Maintaining a Handpan
A well-maintained handpan keeps its tone and its tuning for years. Here are the right habits, from receiving the instrument to retuning.
When your instrument arrives
- Open the box carefully
Take your time when opening it. Even though the instrument is very well protected, open the box carefully.
- Wipe the instrument
Handpans are treated before shipping in order to protect the instrument during transport. Wipe your instrument with a microfibre cloth (used only for this purpose).
- Keep the box and the protective packaging
We recommend that you always keep the box and the protective packaging delivered with your instrument.
- Let it reach room temperature
Give your instrument time to reach the temperature of your home.
Everyday care
Like all high-end musical instruments, it needs to be looked after.
- Use the protective bag, a stand and the products in the accessories category of the website (gloves, cloth, spray…).
- Wipe your instrument regularly after playing, with a microfibre cloth (used only for this purpose).
- Treat your instrument 3 or 4 times a year (you can do so more often if it is frequently used outdoors).
- Never put oil inside your instrument: at best it is useless, at worst it will degrade the sound.
How to apply the oil?
Using a microfibre cloth, spread the care product evenly over the outside of the instrument (on the dome and the bottom) in a circular motion. Wipe or wash your hands after applying it and give the steel time to absorb the liquid (the time varies depending on the instrument, the amount of oil sprayed and the drying conditions). The instrument must be dry before it is played.
Note: 2 or 3 times a year, clean your handpan with a clean, dry cloth soaked in 70° or 90° alcohol. This removes the dirt embedded in the metal before applying the oil and restores the best sound quality.
In case of rust: if it appears occasionally, coconut oil on a slightly abrasive cloth works wonders. For more pronounced rust, very fine steel wool can help, but at the risk of changing the colour of the surface. As with any musical instrument, it is best not to put it in careless hands and to avoid using it in humid weather as much as possible.
Precautions to take
A handpan is made from a steel base that has undergone heat treatment to minimise any risk of corrosion. The instrument nevertheless remains sensitive to humidity, salt, temperature and impacts.
Humidity
Do not leave your handpan in a damp place. If the instrument is not used for a week or more, apply the care products and store it in its bag.
Salt
Avoid contact with sea water or sea air.
Temperature
Avoid direct exposure to the sun, as a handpan can reach very high temperatures. Like all metals, it expands, and this affects the tuning. A handpan is prepared to return to its original tuning as it cools; as a precaution, keep it away from any heat source and from direct sunlight.
Impacts
A handpan is shaped and tuned by very precise hammer blows, and its metal holds a certain tension. Any strong impact can alter these stresses and detune the instrument.
What are the warranties?
All our instruments are tested before shipping. It is up to each person receiving their handpan to check the tuning and the finish, so as to let us know very quickly if there is a problem.
The warranty is generally one year from the shipping date of the order, against any manufacturing defect (each maker nevertheless applies its own warranties, which will be specified to you). Of course, retuning solutions are available to you.
The risk of detuning
There is little reason for your instrument to go out of tune by itself. However, under the effect of repeated strikes, temperature variations and the many hazards of transport, some notes may be altered in various ways.
Using sticks or mallets is strongly discouraged: this type of instrument is made to be played with the hands.
Having your handpan retuned
Bali Steel Pan: at the maker’s, in Bali
Retuning or repair is carried out directly by the maker: you therefore need to send your handpan back to Bali. Retuning is free, but the return shipping costs and any customs duties are at your expense.
The maker’s address will be sent to you on request. We inform the maker of the arrival of your instrument and keep you informed of the progress of the tuning and of the return.
Please note: your instrument will be unavailable for about 2 months.
Other handpans: in France, by the maker
For an effective first retuning, it is advisable to wait at least 6 months after purchase, to give the instrument time to develop its full potential.
You will need to send your handpan directly to the maker; the address will be given to you after a phone call. The return shipping costs are at your expense. Use the original packaging and remember to insure your parcel against any damage during transport.
Your instrument will be unavailable for a maximum of 4 weeks.
Please note: no instrument may be shipped without the maker’s prior agreement!
Notes about shipping
If a problem occurs during transport, the reservations noted on delivery must be clear and detailed on the carrier’s signed delivery note. They must concern the goods themselves, not the packaging. You will be asked to take digital photos to attach to any claim file.
Notes such as “subject to unpacking” (or any vague reservation about the condition of the goods) have no legal value: they do not ensure that a claim will be taken into account by a carrier. We suggest you be wary of advice from delivery drivers when a dispute arises.