It appears that Donald Trump’s range of ‘Make America Great Again’ guitars are being made in China.
It comes as the US President first made headlines last year for launching his own brand of Trump Guitars, and subsequently received a cease and desist from Gibson for “infringing upon” the manufacturer’s trademarks, including the distinctive Les Paul body shape.
Now, a new documentary has seemingly revealed that the instrument – despite promoting the ‘MAGA’ message and showcasing stars and stripes – could be arriving from production lines in China.
The reports were shared by CGTN and centred on a guitar manufacturing region in China called Guizhou. In the footage, it appears that the Trump axes are being made by a brand called Shenqu Guitars, which is one of the largest factories in the region.
“The US President Trump has used our guitar,” said Shenqu owner Zheng Chuanjiu in the footage, showing the Trump Guitars site (via Guitar.com). “During his campaign last year, there was a band contributing to his tour. They found us custom guitars for his tour. After his successful election, we now sell this kind of guitar in the US. We have once got an order with 12,000 guitars.”
Breaking: The $10,000 limited edition Trump Guitars are finally being delivered, however they are being made in China and may not be so limited after all.
I may know a few things about the guitar market and like all things Trump this is a giant scam and ripoff except for only… pic.twitter.com/gveCFL0NGQ— Chris Borkowski (@cborkowski) March 25, 2025
Shenqu Guitars supplies instruments to huge manufacturers including Fender, and it is worth noting that the Trump Guitars website does not explicitly state where the models are manufactured. Instead, a FAQ section of the site claims they are made by “multiple providers and include parts/features that are both domestic and international”.
Various releases from Trump Guitars include models like the ‘American Eagle Series’ and the ‘God Bless The USA’. Prices for the instruments range from $1,000 (£773) to $11,500 (£8,895) – with the most expensive pieces on the site being allegedly signed by Trump himself.
Trump Guitar’s website also mentions that the instruments are “custom designed and developed by a veteran-owned company with the help of a master luthier.”
In other Donald Trump news, earlier this year, the US President signed an executive order to impose tariffs on imports from a number of countries but due to backlash, he delayed a majority of them. On Wednesday (April 2), he shared his new, revised plan.
Following the amendments, imports from most countries (including the United Kingdom) will now be subject to a 10 per cent tax while others will be taxed at a much higher rate, with China (54 per cent), Vietnam (46 per cent) and Japan (24 per cent) all affected.
Trump said the measures were payback for unfair trade policies, and claimed they will “make America wealthy again”. However, the news triggered a slump in the global stock market, with US markets having their worst day since COVID-19 (via the BBC). China has also retaliated by announcing plans to add an additional 34 per cent tax on all imports from the USA.
