Daniel Waples, and Alexei Levin - 'Crystal Waves' by DA-Harmonics

If you stumble across a YouTube video shared randomly via some kind of social networking site online, and it’s not one of Manu Delago’s, or one by Dante Bucci, there’s a pretty good chance that it’s a video featuring ‘Hang Monkey A’, Daniel Waples, of the Hang Playing Hedge Monkeys. Who has, over the last few years, rapidly become one of the most recognisable faces in Hang music. With awed video phone wielders who have stumbled across him during his travels uploading clip after clip, of his amazing solo Hang performances, and inspiring collaborations with fellow street musicians.

Yet while best known for being one of the ‘faces’ of current 'Hang' music, Daniel Waples has also embraced the ‘HandPan’ revolution as a whole, performing with as he does on his new album, in addition to the PANArt Hang, a BELLArt Bells, and a Russian made SPB. A combination that has not only lead to the creation of a truly beautiful new album. But that has unfortunately also led to Daniel Waples becoming the latest victim of PANArt’s sometimes unfathomable policies. Having been informed by Felix Rohner that “we no longer cooperate with supporters of imitation hangs”. Go figure!

However, much as we’d like to discuss endlessly the tense relationship that exists between PANArt and many of those who play their 'sound sculptures', this post is about the celebration of this new (at time of writing) project from Daniel, which, while it might have cost him the cutting off of his PANArt pipe-line, should win him increased admiration within the HandPan community at large, putting in a stunning performance as he does, collaborating with ‘Alexei Levin’ (on Grand Piano, and Mouth Harp), to produce the delicate, and calming ‘Crystal Waves’, a twelve track offering that can (and should be) listened to in its entirety, (and downloaded), over at BandCamp.com: HERE

Or alternatively, you can visit the DA-Harmonics website for more information: HERE

Harvest Harmonics Hank Drums

These have appeared in numbers for sale on ebay recently (and as such we've had people reaching this site looking for info on them), but try as I might, I can find very little information about them to share.

A basic, and colorful looking six note steel tongue drum, Harvest Harmonics Hank drums are currently being sold via ebay for just $135 (upwards), half the price of the next cheapest Hank. And while until recently no sound samples were available to listen to on-line, those who dared to buy with very little info to support their purchases are now starting to leave feedback to help others who might also be interested make up their minds before committing to buy.

You can now watch the (embedded) video to get some idea of what they sound like, and also, you can visit YouTube for a quick review (kindly offered up along with the video by 'Raku777') to get some idea of what the Harvest Harmonics Hank drum are like to play: HERE

Additionally, you can also communicate with the makers via their Facebook page:HERE

The Path to Owning a HandPan

A year or so ago I stumbled across a question on Yahoo Answers asked by an American in search of a HandPan, asking if they were available for sale 'here'. To which the top-rated answer received was “We have everything in America!” And while technically now, since the arrival of the Halo, with regards to HandPan at least, this may well be true. It doesn’t take most who fall in love with the sounds of these singing steel creations too long to realise, that popping down your local Walmart to pick one up, is not going to be an option...

The Path to Owning a HandPan

As with most things in life, there are many different paths to owning a HandPan. You could write a hand-written letter to PANArt, cross your fingers, and hope to one day be invited to Switzerland to pick-up your Hang. You could try your luck in a lottery like that for a Pantheon Steel Halo. Endure with patience the long waiting lists of the BELLArt BElls, or the Bali Steel pan. If patience isn't your strong point, and you have money in the bank, you could snap one up for an inflated price on ebay. You could become part of a HandPan focused community such as that over at Handpan.org, and perhaps with luck, acquire one from a fellow member at a price more palatable (which does happen from time to time). Or alternatively, you could keep up to date with the latest developments, and subscribe to a site like our own (see button bottom-right), in the hopes of catching a 'new' HandPan, and acquiring one early, before demand begins to outweigh supply.  With each chosen path, whether in terms of time, luck, dogged persistence, or sacks full of cash, requiring a strong commitment, of one kind; or another.

