Leighton Williams, Staff ReporterIf you plan to buy musical instruments and recording equipment in Jamaica, be prepared to dig deep into your pockets. The two most prominent suppliers of instruments, Sam Wisdom and Music Mart, are charging a fortune for their goods.
No duty or GCT has been charged on musical instruments since the government lifted the levies, effective May 1 last year. However, prices have remained fairly high for both new and used instruments. Amplifiers, speakers and other electrical equipment still attracts a 10 per cent duty charge. However, if the importer is able to prove that the equipment is for work then the duty can be waived.
A walk into a Sam Wisdom Music store or Music Mart will reveal some interesting prices. A Fender Jazz bass guitar costs $23,500 at Music Mart. Converted to US dollars at 45:1 (assuming the guitar and all other items were bought at that exchange rate), the guitar costs US$522. This includes shipping and handling, which comes up to about US$25 ($1,125).
Based on prices quoted on websites such as www.musiciansfriend.com and www.sweetwater.com, two Internet sites where recording equipment as well as musical instruments are sold, that particular guitar will cost you US$400 or $18,400 in the U.S. This price may or may not include shipping and handling, depending on the site and dealer. However, that's not the only item that is going to cost you at least $5,000 (US$111) more for in a local store than overseas. Locally, drum prices start from $30,000 (US$666.67), depending on the number of pieces in the set and the brand. On the various websites, a drum set with cymbals costs US$550 ($24,750). Locally, keyboard prices range from a low of $8,900 (US$197.78) to a high of $98,000 (US$2,177), depending on the features the instrument carries. The price in US currency ranges from a low of US$299.99 ($13,800) to a high of US$3,349.99 ($154,099.54) for a Kory Triton (which is described as a collector's item). None were available at the stores at the time of The Sunday Gleaner's visits, however, it was said that a used one could be had for about $65,000.
A patch bay, which fetches $16,000 (US$355.56), sells in the US for anywhere between $5,400 (US$120) and $9,000 (US$200). Processors fetch $22,500 (US$500) upwards for a good brand in shops in the US but are sold for $29,000 (US$644.00) for an inferior brand here. These high prices have forced studio owners and musicians to look abroad to purchase their equipment. For example, studio owner Garner Parchment buys all his equipment abroad. He said a walk into a music retail store there will be more beneficial to him. According to Parchment, he saw a keyboard being sold in the States for US$450, coming down from US$650 - but he saw the same brand keyboard with all the features being sold for $59,000 here.
"In the States the equipment is returned to the factory if they're in the shop for a period of time. The prices also drop over a period of months. But in Jamaica it is the reverse; the prices remain the same all year round," he said.
He's not the only studio owner who has opted to go 'up north' seeking cheaper prices. "From you have a visa and your plane fare you can go abroad. It's cheaper and you don't have to pay the middle man," explains Byron Malcolm of Anthem Music in Montego Bay.
You may be saying that there is not much of a difference in pricing and that the equipment comes from abroad so the dealer has to make a profit. However, a music instrument or recording equipment in Jamaica can take anywhere between six months to two years to be sold.
Managers at Sam Wisdom and Music Mart of the two stores sought to explain the high cost of the equipment locally. One reason given was that in the US there was more variety, hence the costs would be lower. Another reason given was that due to the size of the instruments, they cost more to ship.
Still, the dealers point out that they do not increase the price of their instruments with the devaluation of the dollar. They explain that the net price is normally cheaper than the store price.
"We have to factor in sales price, pay freight and delivery, as well as make a profit. I wouldn't say they are expensive. There are instances when people come to our store and go abroad and they see the same equipment in Jamaica for a cheaper price," explains Sam Wisdom of Sam Wisdom Music Store.
He also sought to clear the air on the sales of instruments and recording equipment locally. "The sales fluctuate all year round. A guitar may sell well this month and next month you can't sell one. Also, it depends on the instruments being used in the schools. A recorder is the cheapest instrument, so it sells fastest. Different things sell well at different times. It's a very fickle market," he said.
