The Master Handpan
Sixteen notes across two faces, and both hands finally busy.
Not sure which scale? Pick one and this line tells you how it sounds. D Kurd is where most players start.
Description
Ten notes on top, six underneath. Sixteen in all, across two playable faces.
Players call this a mutant handpan, and it is not simply a larger version of the ten-note. It sits on your lap: the right hand carries the melody across the top shell while the left reaches underneath for the bass notes. Six bottom notes give it a wide low register.
Ember Steel. Eleven scales are available, from D Kurd through to E La Sirena, at the same price whichever one you choose, in 432 or 440 Hz. Padded bag in the box.
Tuning and care
Play with your hands, not with sticks, and wipe both faces with a dry cloth after each session - the underside picks up as much contact as the top. Kept away from knocks and stored in its bag, an Ember Steel handpan holds its tuning for one to three years. After that, any handpan tuner can bring it back to pitch, and we can point you to one in the United States.
Shipping and returns
Free shipping anywhere in the US.
Built to order in 20–25 days, then shipped by air.
Delivery time: 4–5 weeks within the continental United States.
More information here.
You have 30 days from delivery to request a return, with the packaging still sealed, for a full refund.
More information here.
Nobody buys a handpan from a photograph.
Recorded on the same model, in a dry room, with no processing.The box, the bag, the first note.
The parcel
Sealed, double-boxedOut of the bag
Hammer marks, dimples, dingFirst notes
Hands only, unamplifiedThe same craft, without the two-year wait.
The Master$2,590Category comparison · no maker named
Every specification, and the box.
- Notes
- 16 · ten up, six under
- Scales
- 11 · same price
- Pitch
- 432 or 440 Hz
- Tuning
- By a master · ±5 cents
- Shell
- Ember Steel
- Delivery
- 4–5 weeks · free US shipping
- Returns
- 30 days, sealed
What actually changes between the three.
Scroll sideways on mobile to see all three columns.
What people ask before their first handpan.
The questions we get asked most about this instrument.
Ten notes sit on the top face and six more underneath. You tilt the instrument on your lap or set it on a stand and reach below — the bottom notes are usually played as bass, one hand under the shell while the other keeps the melody on top.
No, but it is more instrument than most people need on day one. The top face plays exactly like a ten-note handpan; the six underneath are there when you want them. It suits sound practitioners and players who already know they will want the range.
No. Every note belongs to the same scale, so nothing you play can land wrong — most people improvise something they enjoy the first afternoon. What takes a few weeks is the touch: a handpan answers to a relaxed hand, not a hard one.
D Kurd if you are unsure — grounded, a little melancholy, and it suits almost anything you would want to play. Pygmy is darker and more meditative, Celtic brighter and more open. You choose your scale at checkout, at no extra cost, and every handpan is built in the scale you pick.
440 Hz if you might ever play alongside another instrument or along to something recorded. 432 Hz if the handpan is above all for your own practice, where its slightly warmer, softer character suits meditation. Same price, same lead time — but the choice is set when the instrument is built and cannot be undone afterwards.
Hands only — mallets dent the tone fields permanently. Wipe it dry after playing, keep it in its bag, and out of direct sun and parked cars. Treated that way it holds its tuning for one to three years, and it can be retuned after that.
Yes. This handpan is covered for three years, counted from the day it arrives. Across the range, the Essential carries one year and the Signature and the Master three. It covers the instrument itself in normal use: if a note or the shell isn't right, send us a photo or a short recording and we will sort it out with you.