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The iskra handpan
by Symphonic Steel
We’ve Moved to Aurora, Colorado!
The order backlog is being worked through from the downtime during the move. Thank you for your patience!
Inspired by the PANArt Hang®, the ISKRA Handpan is the most refined version of the original sound sculpture.
The PANArt Hang (also known as the “Hang Drum”) was the starting point for a hand-played tuned steel instrument. Gaining its roots from the steel pan from Trinidad and Tobago, it combined the beautiful sound of singing steel with a direct touch of the hands. The original instrument, consisting of 7 to 9 notes, was simple enough to not be intimidating to the novice, but allowed for nearly anyone to start down the path of playing and enjoying music for themselves.
I, Sean Beever of Symphonic Steel, have been producing some of the world’s best handpans since 2013. Years of metallurgical and acoustical research have helped form the Iskra handpan as it is known today.
Many people are familiar with the original sound sculpture design from PANArt in the early 2000s (known as the Hang®). The Iskra has built upon those same techniques and principles to create an even more amazing handpan.
You are invited to learn more about our handpans, from the various series offered, the sound models to choose from, and even the finishes available for your own handpan.
Each Iskra handpan is hand-crafted by myself, Sean Beever, in my workshop located in Aurora, Colorado.
The Original Sound… Refined.
The Iskra’s successful ‘back to the basics’ design is proven by the original sound sculptures conceived in Bern, Switzerland over 20 years ago. Many people know these original sound sculptures as a “hang drum”. To learn more about why we don’t call our handpans “hang drums” instead, check out this article.
In the vast world of handpans, the Iskra offers simplicity coupled with sonic excellence. Handpan masters and novices alike can create beautiful music at the tips of their fingers with the Iskra Handpan.
Each Iskra handpan is hand-crafted and tuned by Sean Beever, a master steel tuner with more than 18 years of experience.
With over 750 handpans individually crafted and sold world-wide since 2013, Symphonic Steel is a top producer of quality handpan instruments.
The Iskra handpan has recently been performed with by the talented Dan Mulqueen in the last live performance of Shpongle at the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado!
Featured handpans
View more in the web store!
Our handpans are generally built to order, but sometimes we have some for sale immediately! If you see “sold out” handpans, just place an order for one here!
Sean Beever
Owner, Master Tuner
Sean has been tuning steel since the age of 12. Read more!
Why Are Handpans So Expensive, you ask?
After all, handpans are just metal bowls with dents, right? Wrong!
The cost of a handpan today ranges from $999 (See our “Motif Series”) all the way up to $5000. This usually surprises the uninitiated, to say the least! But why are they so expensive???
While they appear to be very simple in architecture, handpans are actually extremely complex. The unique sound you hear from them is created by the coupling of many frequencies that have all been tuned into each note or tone field. This complicated process of handpan tuning takes years, even decades, to master. Even with experience, the tuning process for each handpan requires a significant amount of time.
This process also can’t be done by machinery as many would like to believe. It is certainly possible to make something that looks like a handpan with machines, but it won’t ever sound like one! A talented handpan tuner simply must bring the magical sound of tuned steel into the instrument themselves.
Like many things in today’s world, you will get what you pay for, and the handpan world is no different. With handpans copies being made in large factories in China, many of us established steel tuners are seeing the handpan instrument tainted by low-quality tuning, and non-existent customer service. Such is the way of the world, but many of us encourage a prospective buyer to do their due diligence before purchasing any handpan.
The Iskra Handpan on Instagram!
What is a Handpan ‘Sound Model’?
Many musical instruments people have heard of are “fully chromatic”. This means that they can play any musical note in the western musical scale, A through G. A piano would be the most classical example of this.
Handpans, on the other hand, are not fully chromatic. Instead, they have a specific and defined selection of notes. This selection of notes has been coined as a ‘sound model’ in the handpan world. There are many, many handpan sound models in existence. Each sound model will invoke a certain ‘mood’; some are happy, some are sad, and some are quite exotic.
Since the selection of notes is fewer than a ‘fully chromatic’ musical instrument, it is much easier for anyone, regardless of their musical knowledge, to pick up a handpan and create beautiful music on it.
To read more on the handpan sound models that are offered on our Iskra handpan, click here.