HELENA — Tariffs are driving up prices on musical instruments and equipment, giving some musicians the blues.

"For guitars, the entry-level price for a guitar for many years for us was a couple hundred dollars, now it’s pushing $300 for kinda the same thing," says Piccolo's Music owner John Piccolo.

Piccolo says that tariffs affect new equipment the most, and it's changed the dynamic of his store's inventory. Where once the store boasted almost all new equipment, the current market makes it easier to sell used and vintage, an area of the market relatively unhindered by the tariffs.

"10 years ago, we might have had like a hundred guitars and stock two or three used guitars," says Piccolo. "Today we have like 300 guitars in stock, and I bet 75 of them are used."

The repair department has

See Full Page