Which leads us to one particularly well documented journey, from discovery, to realization of the dream, and beyond, as recorded by the ‘Quiet American’ (AKA Pantheon Steel’s Halo Helper ‘Aaron’). Which we highly recommend you have a read of: HERE.

The PANArt Hang Meets the Eigenharp Alpha

Of all the electronic Hang, and HandPan spin-off’s we’ve come across so far, from the relatively simple ‘Hang drum’ iPad app, through to Korg Wavedrum sample sets, and the Sonic Fingers Dome Control MIDI device, the following has come the closest we’ve seen/heard so far, to mirroring (with eyes closed), the feelings invoked within us, when listening to a talented (and live) Hang musician play.

The Eigenharp

The Eigenharp is a brand of electronic instrument even more recent in its creation than the Hang itself (released in 2009), and is in essence, a highly flexible, portable, software driven controller. That utilises a matrix of velocity sensitive multi-expressive keys, to activate, and manipulate, any given chosen sample set. Through which, while the Sonic Fingers Dome Control may mirror the Hang more in appearance, the Eigenharp does a far better job, using the ever popular SonicCouture’s HandPan sample packs, of reconstructing the sound of a hand-played Hang, in terms of expressiveness.

Beautifully put together by ‘G.Bevin’ over at Matrixsynth.com, the attached video demonstrates the MK1, and MK2 Hang sample sets being played simultaniously, in what the artist describes as ‘The arrangement is very similar to what would happen if you cut a real Hang Drum in two and bend each half until it's straight, with the Ding and Gu stuck at the top end.’ And for an instrument we’d never heard of prior to this, it’s effective enough to make us consider selling yet another kidney (don’t ask where we get them all from) to pony up the cash for one of these bad boys . Awesome!

Or for more information, read the original post over at Matrixsynth.com: HERE.

Taking your Hang / HandPan on a Plane - Travelling with your HandPan

Mark Twain once wrote that “a man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way”. Buddhist teachings tell us that “there is none so wise that they cannot learn from others”. While Mr.T from the A-Team, states simply, and without question, that, “I ain’t gettin’ on no plane!”

And while each of these points of view have their virtues, historically, with the prices, and rarity of HandPan being what they are (among other issues, such as PANArt refusing to re-tune Hang these days) I’ve been inclined to agree with Mr. T, and not risk it. But when an accomplished HandPan player like Colin Foulke steps up to share his experience of travelling the globe with his pans in tow, offering tips, and advice for the would be HandPan globetrotter. Only a fool would choose to ignore the lessons learnt by Colin (and risk the health of their HandPan), should you be considering taking your own pan(s) away with you. Covering as his excellent post does over at handpan.org, how to get your instruments through security relatively unscathed, advice for boarding, in-flight, and amongst other gems, the sharing of a tip told by Daniel Waples of the Hang Playing Hedge Monkeys, in which the Hang cavity can be used to store a weeks worth of clothing inside of it, for those wishing to travel light, or make optimum use of their luggage space.

So like any good Buddhist on the path to enlightenment, or merely a HandPan enthusiast hoping to minimise risk to their ‘baby(s)’ while travelling. You can pop on over and read Colin’s post in full (and/or share any of your own experiences in travelling with Hang/HandPan): HERE.

Or alternatively, you can visit Colin Foulke over at his own personal website: HERE.

Reto Weber - The Spark that Started a HandPan Fire

They say that “there’s no fire, without a spark!”, and while PANArt’s Felix Rohner,and Sabina Schärer are without doubt responsible for the physical creation of the Hang, if one man could be said to be responsible for providing the spark that breathed life into these most sought after of metallic UFOs , and ultimately all of the HandPan that would follow in their path, it would have to be ‘Reto Weber’.

