FAQ
What is your journey?
I am about healing. I think many of us live with trauma, fear and we don’t feel well. We don’t feel like we belong. I believe it’s because lots of what we do is artificial, we are disconnected from our true selves and from nature. Many of us are trying to find ways to reconnect. I know for myself, this is important. When I was 3, my mom left us. I was empty and numb for years. Steel music is what saved me. And it’s my journey to help people heal and become whole, and connected.
Can I hear what it sounds like? Can I hear different Scales?
Below you’ll find many videos of what the Solos sounds like:
NOTE: These videos are never sufficient to fully experience the instrument. Only playing it will give you that feeling.
NOTE: Be sure to put in headphones for all these videos.
PERFORMANCE ON TV - “MORNING BLEND”
This is the Solos with a professional player
Here is a video of Justin Paul playing a Solos on the Tampa Bay Morning show “Morning Blend”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhCV9ccDkzk
Here are a few other videos demonstrating different scales
Solos aeolian in C# https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH0ugSAnaR0
Solos Aeolian in D https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtCHV3ck-Ng
Solos Celtic in C https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5crR6BEF0Y
What does Solos mean?
The Sound of Love on Steel
What is the size (diameter, height, weight, thickness) of your handpan?
24” diameter, 10 inches high and 13.2 lbs.
Thickness is 18 gage.
How big is your handpan? Is it larger than some others?
You are correct, the original “Hung” was 20" & 22" inches in diameter, all standard hand pan size ranges from 19", 20", 22" 23" 24". My drum is the 24 inchs, so the largest size. The compromise is that if you have short hands or under 5/7 and would like to have the instrument to sit on your lap, it would be difficult. So if this is the case. I would recommend a snare stand but that is also recommend for a 22" inch and up to avoid dropping the drum.
Is your handpan nitrided?
Yes, our handpan is color nitrided. The drums finish is a bluish, dark purple mix. Very beautiful.
How much nitriding does this drum have? Will the sound be really stiff?
The drum normally undergoes a bluish-purple colour nitration that normally takes a week. The notes are not stiff. They vibrate very well and sound very beautiful.
Are nitrided Handpans impervious to rust? Do they need to be oiled?
All Solos handpans go through a nitration process. Therefore they are protected against rust. However, they can sometimes get minor scratches so I always recommend oiling the pan once a month for extra protection. I recommend olive oil or frog lube to help it.
See the following for best practices of care for handpan.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1HAXRvqnf0i6irAgwSDNiBe3OaGGeNesl
How do I take care of the handpan?
See the following for best practices of care for handpan.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1HAXRvqnf0i6irAgwSDNiBe3OaGGeNesl
What color is the drum?
The drums finish is a bluish-dark purple mix. Very beautiful.
Will the handpan end up having a unique colour after the heat treatment?
Yes, the hand pan undergoes some unique color processing, a kind of a dark purple. It's a very awesome color. Purple is the color of wisdom
It's an original and rare colour meant to be for Solos!
How many notes?
9 notes total = 8 notes + the Ding
What scales do you make?
Any scale you like that you have heard online between the ranges of B2 to A4. Some scales, are difficult to build, so I may refuse to build a specific scale to avoid impeding harmonics. (write me a message if you want to know more about this)
What scale do you recommend for beginners?
The most important thing is to get the right handpan for you. This is a matter of taste and what you want to feel. I always recommend to listen to many scales. Different scales have different feelings.
In terms of my own suggestions for beginners, I would recommend the Integral in (D) A Bb C D E F A C, Celtic Minor in D or Equinox in (E) G B C D E F# G B. I also recommend the Aeolian in C# scale for beginner’s for exploration.
What are your favorite scales?
To have a favourite is hard. I have a very strong connection to Hijaz in C. It is a storyteller. It’s very sad, yet an optimistic scale and beautiful. C# Aeolian scale is also a great choice, especially if you’re exploring or traveling. Everytime I had a chance to play it, I felt it was taking me on a journey or an adventure.
I have no experience, can you help me choose?
Absolutely. I love to talk to buyers and to choose together. I want to know what you want to experience, and how the instrument can help you feel and connect. Please read the messages in this FAQ, and then message me for further questions.
