

The American made guitars will have no tariffs. The others are uncertain about the level of tariffs.

The good news is vintage guitars will have zero tariffs.

Maybe vintage is the best option.

Rare Paul Reed Smith Guitar

Watch this episode of Every Guitar Has A Story.