Every Great Invention Starts with a Simple Idea

Born in Switzerland in 1953, Reto Weber, is a master percussionist by trade, who has traveled the world performing on such instruments as the steel pan, gongs, bells, and balaphones (among others). And it was during Reto Weber’s visit to PANArt in November, of 1999, that the seed for the idea of the Hang was first sown.

Having demonstrated his skills on the Ghatam, and having been shown PANArt’s earlier creations known commonly as the ‘PANG drums’, or ‘PANG instruments', that consisted of a mish-mash of resonant steel instruments, including steel pan, bell, gong, gamelan, and cymbal (like) creations. Reto Weber shared a desire for a “sounding pot in steel with some notes to play with the hands”. And from there, with a lot of hard work on PANArt’s part, the Hang was born...

These days Reto Weber can be found performing with his self-titled outfit ‘Reto Weber’s Squeezeband’, an eclectic ensemble who with their 2004 album ‘Squeeze Me’, offer up a diverse seven track release, that in addition to featuring some very nice beat boxing,and some sweet Ghatam, among its other audio treats, also sees the man who is at least partially responsible for bringing Hanghang into the world, performing on the instrument that he'd always dreamt of playing, and the instrument that started a singing steel revolution.

You can find Reto Weber's album 'Squeeze Me' for sale: HERE, or alternatively, you can visit Reto Weber over at his own personal website: HERE.

The Blue Point Steel Harp / Innersound HandPan

(!) This post may now be out of date - but has been left published for archive purposes.  It may still prove to be of interest, but some (or all) details may now be out of date (!).

The Blue Point Steel Harp (also commonly known as the ‘Innersound’, [UPDATE, 2015 - the Innersound is now known to be a completely different entity to the BPSH] is the HandPan tuned by 'Eckhard C. Schulz', of E.C.S. Steeldrums in Germany. A tuner of some note, with plenty of experience to back up his name, Eckhard began creating his own range of HandPan following being called upon to frequently re-tune Hanghang, following PANArt’s (the Hang makers) decision to bow out from the responsibility of maintaining their old instruments. So that from Eckhard Schulz’s gained experience in re-tuning Hang (and years of experience as a steelpan tuner), the Blue Point Steel Harp was born.

Personally I really like the sounds of the 'BPSH', and for me, Eckhard's skill as a tuner really shines through in the refinement of the instrument's voice. However, word on the street is that while the level of tuning of these HandPan is up with the best of them. The steel shell from which the BPSH is made lets it down a little. Being softer metal, and requiring a gentler touch than some other HandPan to avoid ‘screaming’ (at time of writing). Issues that will hopefully be solved with later shell development. And not necessarily issues that make for a 'bad' HandPan (it's better than many, in my opinion), but something that has kept it just short of being counted among the very best.

Points of note:

* The last known price of the Blue Point Steel Harp was somewhere around the 2000 Euro mark. Which makes it one of the most expensive HandPan currently available (this high price is believed to be due to the fact that E.C.S. tune the shells, but do not manufacture them themselves, instead importing them from abroad - resulting in shipping charges that unfortunately need to be passed on to the customer).

* The Blue Point Steel Harp HandPan also goes under the name of ‘Innersound’, a name given to the BPSH by a HandPan reseller. And despite the official name of the instrument being the BPSH, the Innersound moniker (being somewhat less of a tongue-twister) seems to have stuck. (The Innersound re-seller 'Meditationtone' can be contacted via his YouTube account: HERE).

* With (as mentioned above) E.C.S. not manufacturing the HandPan shells themselves, it is believed that there are several other tuners out there using the same shells for making their HandPan. So, while it can be more difficult with this HandPan than any other, if you’re considering buying a HandPan that ‘looks’ like an Innersound/BPSH from a source other than direct from the tuner, be as sure as you can be before parting with any money for it, that the HandPan is what the seller says it is. If a BPSH is what you’re looking for, and not simply something that 'looks' like one (but may sound very different).

