Why the ranges are so wide
Four things move the price, and they are the same four for almost every instrument.
1. Who made it. A named workshop instrument — Paul & Co, Hiren Roy, MKS, Kanai Lal — costs several times a factory equivalent, because a named maker builds fewer and finishes each by hand. On harmoniums that is the difference between a Bina and a Paul & Co, several times over.
2. Materials. Sheesham and teak cost more than mango. A copper tabla bayan costs more than steel. On harmoniums, Kolkata-built boxes use Palitana reeds and heavier internal construction, which is most of why they cost more than a standard Delhi instrument.
3. Size and specification. Reed banks and octaves on a harmonium. Bayan weight on a tabla set. String length on a tanpura. Scale and length on a bansuri.
4. Whether it arrives ready to play. Everything we ship is tuned and set up first. That is not free, and it is the difference between an instrument you can play on arrival and a box of parts.
What you get at each tier
Sitar. The cheapest are student instruments. A properly playable student sitar costs roughly a third of a concert instrument from a named maker, and most buyers who intend to learn seriously end up near the upper end of the range above. The jump buys seasoned wood, accurate fret placement and a neck that stays true.
Harmonium. A portable kirtan box sits at the bottom of the range. A full 3.5-octave student instrument with coupler, typically a Bina, is the right answer for most people and costs around half as much again. Adding a scale changer roughly doubles it, and four reeds with a 13-position changer from Paul & Co is the top of the range.
Tabla. A basic set sits in the lower half of the range. A concert set with a heavier copper bayan and a properly seasoned sheesham dayan runs up to the top of it. Weight is most of the difference: a heavier bayan holds pitch and gives the low note its depth.
A note on the cheapest end
Single components sit in the same collections as complete instruments. A dayan sold on its own costs well under a full tabla set, for example. The bands above are for complete instruments. Padded gig bags are listed separately and are not counted in any range on this page.