If you've ever tried researching on how to get a handpan or where to even find one to play, then you'll be used to seeing a nuclear fallout of information, most of which isn't any use and is likely out of date (as of 2016).
The Truth
The ultimate truth behind the handpan is that it is just like any other musical instrument, you need to choose your musical instrument based on:
- What you can afford.
- What level you're at.
- The sound and feeling that you can create from the instrument. Read our post on how best to choose a handpan.
The worst thing you can do is purchase handpan merely on the word of someone else. Do a little research:
- Find out why there's so much confusion in the handpan world (which we'll discuss below).
- Find what handpans are out there which you can actually get delivered (not put on a waiting list as I mention later), then:
- Choose the handpan which you like based on what you can afford, and which you best enjoy listening to the most.
These three steps to purchasing a handpan are obscured so much in the modern world of looking for a handpan that people are lead to believe they need to spend upwards of $1500 in order to get a good handpan. It's not true. At least, it hasn't been true since we started in 2016.
The Handpan Cult
Mostly, it's because the voices you hear online are from those who consider themselves part of the original handpan club, or as many like to call it i.e. the general public, "the handpan cult". The handpan cult has been around ever since the later years of 2000 when the original makers of the handpan, the "Hang", stopped produceing their handpans. This sudden cutoff of handpans then inspired individual makers of Europe and the US to take on such a role as the only available handpan manufacturers between the years of around 2005-2015. With such an excessive demand (everyone wanted a handpan) and with such little supply, the sense of power and responsibility of these makers definitely went to their heads. Now instead of innovating and investing their profits into additional manpower and accessibility options for the greater public, they relished in the funnel of continuing to have people pay thousands of dollars upfront, wait months and have limited cancellation/return options. This market manipulation lasted a good decade before inevitably, makers who were conscious of the needs of the people began to address the issue. NovaPans was one of the first pioneers to offer made-to-order handpans in less than 1-3 weeks with free shipping worldwide and without the need for a deposit and total costs for the customers of no more than $1200 from as early as 2016.
As you can imagine, the early 2000 makers were outraged. Their decade of making thousands off the people had been threatended and depite all the hate speech and threat they posed on their cultist groups, they couldn't control the inevitable flow of what the people really ever wanted; access to high quality handpans without having to wait months or pay thousands of dollars.
Unfortunately, despite their reputable immersion within the history of handpans, makers and their origin, their ego and discern for others lowers them. They tend to convey that they exist as representatives of the handpan community and that by having purchased a handpan in the first decade of the instrument's existence have inherited some sort of divine know-all about the world of handpans of the past, present, and future. As Godly as they may seem to be, their opinions were remain as archaic as their non-evolving practices and they will be overtaken by those constantly looking to put the priority of the people over their profits.
To provide you with genuine evidence that these people spurge hatred on anybody other than their own, you can navigate through a couple Facebook handpan pages and find where people have provided genuine responses to handpans they like the sound of or have enjoyed only to find them aggressively attacked for dare sharing.
Without needing to spend paragraphs on the topic, the truth is that the handpan makers and owners of the 2000s were the very first to own a handpan and therefore considered themselves the first of its kind. It's understandable why these first-time players of the instrument became somewhat self-centred and absorbed. As more makers and owners appeared, the 'originals' - and the standards by which they defined themselves - began to be challenged and the only way they could self-preserve was to section themselves off. You may ask any owner of a handpan made between the year 2000 to 2016 and most will know that there are tens of incredibly beautiful handpans other than their own out there but they would rather not admit it. In fact, to tell them would be to defy their reign as owners of the best and only handpans in the world 15 years ago. Fortunately, this is no longer the case.
For buyers of handpans today, you missed a whole minefield of nonsense drama between the so-called original makers and the late-innovators of the handpan manufacturing industry. Today (as of 2020) you are more likely facing challenges of having options to purchase handpans from China for as low as $400 and questioning whether these are reliable or. Read our aticle on Chinese handpans here.
The truth is, and I hope the originals are reading this, that the world of handpans has changed and you were only the foundation. Not even. You were the rebound of the original makers of Switzerland. The people have broken through. It's time to start swimming or drown with the times, as Bob Dylan puts it.
There are hyprocrits out there too, ones which have denounced their ways and now teach handpan to tap into a market their eyes can now taste and try themselves. David Charrier, a French handpan player used to mock NovaPans in 2016 onwards when we were starting out. As of 2024 we have helped provide over 3000 handpans to customers worldwide, a fan base David doesn't mind selling his handpan lessons to for a premium $150+. Again disapointed by the capitalist approach to making handpans and now handpan additional content, NovaPans developed a series of free handpan tutorials for 5000+ players on its Youtube (found here). People have been astounded to finally be able to get a handpan of their own. Was making a meme to condescend others, particular those who have clearly been creating rippling positive effects in the community really necessary?
It's true that there are some elitist handpans out there. Though just like their handpans, unfortunately so are the owners. The handpans themselves are beautiful, resonant creatures. Those who make and own these expensive items tend to believe that they, yes themselves, and their handpans are worth more than anything less. The saddest part about it isn't that there were 100s of potential buyers to every 1 handpan being made since roughly 2006, but rather that every handpan maker who claimed to be making handpans made its buyers commit to a non-refundable upfront fee of 50-100% of their handpan, and not to mention being put on a waitlist which would last at least 6-18 months (some people are still waiting). These were the pinnacle of times when buyers had no alternative to buy a handpan on the free market like they do now in 20242. Even now though, you'll discover, that the snakes are still out there. The original few handpan makers and owners who continue to claim their superiority to the rest of the world and who lure complete novelists into following their ways. You'll find this is one extreme in the handpan world. The other is handpan deals that are too good to be true (certain Chinese-made handpans and resellers).
That means that the sound and quality of the instrument is defined by you as much as it is defined by the quality of the instrument itself. There are players (and makers!) out there who will claim that their brand or collection of brands are the ultimate choice of handpan and that anything less is simply worthless.
I've seen comments on their Facebook groups of how they condescend handpan makers and their handpans to the point that people begin to actualy question their authenticity.
From the year in which the handpan was invented (2000) by the very exclusive couple in Switzerland to the subsequent first, second and third wave of "new age" handpan makers of the following ten years, to the resellers and recreators whom have introduced new teaching and accessory services for handpans, the evolution of the handpan industry has inevitably been influenced by the economy.
Investment of time and money need not go into preserving the tools for creativity but in fact in refining and sharing those tools with the people and it's a shame that handpan makers didn't share their knowledge earlier. The truth behind the world of handpans is a bitter one which even I had to discover yet persevere my own way. I'm just glad I could help.
In summary, there are some incredible handpans out there and most of them are gorgeous from the Handpan Cult. However, it is simply their mindset which is like that of a young child who has found a rock in the playground which is the first of its kind. Instead of sharing with the world, they hide it and mock others.
We feel for anyone who fell victim to the pesuasion of the Handpan Cult into spending more than they needed for something they might not have been so invested into or simply just wanted to get into without making such a life and soul comitment. In any event, you will find that our Generation 7 Handpans are now the industry;s leading model for being the highest quality stainless steel handpan with the most resonance and being the most affordable. Browse them here!