Dii: Tuning a Cheap Handpan Bought on Instagram

In this episode, Dave tries to tune this gold mini handpan that was bought on Instagram. Other platforms like Facebook, Etsy, Amazon and eBay also sell varieties of handpans. It’s always difficult to judge the quality of a handpan online. Prices vary greatly, too. In this video, Dave explains how this mini handpan is different from others, how it is tuned, and why it sounds the way it does. This handpan review will help you choose the best handpan.
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[@AngryCalls]

This would be the perfect thing to buy to drive your mother-in-law crazy! 🥳🥳🥳

[@hugotavaresgomes9539]

I almost got one, thanks for the video. I almost wasted my money. your video saved me from a lot of deception.

[@ichliebedich3149]

I got one and i think for a beginner like me its pretty good to learn the right amount of touch. But ofcourse 100~ for a not workin instrument mhm^^

[@Kingezpercomics]

It only costing $200 should have been the first red flag. The bubbled steel cost that much, not to mention the hours you have to put into tuning a good instrument. Thanks for bringing awareness to the community with vids like this!

[@davesislandinstruments]

King Ezper Comics Yes, the world of handpans can be tricky sometimes. I hope that my videos help people understand some of the nuances. Thanks for watching!!!

[@aurora9726]

A good one is so expensive tho😩

[@Kingezpercomics]

Waqas Ghauri yea they are expensive as far as instruments go for sure. The process is anything but fast or easy though. You have to hammer or bubble out a shell. Do the same for the bottom and put in a gu. Measure out placement for all the notes. Pneumatic press the tones fields one by one. Hours of tuning each one making sure the harmonics on each one is correct and not going to go out of tune from playing. All while making sure they don’t interfere with each other when played. Then stick it back in the kiln to nitrite. Glue the shells together and wait. Then you have to oil and buff it. Some etch logos or put additional clear coats on them. Very involved handmade masterpiece. That’s why you see some makers only offer certain scales. This lets them build something they are familiar with making and reproduce it with less room for error.

[@davesislandinstruments]

Dii has options for purchases, too. Visit our website: www.davesislandinstruments.com

[@FoivosApostolou]

@@davesislandinstruments Anything in the $500 range?

[@veritassoundsculpture]

Great video with a practical approach as to why NOT to buy these. Do you mind if I share this vid with my customers? I often get requests to tune these and this is a nice way to explain. Well done!

[@davesislandinstruments]

Veritas Sound Sculpture Hi Veritas! Thanks for the comment. Feel free to share, but I didn’t intend for it to be a “Don’t buy this product” video. I just like to educate and let people draw their own conclusions 👍🏼.

[@veritassoundsculpture]

@@davesislandinstruments ah yes.....that! :)

[@GPS379]

That pan sounds like undigested high protein farts

[@davesislandinstruments]

😂

[@JulianKingman]

I would have liked to see the process a bit more, and particularly tuning more of the notes, if nothing else it would provide educational value (hence why I'm here). I bought one just like this for $20 at a garage sale, and I'm not afraid to hit it with a hammer and see what happens... Do you have another video where you show the tuning process a bit more?

[@danielbabson9782]

Thank you so much. I am just about to waste my money on Ebay

[@davesislandinstruments]

🤣

[@nicolebenedicto6442]

Could you answer my question?: I bought a steel drum (Sattva Drum, Argentina), not a hand pan, its a Tongue tipe. One of his notes got off a little in an accident (the other notes sounded good). Try to lift it a bit and it happens that the surrounding notes that are tuned sound bad, the acoustic fails. I know the manufacturer makes repairs. I want to know if there are cases where it is no longer possible to refine it? or is it always tuneable?

[@davesislandinstruments]

Nicole Benedicto Hi! It is difficult to diagnose the problem without seeing the drum personally. A video might help. Bending tongues is not good and can possibly cause permanent damage. Contact us via our website if you have more questions www.davesislandinstruments.com

[@XIIIWinters]

I have a question I cannot find the answer for anywhere. I bought a hang drum off of Amazon. It's a company from China. It's made of Nitrogen steel. Got it for about $850. I love my hang drum, but ya can't help but notice that whenever I strike the lowest note at the top, one of the other notes always rings out unless I have my arm resting on it. Is there any kind of home remedy for this? It's not terrible, and I don't think others really notice it too much, but I sure do. Any input at all would be AWESOME! And thank you in advance!

[@davesislandinstruments]

These handpans usually have tuning issues, and you would need to have a professional tuner check it out. I don't advise trying to hammer it out yourself unless you know what you're doing.

[@XIIIWinters]

@@davesislandinstruments No way I'd take that on. I was thinking more like a dampener like you'd use on a drum set to keep down the excessive vibrating. Tuning is all good on it. I've compared the notes to my music program to make sure. It really is a good sounding instrument. Just that one note that likes to always ring out with the top note. Thank you for the response and advice. Much appreciated!

[@phillozoph50]

I have bought cheap one from Amazon but it sounds great comparing to this one.

[@sarahg4834]

Iv been worried about getting one off amazon!! What’s the link to urs?? Thanks so much

[@phillozoph50]

Sound is good,but it started to get rusty pretty soon.I have to clean it and treat with handpan wax at least once a week.

[@davesislandinstruments]

You can see our handpans here www.davesislandinstruments.com. Thank you!

