What is a Handpan? 

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The Handpan, or 'Hang' or 'Hang Drum', as it is originally called, is a convex-shaped steelpan instrument, which resembles the shape of a UFO and the sounds of a traditional Caribbean (Trinidad and Tobago) Steel Pan instrument. The instrument has gained tremendous worldwide popularity specially because of its gorgeous sound, shape and colour, but primarily because of how easy and intuitive an instrument it is to play.

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Where was the Handpan invented?

 

The handpan was invented in the year 2000 in Switzerland. The couple which made the Hang and whom had a reputation for making all types of new instruments later moved on to develop the now lesser-known, Guble and Gude drums. Since they stopped making Hangs all together in 2013, a number of new makers sprang up, designing and selling their own 'Hangs' or rather, Handpans.

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Why is the Handpan so popular?

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The Hang gained mass attention after the likes of players such as Daniel Waples and Hang Massive emerged, revealing this sublime instrument to the world. Suddenly, the whole world wanted a Hang, causing a viral interest which took place and has continued to grow predominantly since 2006.

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Why are Handpans so expensive to buy?

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Because the Hang was a completely new instrument and the original inventors stopped producing them, there opened a window for makers anywhere in the world to take advantage of this 'market opportunity'. New Handpan makers reiterated the original price of the Hang of $1000 before realising the demand was so large, that they inflated prices by more than 100% to 200% ($2000-3000). For years, people were incredulous the fact that they had missed out the chance of buying an 'original' Hang and for its original price. However, a minority of people succumbed to this eagerness to get their hands on a Handpan, yet others held their ground, anticipating a time when Handpans might be more affordable. It took until 2016 before Handpans reached close to their original prices from before 2006, probably since the number of makers worldwide exceeded 30 and competition became a reality.

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Is anyone trying to make Handpans more accessible? 

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Other makers, such as NovaPans, started off as customers themselves, looking for their own handpan to buy and play. After the disappointment in finding out about the extortionate prices, excessive waiting times, waiting lists, and ultimately, the whole secrecy and borderline cult-mentality which surrounded getting a handpan, NovaPans decided to just simply make their own. We realised that the 8000+ people globally which wanted a Handpan didn't want to buy it to hide it, or keep it for themselves; they just wanted to play a beautiful instrument which they could share with anyone, and quite literally thanks to the Handpan's low learning curve. NovaPans began by selling its handpans for $1000, teaching people how to play their handpans and offering discounts on second and third purchases, and even referrals to their friends. We created a community of people which actually felt welcome and not dissuaded by the original ethos which submerged the world of Handpans. After 18 months, 300 sales, 52 5*star reviews on one site (www.novapans.etsy.com) and many more happy customers, NovaPans prides itself as the most affordable Handpan maker on the market, with the highest level of customer service, the fastest turnaround rate (from 1-3 weeks) and the best accessibility to learning to the Handpan. 

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How much should I pay for a Handpan?

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NovaPans sells its Handpans for anything as low as $780 at times, depending on the model, current status of Handpan and type of order. Other Handpan makers and resellers of NovaPans sell theirs for at least $1400+. It is true that the original Hang had boasted an original sound but there are very few of these around, and if for sale, are often sold at $3000+. Never spend more than $1400 on a Handpan that you are just starting off with. Sellers will argue that their own Handpan's sound is superior when really, this is a decision that is never better made than the listener themselves. Have a listen to a lot of Handpans, research their versatility (scale, range, harmonics, size, shape, price etc.) and make a decision based on what you believe suits you best, not what people tell you!  

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Where can I buy a Handpan?

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Handpans are sold all over the internet. You can find them on Etsy, Amazon, Ebay, and some other less know sites such as Gumtree and Reverb. Whether these are sellers you can trust is another question. It is always important to know who you are buying from, their background, the background of the Handpan, and most importantly, what options you have after purchasing one of their Handpans.

 

NovaPans offers a prompt customer service chat, email, and if urgent, phone line where customers or prospective buyers can get in touch and receive immediate feedback. We also offer a return policy where if you are unhappy with your Handpan within the first few week of delivery then you may exchange it for a new one or a full refund.

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Further information and interesting content can be found all over this website at www.novapans.com or from our Etsy store at www.novapans.etsy.com

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Enjoy!

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NovaPans