This isn't a discussion about professional saxophones, and you were far from polite. Mr. Kumar has every right to post here. :) Strangely enough, you seem to be correct. The Posting Policies has no mention of barring spam [bot or human generated], which is what I find the opening post to be.

I have purchased one of the "baby saxophones"(a curved soprano) from Davinder Kumar, and recieved no more or less than what I'd expected for an instrument that was sold for $34 in New Delhi.(my final cost in northern California about a year ago with shipping and handling was $110) I'll have to admitt I was hoping my expectations might've been exceded, as far as the precision and quality and adjustment I'm used to in more conventional saxes-but I shop actively for my saxophones and this habit leaves my expectations high...if also often finding me with instruments needing some TLC once I've gotten them.(having the habit of checking want ads, pawnshops and discounted sources; and enjoying the hunt as well as the feast, so to speak...I'm mechanically minded and find the successes of a society can be measured through its most common achievements; and production, sales and distribution are surely three of these) What I recieved was exactly what I'd envisioned and hoped for at this low price; that is a simple playable instrument that is inexpensively made and which their website photos represent honestly and accurately. This is an instrument whose mechanism has been greatly simplified-in order to lower production costs I'm assumning, and I don't see how detractors are calling this something passed off as an "original" A. Sax design?(an excellent example of which I've seen here at Saxquest.com, and that seems much more similar to conventional designs than to this Indian saxophone) There is no low Bb, one low and mid F# fingering using the middle right hand finger, and one fingering for mid or high Bb-of an A fingering and using the lower right hand side key, and the G# fingering is a positive one rather than relying upon a spring to lift the key since the G# is not integrated into the mechanisms for low C# or B. There are also only two left hand palm keys, for Eb and E. One surprising feature was the high quality of the mouthpiece included, which is of hard rubber and very well made and that a person could expect to spend at least as much for as the horn itself costs in India; and the two cane reeds included also seemed exceptional, with a very straight consistent grain and a well-aged honey color-I've played on plastic BARI reeds for years so didn't give their reeds much of a test, though I was struck by their unique look and that seemed to suggest a very good quality and also a different product than European cane...this company, says their website, began as a reed making and selling concern using native Kashmiri cane in 1980, and now also produces saxophones and clarinets and sells besides these several other both Indian and western style musical instruments and a few odd items made of brass, etc.) A number of years ago I remember writing friend Tom Russell who was a student of New York avant garde' jazz woodwind teacher Joe Napoleon and who had studied at Julliard(as well as being drafted into the infantry in the Viet Nam war) and has long been a founding member of the band Obrador;(obradorDOTorg) that the world might be better served if some sort of very simplified saxophone design were created and produced that would be more affordable than the typical sax, yet offer the same sound and tonality and some of the same playing enjoyments.(I'm also a fan of the left-handed saxophone, whose only examples I know of are from some of Albert Ayler's album covers) I think this example from trmusicalsDOTcom well approaches what I had in mind; and as I wrote Davinder Kumar; with increased distribution and refinements the potential to perfect the instrument seems realistic.(I've also tried making a saxophone from a $1.13 plastic automotive fluid funnel, with interesting results-though still experimental since I've yet to find a method to locate the tone holes very accurately and am still using just hand tools, etcetera; though I did luck out earlier once, producing a hand's breadth long instrument using the bell and barrel joint and mouthpiece of an Eb clarinet joined by the tenons of the keybody with nine tone holes that over-blows the octave and plays chromatically and is very musical and with a phenomenal dynamic range that can be nearly as loud as a zurnah's) To my comments to Davinder Kumar about the horn I got a reasonabley defensive response. I'd thought a greater precision and quality could be achieved and the ergonomics of the instrument could be improved, and had suggested using instead of leather pads the Dutch TopTone rubber pads that would last indefinitely, but require a more precision mechanism to work effectively.(the pad design is a much puffier type than a normal sax, to compensate for the less precise mechanism this much more inexpensive design has necessitated) I think for the price of the horn that these would have to be evolutionary changes and even with huge sales this might not be feasible if the price were to be kept near as low as what I paid-and assumning the general balancing of the global economy and conditions for inhabitants, and the advance of some of the lowest paid persons in one of the world's largest countries who have been characteristically under-paid and exploited through a long colonial history.