Having put his name to steaks, vodka, watches, NFT trading cards, real estate and higher education, Donald Trump is moving into acoustic and electric guitars. The real-estate mogul, former reality TV star, and 45th, soon to be 47th, President of the United States has “officially endorsed” Trump Guitars.
Details surrounding Trump's official involvement in this new merchandising venture are typically opaque. The Trump Guitars website says that is a “veteran-owned” company with a master luthier consulting. That would rule Trump out on both counts. But he is front and centre in the marketing, putting his name to a range of guitars, and quite literally in the case of a signature series that retails for $10,000.
The company offers a range of bolt-on singlecut electrics and acoustics with “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN” pearl inlays on the fingerboard and “45” inlaid on the headstock and they look just as good/bad as you would imagine.
The Gold Bless The USA series comprises a cutaway dreadnought with a “high quality distressed American Flag design” and a dreadnought in natural finish.
The American Eagle series is a variation on the theme, adding what looks like an bald eagle (and blood?) to the guitar’s top. It is hard to tell. This finish is also available on an electric single-cut that retails for $1,500.
Some of the listings pictures on the website are digitally rendered “for illustration purposes only” so perhaps the design will change. These are numbered and limited to 1,000 instruments.
Now, it might surprise some to learn that these are not made in the USA. But the website’s FAQs address this, explaining everything you need to know about the guitars’ provenance.
These guitars have been manufactured by multiple providers and include parts/features that are both domestic and international. This is standard with most guitar manufacturers
“All of the guitars featured on GetTrumpGuitars.com were custom designed and developed by a Veteran owned company with the help of a master luthier,” it says. “These guitars have been manufactured by multiple providers and include parts/features that are both domestic and international. This is standard with most guitar manufacturers.”
Okay, that’s that all cleared up. Specs are thin on the ground. But the God Bless The USA dreadnought acoustic guitar is listed as having a solid spruce top with walnut on the back and sides. There is abalone purfling because we haven't suffered enough.
There is also a Presidential series available in goldtop, black and red finishes, with “DONALD J. TRUMP” inlaid on the fretboard, and a Signature Edition that looks very much like the American Eagle series but with Trump’s signature on them, and limited to 275 units, they retail at $10,500 for the electric, $10,000 for the acoustic.
