Saxophones How will Tariffs affect Sax Prices?

[Pete Thomas]

I have not done any analysis to discern US labour costs, but could easily imagine that to make a reasonable (not overkilling) profit, would have to be priced IMO, say easily over $1,000 US.

I can't imagine a decent US made saxophone at less the 10 x that. Why did Powell Silver Eagle fail?

 

[jonf]

I have not done any analysis to discern US labour costs, but could easily imagine that to make a reasonable (not overkilling) profit, would have to be priced IMO, say easily over $1,000 US.

In terms of a multiplier for labour costs, you're probably not far out, but the eventual cost of a similar instrument produced in the US (or Europe, for that matter) would be far higher, due to other, non-labour costs also being higher. Premises rental, local transportation costs, insurance and so on. It's also not really feasible for local manufacture to spring up in the financial vacuum left by tariffs, as the start up costs and lead time would be too great to make good business sense.

 

[mizmar]

Just out of idle curiosity; are there issues with IP / patents?
Do American companies own all the IP they need? Would they have to get licences from outside the US?
I suppose the basic horn IP has expired; but some companies innovative.

 

[jazzdoh]

This why US saxophone companies have their own factories based in the Far East even then you still have Cannonball sax selling for £3000 to £4000.

 

[FraRa]

It's not even worth making saxophones on a penguin island in the ice, so we hear.

 

[ghostler]

It's not even worth making saxophones on a penguin island in the ice, so we hear.

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7427097197939936518

View: https://www.tiktok.com/@animalsairtist/video/7427097197939936518?lang=en-UK
😉

Without further ado, I don't place too much credence in the allusion provided by the MSM, that the tiny island toward Antarica under AU jurisdiction is included by name (as a producer or assembler of saxophones as some may hope but I digress.) Usually a territory of a country is subjected to the same policies as its mother country.

 

[Woodpad]

China produces most saxophones and face tariffs of more than 100%. Taiwan Japan and Indonesia have a clear advantage with a 10% tariff and will probably scale up to match demand from US. The capacity in China will concentrate on other countries and shrink a little unless it can sell by parallel import.

 

[ghostler]

China produces most saxophones and face tariffs of more than 100%. Taiwan Japan and Indonesia have a clear advantage with a 10% tariff and will probably scale up to match demand from US. The capacity in China will concentrate on other countries and shrink a little.

This scale up by other countries wanting to "pick up the slack" will take time to ramp up saxophone production. Taiwan perhaps has the best chance as it already is a producer of saxophones.

Could be wrong but heard that the production facilities making Antigua Winds were closed. But, Jupiter was made by a company that also made sewing machines. So fine are the mechanisms and assembly of such that it lends itself to also making saxes with precision.

I sense that Japan may take longer because similar to US, many of the products they used to produce were shipped to China retaining only the management and engineering on electronics as cellphones. They have IMO lost much of their manufacturing base that was developed after WW2. To forego trade restrictions, they have installed final assembly plants in other countries to include US.

Maybe I am wrong, but are any saxes now produced from Japan?

 

[Dr G]

This scale up by other countries wanting to "pick up the slack" will take time to ramp up saxophone production. Taiwan perhaps has the best chance as it already is a producer of saxophones.

Could be wrong but heard that the production facilities making Antigua Winds were closed. But, Jupiter was made by a company that also made sewing machines. So fine are the mechanisms and assembly of such that it lends itself to also making saxes with precision.

I sense that Japan may take longer because similar to US, many of the products they used to produce were shipped to China retaining only the management and engineering on electronics as cellphones. They have IMO lost much of their manufacturing base that was developed after WW2. To forego trade restrictions, they have installed final assembly plants in other countries to include US.

Maybe I am wrong, but are any saxes now produced from Japan?

Yanagisawa
Yamaha

 

[Jimmymack]

The world has a surplus of saxophones.

 

[ghostler]

The world has a surplus of saxophones.

Or a shortage of saxophone players.

 

[Dr G]

Sounds like a great reason to buy more instruments.

 

[Woodpad]

Forgot to mention the US saxophone production.

In a rustbelt dump Saxorob a discarded robot starts making excellent saxophones from old cans.
The other US production site is a non-vanity project of Princeton: a saxophone assembly line without people.
It only produces SSO's so they kidinap Saxorob, put him in a cellar and give him brass cans and blue springs as material.
Everybody happy, except the rats used for pads.

 

[jcn664]

Not a political question, of course, and there's no need to discuss the DT

But, I've recently been in the market for an alto sax and watched the price, new, of a particular make and model rise over a few weeks, even before this week's tariffs were initiated

Given that sax parts for country-specific makes are often sourced from China, it looks to me that even the humble sax might be affected in price or availability, in some, or perhaps all countries... But I ain't an economist, so any informed discussion appreciated

Exactely that i Will write an topics Thanks you

 

[jcn664]

Forgot to mention the US saxophone production.

In a rustbelt dump Saxorob a discarded robot starts making excellent saxophones from old cans.
The other US production site is a non-vanity project of Princeton: a saxophone assembly line without people.
It only produces SSO's so they kidinap Saxorob, put him in a cellar and give him brass cans and blue springs as material.
Everybody happy, except the rats used for pads.

But i'am french, i live in france, in UE, if i want to buy another getasax mouthpiece, i Will pay more because the tax in exportation is more or not

I don't know what is the consequence of Donald Trump politics in the musical instrument markets

 

[Pete Thomas]

i Will pay more because the tax in exportation is more or not

These tariffs only affect imports into the US

 

[jcn664]

These tariffs only affect imports into the US

Whooo i dont'want imagine the new Selmer suprême Black édition with this american tax for american people

 

[ghostler]

It only produces SSO's so they kidinap Saxorob, put him in a cellar and give him brass cans and blue springs as material.

I am not familiar with the abbreviation, "SSO", but I gather that the cellar, brass cans and blue springs is a situation very familiar with @PigSquealer . 😉

 

[thomsax]

Play and maintain the saxes we allready have. When you buy new saxes buy saxes from countries like France, Germany, Italy, Chezchia, Denmark and Switzerland. We still have some saxophone manufacturing in Europe.

If we want a change, music is a game changer

 

[jonf]

I am not familiar with the abbreviation, "SSO", but I gather that the cellar, brass cans and blue springs is a situation very familiar with @PigSquealer . 😉

SSO = Saxophone shaped object. A term for one of those things that sort of looks like a saxophone but won't actually play. We used to see a few of them in Europe, typically altos, keyed to low B with spongy bright red pads.