Musical Instrument Manufacturing
Description
This sector encompasses establishments dedicated to the production of musical instruments beyond those classified as toys. Businesses in this field transform raw materials such as wood, metal, and plastic into functional audio devices designed for various performance contexts ranging from professional concert stages to casual home practice. Typical operations involve complex fabrication processes including carpentry, machining, electronic circuit assembly, and rigorous quality testing to ensure tonal accuracy and durability. Manufacturers may operate as independent artisans producing handmade acoustic guitars or violins, or as large-scale industrial facilities assembling mass-produced keyboards and drum sets. These enterprises often collaborate with music educators, performers, and retailers to meet diverse market demands for both traditional and electronic instruments. Some operations focus exclusively on niche instruments like brass horns or percussion ensembles, while others cater to the broader consumer market seeking entry-level products. The industry spans a wide scale, from small family-owned workshops utilizing manual tools to major corporations employing hundreds of workers in automated plants. Many firms also engage in research and development to innovate new materials and digital integration features. Geographically, these manufacturing hubs are frequently located in regions with strong timber industries or advanced engineering sectors to facilitate efficient supply chains for specialized components.
Hierarchy
| Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 33 | Manufacturing 2-digit sector | The Sector as a Whole The Manufacturing sector comprises establishments engaged in the mechanical, physical, or chemical transformation of materials, substances, or components into new products. The assembling of component parts of manufactured products is considered manufacturing, except in cases where the activity is appropriately classified in Sector 23, Construction. Establishments in the Manufacturing sector are often described as plants, factories, or mills and characteristically use power-driven machines and material handling equipment. However, establishments that transform materials or substances into new products by hand or in the worker's home and those engaged in selling to the general public products made on the same premises from which they are sold, such as bakeries, candy stores, and custom tailors, may also be included in this sector. Manufacturing establishments may process materials or may contract with other establishments to process their materials for them. Both types of establishments are included in manufacturing. Selected industries in the Manufacturing sector are comprised solely of establishments that process materials for other establishments on a contract or fee basis. Beyond these dedicated contract manufacturing industries, establishments that process materials for other establishments are generally classified in the Manufacturing industry of the processed materials. The materials, substances, or components transformed by manufacturing establishments are raw materials that are products of agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, or quarrying as well as products of other manufacturing establishments. The materials used may be purchased directly from producers, obtained through customary trade channels, or secured without recourse to the market by transferring the product from one establishment to another, under the same ownership. The new product of a manufacturing establishment may be finished in the sense that it is ready for utilization or consumption, or it may be semi-finished to become an input for an establishment engaged in further manufacturing. For example, the product of the alumina refinery is the input used in the primary production of aluminum; primary aluminum is the input to an aluminum wire drawing plant; and aluminum wire is the input for a fabricated wire product manufacturing establishment. The subsectors in the Manufacturing sector generally reflect distinct production processes related to material inputs, production equipment, and employee skills. In the machinery area, where assembling is a key activity, parts and accessories for manufactured products are classified in the industry of the finished manufactured item when they are made for separate sale. For example, an attachment for a piece of metalworking machinery would be classified with metalworking machinery. However, component inputs from other manufacturing establishments are classified based on the production function of the component manufacturer. For example, electronic components are classified in Subsector 334, Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing, and stampings are classified in Subsector 332, Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing. Manufacturing establishments often perform one or more activities that are classified outside the Manufacturing sector of NAICS. For instance, almost all manufacturing has some captive research and development or administrative operations, such as accounting, payroll, or management. These captive services are treated the same as captive manufacturing activities. When the services are provided by separate establishments, they are classified in the NAICS sector where such services are primary, not in manufacturing. The boundaries of manufacturing