Tariffs effect on Chinese guitar prices

Subject: Trumps effect on Chinese guitar prices
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 07 Apr 25 - 04:37 AM

Obviously A mericans will be paying more for Chinese guitars, but will his import duty affect English prices.
Most of my guitars come fom the Orient.

To be honest I find the variety of guitars that I can afford a constant delight - something you can't say about much as you get older.

Subject: RE: Trumps effect on Chinese guitar prices
From: Long Firm Freddie
Date: 07 Apr 25 - 06:45 AM

I imagine in the shorter term prices for the UK will come down as there will be a surplus of instruments not sold to the US. After that, I imagine production will be scaled down and prices will normalise, maybe even rise because the economy of scale will not be so great.

LFF

Subject: RE: Trumps effect on Chinese guitar prices
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 07 Apr 25 - 11:00 AM

Trump may change his tune!

Subject: RE: Trumps effect on Chinese guitar prices
From: The Sandman
Date: 07 Apr 25 - 11:38 AM

Trump may or may not change, I think he is pragmatic, Trade wars benefit generally the company with the bigger economy, so as regards Ireland it will be damaging, but does China have a bigger industry secto than the USA?

Subject: RE: Trumps effect on Chinese guitar prices
From: The Sandman
Date: 07 Apr 25 - 11:41 AM

In 2024, the US had a significantly higher per capita GDP of US$86,600, underscoring its high-wage labor market and strong service-driven economy. In contrast, China's per capita GDP stood at RMB 95,749 (US$13,445), indicating a lower individual income level despite the country's vast economic size.

Subject: RE: Trumps effect on Chinese guitar prices
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Apr 25 - 11:44 AM

Stick to talking about Chinese guitar prices or this goes into the BS section.

Subject: RE: Tariffs effect on Chinese guitar prices
From: The Sandman
Date: 07 Apr 25 - 12:46 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8Lypbl0iMY This link is about how Fender will benfit, so we are still discussing guitar prices. The next link is about how chines guitar prices might possibly be affected
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qufrjVyOHv8

Subject: RE: Tariffs effect on Chinese guitar prices
From: The Sandman
Date: 07 Apr 25 - 12:46 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qufrjVyOHv8

Subject: RE: Tariffs effect on Chinese guitar prices
From: The Sandman
Date: 08 Apr 25 - 12:13 AM

THE UK is not imposing higher tariffs on chines guitars, so the price should remain the same, plus, China has many other export markets other than the USA, to sell their guitars.

Subject: RE: Tariffs effect on Chinese guitar prices
From: Bugsy
Date: 08 Apr 25 - 12:18 AM

Something to consider is that a lot of UK And USA Guitar Companies have their instruments made in China under licence. So you may find that Where/whoever you buy your next guitar from, it may eventually come from China.

CHeers

bugsy

Subject: RE: Tariffs effect on Chinese guitar prices
From: The Sandman
Date: 08 Apr 25 - 02:48 AM

BUGSY, iam guessing that will affect USA CUSTOMERS more than uk, or irish

Subject: RE: Tariffs effect on Chinese guitar prices
From: Bugsy
Date: 08 Apr 25 - 06:17 AM

Yep.
An Australian Luthier, whose knowledge I admire. told me that unless you're buying a "Top End" Guitar (and I think he means around the   $AU 5-6,00) the chances are, it's made in China.

I recently bought a USA Cordoba guitar, all solid woods ($ 1700) with "designed in California USA" logo on the inside label, only to find another tiny label inside at the heel of the neck "Made in China".

I've got no problem with the quality of the workmanship or the woods used, it's top class. It's just a little bit sneaky the way they hide the "Made in" bits.

CHeers

Bugsy

Subject: RE: Tariffs effect on Chinese guitar prices
From: Jack Campin
Date: 08 Apr 25 - 07:30 PM

I have a few Chinese folk wind instruments and for American stuff, a 1970s Koch cocobolo alto recorder and a 1920s Martin sax. Other than that I don't think I have any musical instrument made in either China or the US, and I probably have hundreds. Not sure about my Müller autoharp, thought it was American but it's labelled in German.

If guitars go extinct I wouldn't exactly miss them. The dullest musical instrument of all time.