For more information, and/or to make purchase of a Blue Point Steel Harp, you can visit the E.C.S website: HERE (or possibly from this website - though as always, tread carefully).

Or alternatively, you can usually keep up-to-date with the latest on all things BPSH/Innersound over at the HandPan.org forums: HERE

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How HandPan Got Their Name - The Naming of a New Musical Instrument Type

Prior to becoming interested in the ‘hang drum’, as I originally knew it to be called (before learning that its makers were not keen on the attached ‘drum’ moniker). I’d never really given a whole lot of thought as to how exactly, things came by their names. A trumpet, is a trumpet, a tiger, a tiger, and a toaster, is, just a toaster. And the fact that at some point in the past the naming of these animals, or objects, may have been a serious cause of contention, had never really crossed my mind. These things simply were. And are.

HandPan

The name ‘HandPan’ was already sufficiently in-use, and seemingly accepted, when I first named, and began this website, that I didn't think to question it. And it wasn’t until many months later, that I would learn that the term HandPan, as a descriptive name for the now growing group of ‘Hang-inspired instruments’, had initially met with loud objections. Though mainly from the known PANArt ‘purists’, but also from PANArt themselves, with Felix Rohner (Hang maker) publicly stating (by proxy) that the “Hang is not a HandPan”. And condemning the name, as causing offence to the steel pan makers of Trinidad, and Tobago.

Where did the name HandPan come from?

It is believed that the title was first coined by Kyle Cox of Pantheon Steel (makers of the Halo), back in 2007. And was Intended both as a mark of respect towards the Trinidadians (counter to Felix Rohner's beliefs), and also as a term through which to describe the Hang-inspired instruments he was creating to potential customers, without having to use the name Hang. (With PANArt having already requested that any mention of their trade-marked name be removed from the Pantheon Steel website).

Following the use of the term HandPan by Kyle Cox, the name was taken up by the website ‘hang-music.com’, who titled within their forums a sub-forum, labeled ‘Other HandPan Developments’. And from there, the name HandPan began to take hold, and spread.

* Back in 2009, the moderators of Hangforum.com attempted to put a stop to the name ‘HandPan’, resulting in a twelve page debate titled ‘What is a HandPan?’* in which a few tired arguments were repeated over, and over, by a few, while the majority agreed that the name HandPan was indeed the most suitable.

At the time, as an argument against the name, it was posted that typing the term ‘HandPan’ into Google produced only 35 results, showing that the name HandPan was not yet used by the majority. However, on typing ‘HandPan’ into Google today, just over two years later (at time of writing), we see that Google now returns 28,500 results. Proving that while the name of this new musical genus may not yet still be conclusive (although it probably is), use of the label HandPan is spreading, and with the alternatives put forward by the opposition being such mouthfuls as ‘harmonically tuned sheet steel instruments’, I for one, couldn’t be happier. ;)

* You can grab yourself a little slice of HandPan history, and travel back through time to 2009, to read the naming of the HandPan debates for yourself: HERE

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The Octo-Pan - The StickyDrums HandPan

(!) This post may now be out of date - but has been left published for archive purposes.  It may still prove to be of interest, but some (or all) details may now be out of date (!).

Judging on YouTube videos alone (which isn't always completely fair), at the time of writing, if it wasn’t for the fact that the ‘Octo-Pan’, is being billed as an early ‘Prototype’, there would probably be little, if anything, good to say about it. And even with that in place, to be brutally harsh, other than the fact that the maker has got off his arse and had a go at it, more than many of us have done, it’s still very difficult to think of anything positive to say about it.

Sounding like a very early Disco Armonico, the Octo-Pan, built by ‘StickyDrums’ of France, looks relatively ‘Hang-like’, being HandPan in shape. But, when listening to it sing, at best we can say that just possibly, somewhere deep within its voice, lies the spark of potential. That with time, research, and development, the maker will be able to mold into something far more satisfying.