and the other sectors of the classification system can be somewhat blurry. The establishments in the Manufacturing sector are engaged in the transformation of materials into new products. Their output is a new product. However, the definition of what constitutes a new product can be somewhat subjective. As clarification, the following activities are considered manufacturing in NAICS: <table width=100%><tr><td width=10%> </td><td><dl><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Milk bottling and pasteurizing;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Water bottling and processing;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Fresh fish packaging (oyster<br/> shucking, fish filleting);</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Apparel jobbing (assigning<br/> materials to contract<br/> factories or shops for<br/> fabrication or other contract<br/> operations) as well as<br/> contracting on materials<br/> owned by others;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Printing and related activities;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Ready-mix concrete production;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Leather converting;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Grinding lenses to<br/> prescription;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Wood preserving;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Lapidary work for the trade;</dt></dl></td><td width=10%> </td><td><dl><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Electroplating, plating, metal<br/> heat treating, and<br/> polishing for the trade;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Fabricating signs and<br/> advertising displays;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Rebuilding or remanufacturing<br/> machinery (i.e., automotive<br/> parts);</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Making manufactured homes<br/> (i.e., mobile homes) or<br/> prefabricated buildings,<br/> whether or not assembling/<br/> erecting at the customers'<br/> site;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Ship repair and renovation;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Machine shops; and</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Tire retreading.</dt></dl></td><td width=10%> </td></tr></table> Conversely, there are activities that are sometimes considered manufacturing, but which for NAICS are classified in another sector (i.e., not classified as manufacturing). They include: 1. Logging, classified in Sector 11, Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting, is considered a harvesting operation; 2. Beneficiating ores and other minerals, classified in Sector 21, Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction, is considered part of the activity of mining; 3. Constructing structures, assembling prefabricated buildings, and fabricating at the construction site by contractors are classified in Sector 23, Construction; 4. Breaking bulk and reselling in smaller lots, including packaging, repackaging, or bottling products, such as liquors or chemicals; assembling and selling computers on a custom basis; sorting and reselling scrap; mixing and selling paints to customer order; and cutting metals to customer order for resale are classified in Sector 42, Wholesale Trade, or Sector 44-45, Retail Trade; and 5. Publishing and the combined activity of publishing and printing, classified in Sector 51, Information, transform information into a product for which the value to the consumer lies in the information content, not in the format in which it is distributed (i.e., the book or software compact disc). |
| 339 | Miscellaneous Manufacturing 3-digit subsector | Industries in the Miscellaneous Manufacturing subsector make a wide range of products that cannot readily be classified in specific NAICS subsectors in manufacturing. Processes used by these establishments vary significantly, both among and within industries. For example, a variety of manufacturing processes are used in manufacturing sporting and athletic goods that include products such as tennis rackets and golf balls. The processes for these products differ from each other, and the processes differ significantly from the fabrication processes used in making dolls or toys, the melting and shaping of precious metals to make jewelry, and the bending, forming, and assembly used in making medical products. The industries in this subsector are defined by what is made rather than how it is made. Although individual establishments might be appropriately classified elsewhere in the NAICS structure, for historical continuity, these product-based industries were maintained. In most cases, no one process or material predominates for an industry. Establishments in this subsector manufacture products as diverse as medical equipment and supplies, jewelry, sporting goods, toys, and office supplies. |
| 3399 | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing 4-digit industry group | This industry group comprises establishments primarily engaged in miscellaneous manufacturing, such as jewelry and silverware manufacturing, sporting and athletic goods manufacturing, doll, toy, and game manufacturing, office supplies (except paper) manufacturing, sign manufacturing, and all other miscellaneous manufacturing. |