Subject: RE: Tariffs effect on Chinese guitar prices
From: The Sandman
Date: 09 Apr 25 - 03:39 AM

The dullest musical instrument of all time.
Depends how they are played

Subject: RE: Tariffs effect on Chinese guitar prices
From: GUEST,Jerry
Date: 10 Apr 25 - 10:50 AM

I see that there have been similar questions raised on banjo forums, where US made instruments (even if fully assembled in the US) rely on parts now made overseas. More so than guitars, banjos of course have lots of metal components, in many cases no longer produced in the US. And as for National type steel bodied guitars and dobros, who knows?

Subject: RE: Tariffs effect on Chinese guitar prices
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 12 Apr 25 - 02:10 PM

My Fender Paramount says crafted in China inside.
My yamaha llx16 bl was made in China
My Epiphone Sheraton 335 was made in China,
My Yamaha AC3r was made in China.

Surely some of the best guitars ever to grace the earth.

Even if Trump does manage to bring the guitar industry back to America, the guitar producing years in China id something they can be very proud of.

Subject: RE: Tariffs effect on Chinese guitar prices
From: gillymor
Date: 12 Apr 25 - 02:24 PM

I have to agree, I have a Semi-hollow and a Hollow body Eastman and the sound and quality of these instruments blows me away.
A few years back I was in Bozeman MT and had the chance to A/B Eastman OMs and Dreads with Martins and Collings and they compared very favorably at less than half the price of the Martins and about a third the price of the Collings. I feel pretty good about the instruments I have now but if I was looking for an OM I'd go with an Eastman before this trade war commences.

Subject: RE: Tariffs effect on Chinese guitar prices
From: Fred
Date: 12 Apr 25 - 04:45 PM

If the quality of the woods is comparable, along with the lutherie, then there's no reason (I can see) why a Chinese acoustic guitar shouldn't be in the same ballpark as a US one.

Fred

Subject: RE: Tariffs effect on Chinese guitar prices
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 12 Apr 25 - 05:59 PM

The capitalists have been cranking out musical instruments in quantity for so long now there really aren't that many 'trade secrets' left in the process. My quite satisfactory Japanese turntable (Technics aka Panasonic) was assembled in Malaysia from bits made all across the Pacific Rim. The exact same factories and workers produce the Stanton brand. China is no wise an exception to the rule.

The cost difference of doing business in most of Asian countries versus North America or the EU isn't in the materials or direct labor. It's the fully burdened overhead of the process.

You'll pay somewhere around a 25% labour premium to the CCC for their version of 'state welfare.' Americans can hit +40% depending on the exact city, county & state.

But… that's just labour. The really big numbers are in the physical plant and the indirect benefits (aka perks.) American video game companies; movie studies &c going back to the 'dot.com' era had a burn rate worthy of a small nation.

Who sits on what throne won't change the hard maths. It was never sustainable.

Subject: RE: Tariffs effect on Chinese guitar prices
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 13 Apr 25 - 10:48 AM

I'm not sure i agree totally with what's being said here.
I admit I bought my Fender paramount PM1 unseen when I heard of the Adirondack spruce top. I knew it would be a pretty cool guitarr.

Similarly two of my Yamahas are of rosewood construction and they are very fine guitars.

However a couple of years ago my wife bought for my Christmas present something I'd always wanted. Gibson that year bought out a made in the USA acoustic guitar for less than a thousand pounds - the G45. I never dreamed I'd be able to afford a Gibson. But that year aged 74 I got my Gibson.

Whilst I love my other guitars the treble strings on my Gibson have this wonderful thing. the three strings sound like three separate voices and they harmonise quite perfectly. Presumably the expensive Gibsons are even better.

What I'm saying is that I think the Gibson company must have learned some quite unique guitar building techniques in all the years they have been at work.I don't think they have much to fear.

Subject: RE: Tariffs effect on Chinese guitar prices
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 14 Apr 25 - 06:18 PM

Maquiladora

These were the first jobs shifted from North America to the Pacific Rim and all of it was just moved from the U.S. & Canada to Mexico. Same globalist maths you're not hearing about these days either.

Fender, Taylor &c company trucks are going and coming between Mexico & the States 5-6 days/week. The Mexican tariffs will be the ones to watch instead.

Unless buying Chinese is a goal in and of itself, the basic two-step of price range and shopping/playing around isn't going to change. There will always a lot more variety/overlap at the bottom than the top.