One of the unexpected by-products of the current COVID-19 pandemic is the escalation of prices in musical equipment. Guitar Center, one of the United States largest music gear retailers, has such a reduced inventory right now you’d think they were selling toilet paper. Why is this? With more and more people stuck at home, people who already engage in musical pastimes are buying more gear to enjoy with so many more hours of free time on their hands. The other reason is simple supply and demand with a twist: larger than normal demand for gear has made it harder to keep in stock, and the supply chain delays caused by factors related to the pandemic and global economic struggles prevent stores from staying well stocked.