| 33999 | All Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing 5-digit NAICS industry | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in miscellaneous manufacturing (except medical equipment and supplies, jewelry and silverware, sporting and athletic goods, dolls, toys, games, office supplies, and signs). Illustrative Examples: Artificial Christmas trees manufacturing Burial caskets and cases manufacturing Candles manufacturing Coin- or card-operated amusement machines (except jukebox) manufacturing Electronic cigarettes manufacturing Floor and dust mops manufacturing Musical instruments (except toy) manufacturing Fasteners, buttons, needles, and pins (except precious metals or precious and semiprecious stones and gems) manufacturing Gasket, packing, and sealing devices manufacturing Portable fire extinguishers manufacturing Umbrellas manufacturing |
| 339992 | Musical Instrument Manufacturing 6-digit U.S. detail | This sector encompasses establishments dedicated to the production of musical instruments beyond those classified as toys. Businesses in this field transform raw materials such as wood, metal, and plastic into functional audio devices designed for various performance contexts ranging from professional concert stages to casual home practice. Typical operations involve complex fabrication processes including carpentry, machining, electronic circuit assembly, and rigorous quality testing to ensure tonal accuracy and durability. Manufacturers may operate as independent artisans producing handmade acoustic guitars or violins, or as large-scale industrial facilities assembling mass-produced keyboards and drum sets. These enterprises often collaborate with music educators, performers, and retailers to meet diverse market demands for both traditional and electronic instruments. Some operations focus exclusively on niche instruments like brass horns or percussion ensembles, while others cater to the broader consumer market seeking entry-level products. The industry spans a wide scale, from small family-owned workshops utilizing manual tools to major corporations employing hundreds of workers in automated plants. Many firms also engage in research and development to innovate new materials and digital integration features. Geographically, these manufacturing hubs are frequently located in regions with strong timber industries or advanced engineering sectors to facilitate efficient supply chains for specialized components. |
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Classification References
- 01Establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing toy musical instruments are classified in Industry 339930, Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing.
Index Items
Accordions and parts manufacturing
Autophones (organs with perforated music rolls) manufacturing
Banjos and parts manufacturing
Bassoons manufacturing
Bells (musical instruments) manufacturing
Calliopes (steam organs) manufacturing
Cellos and parts manufacturing
Chimes and parts (musical instruments) manufacturing
Clarinets and parts manufacturing
Cornets and parts manufacturing
Cymbals and parts manufacturing
Drums (musical instruments), parts, and accessories manufacturing
Electric musical instruments manufacturing
Flutes and parts manufacturing
Fretted instruments and parts manufacturing
Guitars and parts, electric and nonelectric, manufacturing
Hammers, piano, manufacturing
Harmonicas manufacturing
Harps and parts manufacturing
Harpsichords manufacturing
Instruments, musical, manufacturing
Keyboards, piano or organ, manufacturing
Knobs, organ, manufacturing
Mandolins manufacturing
Mouthpieces for musical instruments manufacturing
Music rolls, perforated, manufacturing
Musical instrument accessories (e.g., mouthpieces, reeds, stands, traps) manufacturing
Musical instruments (except toy) manufacturing
Oboes manufacturing
Ocarinas manufacturing
Octophones manufacturing
Percussion musical instruments manufacturing
Piano parts and materials (except piano hardware) manufacturing
Piccolos and parts manufacturing
Pipes, organ, manufacturing
Reeds, musical instrument, manufacturing
Saxophones and parts manufacturing
Strings, musical instrument, manufacturing
Synthesizers, music, manufacturing
Trombones and parts manufacturing
Trumpets and parts manufacturing
Tuning forks manufacturing
Ukuleles and parts manufacturing
Vibraphones manufacturing
Violas and parts manufacturing
Violins and parts manufacturing
Xylophones and parts manufacturing
Zithers and parts manufacturing
How Item Can Help
Manages complex inventory levels across specialized tool manufacturing facilities and retail distributors to ensure timely fulfillment of diverse instrument models.
Optimizes sales orders by synchronizing stock availability in real-time, reducing backorders and improving order accuracy for high-value musical instruments.
Analyzes market trends and supplier performance data to forecast production demand and identify supply chain disruptions before they impact delivery schedules.
Item.com Tools
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 339992.
National Association of Instrument Manufacturers
The leading trade association representing manufacturing companies of musical instruments and accessories in the United States.
Manufacturing and Trade Bureau
The official government directory page defining industry statistics and metrics for Musical Instrument Manufacturing.
American Alliance of Museums
A resource providing historical context and museum collections focusing on musical instruments and related trade heritage.
