A tone poem in ivory and gold.

Here is a Vibratosax being played by Jacques Ravenel (France). The tune is Afro Blue, a contemporary jazz piece with very simple harmony, but lots of feeling:
In the 50s an injection moulded acrylic saxophone was produced, The Grafton, made more famous by Charlie Parker., Johnny Dankworth and others. It had metal keys and the selling price was approximately half that of a conventional brass saxophone of the time. Marketing by the Grafton company used the phrase, 'A tone poem in ivory and gold'. Designed by Hector Sommaruga, an Italian in London, the saxophone was named after Grafton Way, his address during the late 40s.
Plastics technology has advanced significantly and the brittle Grafton now has a competitor in the Vibratosax, a modern plastic saxophone. The Vibratosax is made of a mix of polycarbonate (hard plastic for tonal qualities) and abs (a softer more robust plastic for durability).
The key pads are made of silicone and are self-sealing (due to softness and pliability), regardless of subtle alignment variations in the snap-on keys. The snap-on pads/keys can be easily changed by the owner and cost much less than conventional leather pads glued into brass keys. The Vibratosax comes in a few variations, the better quality model costs just under £400, which is cheaper than the basic student level Yamaha saxophone at just over £800.
I think for the price, the Vibratosax is very attractive, with simple pads maintenance, it weighs less than a third of a conventional brass saxophone, nice for reducing neck and back strain. My saxophone weighs around 2.5kg, not much but suspended for several hours on my neck it does cause tension. The 850grams of a Vibratosax would make a significant difference. I notice the weight of my saxophone while carrying it in it's case, the case weighs as much as the saxophone so that's over 5kg suspended on one hand (I need to get a carrying case with back pack straps).
Aesthetically I like the white plastic and orange details, it is vastly different to a brass saxophone but certainly not a toy. Perhaps the look of the Vibratosax would clash with the jazz and blues trio I play with, but the sound is certainly attractive, proper and even more lyrical than many conventional brass saxophones.