(shipping costs are said to lower if more than one or a few instruments are purchased, though their prices have risen since my purchase almost a year ago...a friend whose small local import shop where he sells mostly clothing and religious type items I used as an address to have the horn sent to who purchases extensively from both India and China says shipping costs have become the dominant expense to his business, and are continuing to rise almost exponentially-and I've read that in India currently advances for the upper and middle classes are much at the expense of the lower class/more numerous masses, specfically as regards improvement of air quality and also other ecological concerns) I found I had to humor the horn at first a little to get it to play adequately-using a bit more of a subtone than I'm used to in the notes lower than the right hand mid range to keep from squacking occassionally, but once I've accepted the realities and have focused on my playing and music, it is certainly playable and fun, and proficiency soon comes readily. The action is also pretty stiff, and I don't know if I could adjust this or not by bending the springs a little but I'd guess I could affect some improvements. I have not been to India or seen the factory producing these saxophones, but have to imagine that workers there recieve compensation similar to their peers in that country, and in such a situation are striving with all the rest of their countrymen and countrywomen to improve their status as heavily exploited former colonials in what was once the largest empire in the world, and controlled for the benefit of one of the world's smallest countries.(India has a large and active communist party by the way, so we can imagine there is a consistent effort in behalf of workers there that is aggressive and reasoned) If "sweat-shop" conditions that are unique to the production of this saxophone exist, that is justly condemned, but I'd guess that the person who has made this accusation has not compared the situation to that of the rest of the country or the world?(to try to avoid starvation, war or pestilence capitalism forces participation and especially so in colonial or former colonial places...I'm always circumspect of my judgements for instance when the treatment of women in countries resisting exploitation by the multinational oil industry are touted as one of the reasons for attempting to control those governments-which in a more congenial situation might modify to become more supportive of a more diverse range of their citizenry...on whose backs are the advantages and advances in the richer nations borne?) I've seen far eastern examples of copies of current saxophone "state of the art" design,(more or less) that were being sold here in Eureka, CA at a mall in a store mostly devoted to motor bikes and other low-powered similar mechanised devices, and had been very attracted by a soprano made by the Chinese company GOLDEN TROPHY that had some minor damage to the neck I could've bought for $200 if I'd had the money and moved quickly.(originally offered for $300) This instrument, I'm guessing because of its size, had seemed of much better execution and quality than the same brand's alto or tenor there, which were instruments that seemed very faulty and poorly constructed, though echoing all of the "bells and whistles" included in designs of the flashiest and most expensive saxophones now being made. I think a simplified design is an alternative to these types of instruments, as far as providing instruments both affordable and playable. If a person is concerned with "sweat shops" I think one has to ask why no saxophones are being produced in the United States, which once produced saxophones that rivaled or perhaps excelled any others, and with designs that were simple and sturdy and built with the highest quality. I've owned a half a dozen excellent Bueschers, a sopranino, a soprano, an alto and three tenors; and was very impressed with my Windor model tenor, a student horn from the '50s or '60s which had a very simple and unadorned design, yet a very light fast action, good intonation and easy response, and was incredibley sturdy and strongly built...and my current Yamaha YAS-23 alto is a similar horn that I think is a good value. But, what is the going price for a YAS-23 right now? About $1700 for a new one through the mail order place THE WOODWIND AND THE BRASSWIND and even more at some local retailer's.(their catalogue has interesting looking horns for less than that, with altos and sopranos begining at around $300-$550 and there are other on-line places that offer similar bargins that likely are a decent value...I paid $225 for the Buescher Windsor about ten years ago, from the original owner who stopped playing it that he'd bought in high school as a clarinetist-who advertised in Berkeley's Flea Market Want Ads paper, and my Yamaha was $450 two and a half years ago from an ad in the Olympia, WA daily that a student was selling who'd gotten a more expensive horn...though I notice on one of his CD cover photos the great Bulgarian Rromani-Turkish alto saxophonist Yuri Yunakov who I've met, plays an alto that is the exact same model as my Yamaha) So, if a person who is not attracted to the often nuerotic professional and academically oriented mileau many saxophonists seem to regard as the only arena the sax provokes any interests in...if someone-say as flautist Nancy Curtis of Bert Wilson's REBIRTH band(bertwilsonDOTcom) commented about this "baby saxophone" -wanted something to "take to BURNING MAN" and wail on for a long weekend, then I think this horn of trmusicalsDOTcom represents a good value and also perhaps an investment in the advancement of the world economy and music generally. Probabley only as such instruments are popularised will their niche' be really discovered, and a variety of other single reed touted as sax-sounding instruments of modest price are available which I doubt have as authentic a sax sound or feel as these horns from trmusicalsDOTcom.