Being a fairly thrifty person, I’m going to be honest and say that had I bought my Caisa brand new, I probably wouldn’t have splashed out the extra cash for one of the wooden foot style Caisa stands, on top of the nine hundred odd Euro that the Caisa HandPan itself costs new these days.
However, seeing as I didn’t buy mine brand new, and that it came with the wooden stand (and a bag) as part of the package I got for a good price secondhand, I can now say that without a doubt, the wooden foot stand is almost a MUST (for me). Making for a much more pleasant (and safer) playing experience.
WHY?
The Caisa drum (or HandPan if you prefer) is pretty damn big. And considerably bigger than my lap. And trying to balance the Caisa on my lap while playing, without having to stop playing to readjust its position every five minutes is almost impossible. And highly annoying. With it slipping, and sliding off every five minutes.
But the wooden foot stand, which is solid and weighty, and screws easily into the bottom of the Caisa drum. Can be gripped between the thighs while playing. Which when played sitting on the edge of say a bed, with room for the wooden stand to protrude beneath, offers a comfort, and stability to play that really would make that extra 50 Euro (or there abouts) spend seem worth every penny. And the fact that with stand attached the Caisa handpan resembles a gigantic metallic mushroom can only be a bonus.
However, seeing as I didn’t buy mine brand new, and that it came with the wooden stand (and a bag) as part of the package I got for a good price secondhand, I can now say that without a doubt, the wooden foot stand is almost a MUST (for me). Making for a much more pleasant (and safer) playing experience.
WHY?
The Caisa drum (or HandPan if you prefer) is pretty damn big. And considerably bigger than my lap. And trying to balance the Caisa on my lap while playing, without having to stop playing to readjust its position every five minutes is almost impossible. And highly annoying. With it slipping, and sliding off every five minutes.
But the wooden foot stand, which is solid and weighty, and screws easily into the bottom of the Caisa drum. Can be gripped between the thighs while playing. Which when played sitting on the edge of say a bed, with room for the wooden stand to protrude beneath, offers a comfort, and stability to play that really would make that extra 50 Euro (or there abouts) spend seem worth every penny. And the fact that with stand attached the Caisa handpan resembles a gigantic metallic mushroom can only be a bonus.
NOTE - The wooden foot stand should be seen more as a playing-aid, rather than a permanent stand for your Caisa drum, and as such, it should be detached after play, and your Caisa stored away safely (in my opinion).
Conclusion: The wooden Caisa foot stand is by no means a necessity, but if you can afford to spend that bit extra, it definitely comes recommended.