Do you tune to 432h rather than 440?
Standard is 440 hz. And yes, I am able to tune at 432hz, and we only tune 432hz upon request, as it does not work with standard instruments.
Is it also possible to order a handpan, pick it up and pay cash?
I am not able to start building, until I receive full payment. You can pay in cash in person if you wish.
How do I pay? What are my payments options?
There are several payment options. We have set up an online payment platform with many methods of paying so that there should be no problem in purchasing!
How long would it take to produce it? And ship it?
The creation takes a month or so. Shipping is normally 8- 10 business days. (Sometimes more, if you live outside of North America)
What is the process to create a handpan?
The drum undergoes several processes, including molding, buffing/polishing (cleaning the metal), nitration (stop the metal from rusting) and finally tuning. The tuning is the hardest and longest portion. It’s where the magic happens. Where the instrument becomes custom to your needs and feelings.
Do you have a local handpan shop or some of your instruments at your place to try them?
This is an excellent idea. As for now, we don’t have specific locations. We want to work on doing this in the future in cities where there is lots of interest.
I was wondering if there was any way you could work with me to do some kind of financing/payments?
We no longer offer this. We have tried this, and it was complicated for us, and we’ve had customers that were unable to pay in the past.
What drums do you have in stock?
All drums are built to order and it's not very often we will have a drum in stock available for purchase.
I am wondering how long your wait list is for a hand pan right now?
The wait period is 1-3 months (depending). Customers are required to pay in full for the process to begin.
The drum undergoes 3 factory process: Molding (making Sphere), buffing (cleaning) and nitration (stop the metal from rusting). Then the drum is sent to me for the tuning process. When the drum arrives at my studio. I will be in contact with you, to reconfirm the scale you would like your drum to have.
Does it come with a case?
It does not come default with a case. Customers can order a case upon ordering. We have two types of bags available: Evatek (Hard case Technology) or Namana bags.
What kind of stand do you recommend for it?
I would recommend a snare stand. In particular, the GIBRALTAR. Any should work but I find this one in particular is the most sturdy for handpan.
Alternatively, you can also add it to your purchase and I’ll send it to you for a small handling fee.
What is your warranty? Does it come with a warranty?
Yes, we offer a variety of warranties. You can view the details here: Warranty.
How often does the handpan go out of tune and what is your cost for tuning? Does tuning ever change due to playing or environmental factors? If so, are you able to retune/finetune an instrument down the road if required?
Our hand pans are tuned to stay in tune for a very long time with proper care which we send when you receive your drum. Our drum is professionally tuned, so very accurate and it's quite able to compliment other instrument if they are tuned at 440hz. Improper techniques, extreme temperature can affect the sound as well as its tuning, so the environment is a factor. Normally, I send tips of how best to care the instrument when you received it.
(see our protection guide: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1HAXRvqnf0i6irAgwSDNiBe3OaGGeNesl)
The drum if properly cared can stay in tune for a very long time but I will be happy to retune the instrument if needed. The cost for retuning is $250 to $500, depending on what needs to be done. Please be advised that you may have to pay for the shipping both ways. This also depends on what kind of warranty you have. Please check the details of the types of warranties. Also, we ask you to always send a video before shipping your drum for retuning and to communicate with us.
Does it need to be retuned after some time?
My drum tuning is very strong and very rarely needs retuning unless the drum was dropped or misused.
Where are you based? And where is the drum produced?
In Canada, in the province of Prince Edward Island, on the East Coast of Canada. I am very often in Montreal as well (family living there) and ship to most places in the world.
In terms of process, part of the processing is done in Montreal and we are based in Prince Edward Island, and that’s where the instruments are tuned and crafted.
I would like to know if it's hard to learn?
Handpan are pretty simple instruments. They rarely require any musical background. If you are able to tap on your lap, you should be able to play a handpan. Depending on the person, it takes a few minutes to acquaint yourself with resonating a note. Once this is achieved, everything becomes easier. I think it’s always worth any time to invest to learn to play better. And the handpan is so deep and rich that you are never done learning. Our partner David Charrier has an excellent site to learn how to play. We are partners and you get $30 off if you sign up through this link.