Priced at around the $1150 mark, (on ebay at time of writing), the Octo-Pan isn’t cheap for a HandPan that lacks the refinement of its ‘older brothers’, and at that price, we’d certainly recommend checking out the likes of the Caisa, the SunPAN, and the Disco Armonico (which in our opinion, is starting to sound pretty decent these days) instead, as HandPan within a similar price range. But to also perhaps keep an eye on the Octo-Pan, and to offer encouragement to a maker who has already gone one step further towards building their own pans than most of us ever will, which you can do by visiting, and subscribing to the makers YouTube channel: HERE. Or alternatively by visiting the StickyDrums website: HERE

Because just perhaps, this is where the start of something beautiful begins.

A Few Photographs of the PANArt Hang Being Made

Having spent a good while poking around online now, into anything, and everything Hang, and HandPan related, today, I came across something that I’d not yet come across before.  And while perhaps for some, not overly exciting, pictures of the type that follow, showing the PANArt Hang being constructed by Felix Rohner, and Sabina Schärer, seem to be incredibly rare online.  With PANArt having no web presence themselves on the Internet (at time of writing), and having on occasion even ‘respectfully’ asked for the removal of photographs of themselves from at least one other Hang focused website.
So for the interest of bona-fide Hang geeks everywhere, I’m posting links through to the photographs hosted on www.frsw.de, that show the now world famous Hang makers, enthusiastically building what I’m pretty sure are some first generation Hang (although going by some on-page dates they may well more likely be second generations).
Either ways, if it sounds like the sort of thing you might be interested in, you can take a peek at the photographs in question below.

* Photograph 1 * Photograph 2 * Photograph 3 *

“Hang Drum” Dimensions - Diameter | Height | Weight of the PANArt Hang

Over the last year we’ve received numerous visitors to this site via the search query, “Hang drum dimensions” (despite not having had that information available previously).  So whether you’re on the hunt hatching secret plans of building your own Hang-like HandPan, looking to get a custom case made for a Hang bought secondhand on ebay, or for whatever other reason.  The following are the dimensions of the first generation of Hanghang, (and as far as we know, the later generations are at least roughly the same, if not exactly so).
Diameter = 20.86 inches
Height = 9.44 inches
Weight = 8.15lbs
Thickness of metal = 1mm
We hope this helps.

Colin Foulke - "Bringing the Steel Storm!"

Should you ever (God forbid), find that having listened to just one Hang / Handpan video too many on YouTube, feel that the magic of these beautiful steel instruments begins to fade for you, don’t worry. There is a cure.

Because while Handpan being an intuitive, and essentially ‘easy’ to play group of instruments can sound great in the hands of almost anybody, it takes the dedication of a true master, to really make one sing as it was intended to. And listening to the likes of veteran Handpan player ‘Colin Foulke’, quickly washes away the jaded tarnish of a thousand "first time playing my (assorted HandPan)" style videos, and reminds you of what it was, that made you fall in love with the sounds of the Hang in the first place. Or for those newer to the ‘scene’, provides an audio treat, the likes of which will make you cream your pants.

Colin Foulke

Born, and raised in Southern California, Colin’s first love was the Cello, but when later turned-on to the sounds of the Hang after stumbling across a video online, he soon fell in love all over again. And as with the Cello before it, Colin began a new journey to master the Hang. And while perhaps, complete mastery of the HandPan is something that can never be achieved by anyone in one lifetime, Colin Foulke comes as close as any of the other ‘big names’ in Hang / HandPan music. And his fourteen track self-titled album, featuring tunes such as the majestic ‘Steel Storm’, and the ding-singing dark lullaby ‘Goodbye’, recorded using five different HandPan, and a variety of other worldly instruments, will, and without meaning to sound cliché, 'stir the soul', and at times soothe it too. It will lift you up, and toss you around. Open old wounds, before kissing them 'all better' again, and then at journeys end, will tuck you in, and send you off to a peaceful, and fulfilled sleep. (or at least, that's how it was for me). ;)

You can preview (in full), or purchase Colin Foulke’s self-titled album over at bandcamp.com: HERE.