( with somewhat the exception of the single reed conical bore horn I made from the remains of a Bundy resonite Eb clarinet I managed to get particularly violent with very spontaneously one evening) I believe the automotive fluid funnel type conical bore single reed horn may have potential, though I notice the quality of the plastic seems to be declining and perhaps not as musical. With a sax similar conical bore, the challenge is to make the instrument small enough a complicated mechanism is not required that has finger holes near the bottom that a person's finger can cover. "Open" tone holes such as on a recorder or a simple flute or whistle give the potential for half-holing to achieve a chromatic effect, which is desireable if as simplified a mechanism as possible is to be achieved, and which seems interesting to play-perhaps even with mouthpieces specifically designed for such an instrument?(I've been trying to think why single-reed designs have taken so long to come about, considering the incredible antiquity of double-reed instruments...and with the easy adaptability of a single reed design to animal horns-I guess because of a conical bore, that a complex mechanism is practically required and that the means to produce such a thing effectively were lacking and/or discouraged) Conventional saxophones sometimes seem profoundly complex and expensive devices to try to foist upon young children often very unfamiliar with music, as has at least been in the past the situation with begining institutionally taught music in this country and feasibley why that cause has not been more taken up lately as school music programs decline...I remember at PENDERS MUSIC STORE in '71 in Denton, TX that sold sheet music and accessorys, the owner told me band teachers got kick-backs selling upscale instruments to high school musicians; and that likely languished in closets or soon were sold once the student was beyond the formal music system that was part of the mandatory education required. I'd be interested in knowing more about how these instruments of trmusicalsDOTcom are sold and played in their native country,(and elsewhere) which I see web surfing has a growing national interest in the saxophone and some virtuosos who've adapted the sax to classical and classically derived Indian music-both there and in other countries such as the United States. From photos I've seen the prominent players are using high quality conventional instruments, but I wonder if these less expensive saxophones are allowing begining or less advantaged players a playing opprotunity? I remember in the early '70s when I'd been more interested in learning to be an instrument repairman, that I'd spoken with someone who went on to become the repairman for the Seattle Public School System, and he'd commented that at one time there were as many saxophone manufacturers in this country as then there were guitar makers, and that the sax had been much more popular then. Nowdays in this country music perhaps is becoming even more an exclusive interest, as the number of school districts that support music or art programs is ever diminishing thanks to all the economy being driven into the effort to remain the world's one super-power, etc. I think, if you accept the idea of music being as its called "the universal language" there is a long ways to go before very many of us reach a reasonable degree of literacy or even a modest fluency; and as compelling a voice as the saxophone is(my alto sound reminds me specifically of the voice of a couple of women friends I've greatly admired who are very musically oriented) I think the increasing popularisation of the instrument is a positive thing, and that a much simplified design could evolve-providing an inexpensive alternative. Here are the prices I was quoted when I bought the horn I have.(which I need to replace, as I've given it to a young son of my oldest niece whose parents are both saxophonists; and which I've borrowed back from them-creating accusations of my becoming an "Indian giver" though which is unavoidable) The first horn is an alto. Subject: Re:New Indian Saxophones for Sale Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2005 09:11:15 +0530 (IST) Hello Sir, I am Davinder Kumar, for TR Musicals, India. Thank you for your enquiry. Sir the price for indian saxophones are:- Product Name Price USD 1) Saxophone Brass Shining(without box) 35.00 2) Saxophone Nickle Shining(without box) 36.00 3) Saxophone Brass Shining(with box) 39.00 4) Saxophone Nickle Shining(with box) 40.00 Prices for a Baby Saxophone are as follow:- Price USD 1)Baby Saxophone Brass Shining(w/o box) 34.00 2)Baby Saxophone Nickle Shining(w/o box) 35.00 3)Baby Saxophone Brass Shining(with box) 37.00 4)Baby Saxophone Nickle Shining(with box) 38.00 Note:- (i) All prices are F.O.B. Delhi. (ii) These prices are for bulk order, if you want 2-3 pcs prices are little more. (iii) These instruments are also available in Antique finishing and prices are 5% extra. Hope to hear from you soon with positive replies. Kind Regards Davinder Kumar For TR Musicals India Mobile No.- +91 9810293737