[@JTM369]

@@phillozoph50 may I ask that you post and review the handpan? Cause no one on any platform has yet and I need to know more info about it lol

[@pharaohatem5047]

I just bought one from Amazon park music brand.. paid around 600 bucks for it half the price of a good brand 9 note one basically … can’t wait to try it iut

[@ragalyisp]

I am looking at buying a handpan. Even willing to go out for the best. Just not sure what scale. Definitely a difficult instrument to get into with little musical knowledge

[@davesislandinstruments]

ragalyisp Contact us via Chat on our website www.davesislandinstruments.com. Leave us your email address so we can contact you. Thank you!

[@ChrisDeJuanMusic]

Yeh that pan looks nasty! Thanks for the info tho... I have a stainless steel handpan that I purchased from a reputable manufacturer in Germany, quality instrument, it's in a D minor Celtic tunning, but the middle D note has gone a tiny bit out, it's a tiny bit sharp... I live in the Canary Islands so before sending it back to the manufacturer, could I attempt to adjust/fix it myself? What does one have to do with the mallet to slightly lower the fundamental pitch of the note that has gone a bit sharp? Would you be able to share the technique? Many thanks! :)

[@davesislandinstruments]

Hello Christian, I would definitely not suggest that you try to tune it yourself. Just a few wrong hits with a hammer can make it much worse and may damage it permanently. My videos make it look easy, but I’ve been tuning for 30 years! 🤣 It is somewhat common for handpans to go sharp. Stainless can go sharp more easily than other steel. Definitely send it to the original maker for tuning. Good luck!

[@ChrisDeJuanMusic]

@@davesislandinstruments That's what thought...that you made it look much easier than what it actually is! Ah well, I might have to ship it back to the manufacturer then to be on the safe side...but don't really like the idea sending off my precious handpan in the post tho... maybe i'll have to personally take a trip to Austria! :) Thanks for your response

[@CarstenBreuning]

Tak for at dele, hvad heder den handpan tuner du bruger?

[@ichliebedich3149]

I bought one for 120. Looks kinda like this one from China. I hope mine will be fine :D

[@davesislandinstruments]

Let us know!

[@ichliebedich3149]

@@davesislandinstruments Its the same. Sounds not that good but still enough for jamming at barbecue. And mine was very sticky, i guess from the clue of the leather. Shop is TomTop and i dont recommend it!!

[@davesislandinstruments]

@@ichliebedich3149 Yep. I’ve seen another one that was sticky, too. Not sure what it is. 🤷‍♂️ Post a video of you playing at your BBQ!!! That would be awesome! 🎶

[@ademirb.5150]

I buy one like this a few weeks ago, my english is not very well, but so uou tell me this hand drum dont work?

[@Handpan360]

Awesome video Dave, thanks

[@davesislandinstruments]

You got it! Thanks for watching!

[@williamwillis3915]

I need help with tuning my hang pan. Can I send it to you for tuning?

[@dragonlove7980]

They sell theses on Amazon now lol

[@davesislandinstruments]

Yep. I tuned another one for a customer the other day...

[@dragonstudiowilliams8221]

I have this one n to me sounds outta tune n I paid £160

[@mathias841]

I didn't understand why you couldn't tune it. Is it because you'd have to reopen it ?

[@davesislandinstruments]

It is a complicated procedure to tune a handpan even when it is properly made. Tuning a handpan that is not properly made can be even more difficult, or not possible at all. The customer did not have much money for the tuning fee so I did my best for what she could afford. Also, as a professional, it is not prudent to spend all day working on a poorly made instrument if it will not sound much better in the end. Sometimes I have to give customers bad news. For example, you cannot make a low cost car drive and perform like an expensive sports car no matter how hard you try. Same thing with handpans.

[@mathias841]

@@davesislandinstruments yeah, but what is the problem with this handpan ? The metal, the shape ?

[@jbbudish]

Yeah your not going to get an answer to that. 1. because he is a dealer in hardpans and wants to discourage the purchase of "Cheap Knockoffs" and keep the "hand pan community" "pure" 2. because he doesn't actually know or care about the science of vibrations. So the short answer is Yes! this is absolutely tunable! In fact the cool thing is you can make these out of different metals and they will have unique timber depending on the material! In fact there are a lot of cool things you can do with the concept of this instrument that are not explored.

[@jbbudish]

@@mathias841 Look up Kristof Carnewal he'll teach you how

[@mathias841]

@@jbbudish yes, it is the case for a lot of things... Thanks for the answer !

[@mickyenglish7966]

Hi, what is the app that you use to check if the handpan is in tune already?

[@nixnutzich]

linotune

[@healingsounds7433]

Waste of time while I have all this equipment if you’re not able to tune it?

[@JTM369]

Please respond! Was the company name called Newllife? Or do you know?

[@davesislandinstruments]

I do not know that name of the company or brand name. It was a generic no label handpan.

[@kchingk]

you just gave up...

[@davesislandinstruments]

Thanks for the comment! 🤣 Well, there’s a difference between giving up and making an educated decision to stop. You also have to remember that customers are also part of the equation and may not want to pay for extensive service. Not all handpans are made alike, either. I outlined some reasons in the comments below. The link below explains a little more about tuning. All the best! kzbin.info/www/bejne/rF65qJSZe7-crs0

[@awapuhi]

China pans 👎👎

[@almendratlilkouatl]

lazy guy