Or alternatively visit Colin Foulke’s personal website: HERE. Or for all manner of assorted HandPan goodness, visit Colin over at his YouTube channel: HERE.

Buying a "Hang Drum" - Second Life Style

Can’t find/afford a ‘Hang Drum’ in ‘real’ life? If the answer is yes, then you’re far from alone. But, should you be a fan of ‘Second Life’, the massive online virtual world created by ‘Linden Lab', that allows ‘players’ to literally live out a second life online, then worry no more. Your search is over. Virtually.

To some, Second Life is not considered to be a computer ‘game’, but rather a ‘virtual world’, due to the fact that there is no set mission, or objective. And ‘players’ live their lives through highly customisable avatars. That, in addition to many other activities, are able to use the game worlds internal currency, the ‘Linden dollar’, to buy, sell, rent or trade land or goods and services with other users.

Virtual goods include buildings, vehicles, devices of all kinds, animations, clothing, skin, hair, jewelry, flora and fauna, and works of art. And now, thanks to (as far as I can tell) a guy called ‘Stuart Grainger’, you can buy a virtual ‘Hang Drum’ for your avatar, within the Second Life world.

Available in mark 1, and mark 2 versions, in a steel, copper, or gold finish, and utilising either slap, edge, or mid, tonal ranges, the Second Life Hang drum are available for the price of L$695 upwards. Which as far as I can tell is around $3 - $4 in ‘real’ money. And like an iPhone Hang app, these virtual Hang drum are actually playable too, using the left mouse button to activate the notes.  Bringing some Tron style Hang-love to the pixelated people inside your computer.

So if you’re a Second Life fan looking to bring a little Hang magic into your virtual life, you can visit the HangDrumSL store: HERE.

Or alternatively, (and it doesn’t seem to be operational at the time of writing), you could try visiting the HangDrumSL website: HERE, for more information.

Genesis HandPan - of Dave’s Island Instruments

Genesis HandPan

Genesis Symphonette

(!) This post may now be out of date - but has been left published for archive purposes.  It may still prove to be of interest, but some (or all) details may now be out of date (!).

An increasingly sweet sounding ‘brand’ of HandPan, ‘Genesis HandPan’, are produced by ‘Dave Beery’, of ‘Daves Island Instruments’ (and SmartyPans). Dave Beery is a professional Pan maker, and tuner. With over fifteen years of experience in his trade. Dave specialises in custom pan creation, and pan tuning. And is also the author of the comprehensive instructional videos: ‘How to Make Your Own Steel Drum’, and ‘Tuning, Tuning, Tuning!’ And the Genesis HandPan has fast become something of a rising star within the world of HandPan.

Not to be confused with the Genesis model of ‘Halo’ produced by ‘Pantheon Steel’, Dave’s Genesis HandPan are (I believe) Crafted from 55 gallon steel barrels, in the manner typical of traditional steel pan. And in addition to the full barrel-sized Genesis HandPan, Dave Beery also offers a smaller, more travel-friendly ‘Symphonette’ model - my personal favorite of the more diminutive-sized HandPan available.

At time of writing Genesis HandPan do not utilize the ever popular heat treatment known as ‘nitriding’, (!update - recent instruments are nitrided) with Dave instead favoring such finishes as brass-plating, and powder-coating. Sized at approx 23.5 inches in diameter, and 11 inches deep for the ‘full-size’ model,(with the Symphonette having an 18 inch diameter), Genesis HandPan are priced around the $1100-$1500 mark (depending on size, finish, and scale). And while custom scales may be possible by contacting Dave, they are as standard, offered in three different sound models:

1. Earth (D) A, Bb, C, D, E, F, A

2. Gypsy (E) A, B, C, D, E, F, G#

3. Asia. (E) A, C, D, E, G, A, C

You can find more information by visiting the Dave's Island Instruments Website:HERE, or you can watch more videos over at their YouTube channel: HERE

Or alternatively, you can usually keep up-to-date on the latest developments over at the HandPan.org forums: HERE

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Starseeds Steel Tongue Drums - “They Came From Outer Space!”

