06-05-2025
Starter music instruments & tariffs: basic instruments could go up in price
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Another industry may bear the brunt of international tariffs between the US and China: starter music instruments.
Joe Chiappone has owned Northfield Music in Pittsford for 42 years specializing in guitars and guitar accessories.
He estimates that about 75% of his inventory comes from overseas, which doesn't account for the Asia-made parts in American guitars.
He says that he seen more products go up about 5% to 10% this year, including starter guitars, many of which are made in China. Chiappone is keeping his prices lower, despite some manufacturers increasing the cost in their back stock.
'We've tried to put that off as long as we can, so when a new product comes in, we're paying more, and we're going to put new stickers on them,' he said. 'But we've got a bunch of items that are still at the old price.'
Northfield Music is at 50 State Street, tucked in a shopping center next to Schoen Place.
For Payton Violins in the City of Rochester, rentals are about 10% of their business, but is headed by sales and repairs.
A number of those rental instruments are starter violins from China, which the owner of Payton Violins, Samuel Payton says are cheap and easy to play.
The Peterson Institute of International Economics estimates that Chinese instruments account for 83% of us imports in this market.
With the tariffs as constituted, the price of newly made and bought instruments could go up 145%.
Payton says that many of the Chinese models in his rental fleet are a couple of hundred bucks. Even at their rental price point, it takes them three years to earn back the cost of the instrument.
They have plenty in stock, but if they have to order more, Payton Violins may have to eat that increase.
'It's not a huge part of the business financially, but it's a really important part of the business in developing young players,' he said. 'And if we can't develop young players, we can;t get advanced players who invest in finer instruments… So it's crucial for the longevity of a business to have a connection with young players and to build those relationships.'
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