Some of you will know that while the word ‘HandPan” has now been widely adopted as the descriptive name for Hang, and ‘Hang-inspired’ instruments, PANArt themselves prefer to refer to their own creation as a ‘sound sculpture’. And while the Hang-inspired instrument group known generally as either ‘Hank drums’, or ‘Steel Tongue Drums’, (especially those made from propane gas tanks) have taken on a fairly uniform style since their creation, the ‘Starseeds’ steel tongue drum range (initially known as 'TerraTonguez'), created by ‘TerraTonz’, a collective of artists, musicians, and tuners, for me, very much step away from being a purely functional tool for creating music, and back into the grounds of being unique, and beautiful, sound sculptures in their own right.

“In sound and structure, each Starseed tells a story which simultaneously reflects the hearts of its makers, the spirit of its player and the energy of the ever-shifting world we share.” states the TerraTonz website, and it’s not hard to see that this is true. With each Starseeds drum having its own unique personal name, finish and scale.

Led by ‘C.Panman’, the TerraTonz collective are based in Northwest Georgia, and their aim is to bring the positive vibrations of their instruments to as many people as possible, at a reasonable price. And in addition to their beautiful Starseeds (the ‘Vortex Nebula’ of which is now very near the top of my Christmas wish list), TerraTonz also produce their own HandPans (currently known as the 'UFO HandPan).

For more information, to stare longingly at these magnificent-looking sound sculptures, or perhaps most importantly, to hear them sing, visit the TerraTonz website: HERE.

Or alternatively, connect with TerraTonz via their Facebook page, or via their YouTube channel.

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Getting a Hang / HandPan Retuned - ECS Steel Drums

The problem of where to get your PANArt Hang tuned has long been an issue for those who bought theirs within the secondhand market (should they have paid more than the original purchase price), with PANArt having declared years back now, that they would refuse to re-tune any such Hanghang. But recently, with PANArt having now also stated that they would no longer be offering a retuning service for ANY of their creations (at time of writing), this has now become a bigger problem for all Hanghang owners, including now even for those who had previously adhered to all of PANArts guidelines, than ever before.

Which is why, the featured video in this post, will be of great interest to Hanghang owners worldwide (and particularly for those close to, or within Germany). Due to the service it demonstrates, as a way, and potential place, where those whose Hang are now sounding a little worse for ware, can bring them back to the way they were meant to sound (or as close as can be achieved without the aid of PANArt themselves).

ECS Steel Drums

Based in Germany, ECS Steel Drums have been retuning the Hang of those unable to have them retuned by PANArt for a while now. And it seems as if practise, has as it usually does, paid off for them. With several reports stating that not only do Hang retuned by ECS Steel drums sound far better than when submitted to them in their detuned state, but additionally, some have even claimed that when their Hang have been returned to them by ECS, they’ve sung even more beautifully than when they were originally purchased brand new.  

Which when combined with evidence of Caisa Bill retuning a Disco Armonico, and Kyle of Pantheon Steel working his magic on a Bali Steel Pan, both to levels superior to their original state. Means that the generally accepted belief that sending your HandPan back to the original maker for re-tuning, as always being the best thing to do, may not always hold true.

Something that is not only of interest to Hanghang owners, but also to HandPan owners in general, where, for a variety of reasons, not least of which is shipping costs, having a skilled, and competent tuner, a little nearer to hand, could prove incredibly useful.

Have a Hang / HandPan that could use a re-tune: Contact ECS Steel Drums for more info.

More: Steel Pan Makers and Tuners Worldwide

[EDIT] - Discussion on HandPan tuners at Handpan.org: HERE