Why Isthmus Handpans?
A beautiful sounding handpan can lift your spirit and inspire you.
Our price guarantees a quality product & service. Although we could produce pieces that “look like” a handpan on the outside more cheaply, we continue to choose quality over quantity approach by handcrafting our instruments. Our attentiveness to detail is what makes our instruments superb, impressive and alive feeling. We believe this is part of the magic of playing our handpans. We think your experience should surpass that of one just tapping on a shaped steel vessel. Your experience with a handpan should open your heart, allow you to listen, feel, create and express what is inside. We can bring you that experience.
Our price is a reflection of our material quality, processes, commitment & service that go into creating the highest quality instruments & experience. Your investment in an Isthmus helps support the art of tuning steel and keeps our presence in the instrument marketplace a reality. Read on to learn about each of our pillars of quality.
1. Our Passion & Dedication for the Art of Tuning Steel
For well over a decade we’ve been dedicated to the art of hand crafting beautiful instruments. That’s longer than most handpan manufacturers worldwide.
We are women-owned, and the first ever solely women-founded handpan company in the world, making us a true pioneer in the world of handpans.
We believe this instrument has the ability to change lives in a positive way. And it’s that belief that drives us everyday to build acoustic works of art. You can hear the difference in our instruments.
The Passion +
Dedication for well over a decade.
The Beginning +
We are women-founded and women-owned.
2. Made in the USA
Our process of sourcing steel sets us apart from all other handpan makers. We only source our steel from selected suppliers to our proprietary specifications. Our nitrided steel is made & melted in the USA, and it has a better sound quality, strength, stability and weight than handpans found through online music retailers.
We were one of the first builders in the world to make our own handpan shells, and we are one of only a handful of reputable handpan companies in the world that has the knowledge, tools & expertise to source and form a proper steel canvas for instrument building.
We understand our material to the highest level & it adds to our unique sound.
The Steel +
Our quality material is thicker than most and offers a robust sound, strength & stability.
The Source +
We make our handpan shells & tools in the USA.
3. The Isthmus Sound & Touch
Our handpans have a rich sound, with notes that are lively & full-sounding with crisp & clear harmonics. You’ll find dynamic sensitivity on every instrument, making them a joy to play and own. With responsive notes that resonate with the lightest touch, we’ve been told time and time again that our instruments have become customer favorites.
Our years of experience coaxing the best sound out of steel has allowed us to create our own distinct and desirable timbre that catches the ear and will resonate with you on a deep level. Specifically, our skillful note-to-note interactions make each handpan feel alive and full of potential.
We don’t filter our audio recordings at all: what you hear is what you get. And that’s a good thing. We are real, and we are honest about creating the most enjoyable and playable instruments you can find.
The Sound +
Our instruments are lively & rich sounding with clear harmonics & our unique timbre.
The Touch +
Our handpans have responsive notes that resonate with the lightest touch.
The Feel +
A beautiful sounding handpan will lift your spirit and allow you to connect to your creative side.
The Authenticity +
What you hear is what you get.
4. Handcrafted by Skilled Artisans
We are a top-quality, small batch producer of handpans. We can only build a limited number of instruments every year. Beautiful acoustic properties don’t come quickly. We hammer the entire instrument over, not just the notes, so it resonates to it's full potential. Our instruments don’t look machine made and they don’t sound it either. And that’s a good thing!
We are unwavering in the face of mass production. Although we employ highly sophisticated forming processes to help meet demand, we still celebrate the human skill that is essential for the finest work. Each instrument is finely crafted and put into tune though thousands of precise hammer strikes. Tuning is a skill that can be taught, but only through time and experience is it truly learnt. We have developed skillful Mastery in tuning from over a decade of building and refining our own instruments from scratch.
The Human +
We hammer the entire instrument over so it resonates to it’s full potential, not just the notes.
The Look +
Our deep blue & purple finishes are truly stunning!
The Skill +
Mastery in Tuning.
5. Quality Built to Last
From our steel selection to our human processes, each instrument is built with unmatched attention to detail.
Our rigorous quality check system ensures that every instrument leaving our workshop has the highest build consistency possible. This includes features such as, precise tuning, stable notes, and superb resonance.
The aesthetics of our instruments are truly stunning, with a deep blue & purple finish. Our steel is thicker than most, adding to its stability, and warm robust sound.
We guarantee our work & our instruments have stood the test of time, with over 800 instruments worldwide most staying in tune 7+ years, through the rigors of professional musicians and newer players alike.
Our Quality +
Attention to detail at every level.
Longevity +
Our build quality & tuning longevity are the best you can find.
Our guarantee +
With lifetime service & an honest return policy, we gaurantee you'll love your Isthmus handpan or we'll make it right.
6. Customer Service & Transparency
You can meet your maker & our team at Isthmus Instruments! Located in Madison, Wisconsin, we welcome customers with an open door. We want to help you find your perfect instrument that will last a lifetime.
Every instrument is hand signed by our tuners ensuring accountability and traceability. We are committed to servicing your instrument if ever needed & providing top-notch customer service with the quickest response time in the industry.
7. Our Commitment
We are committed to building & supporting our community of handpan players. That’s why we are proud to offer value-added products to enhance your experience. We wrote the first handpan book in the USA, and offer other exclusive branded accessories that are designed, sourced & built in the USA by Isthmus and our partners.
We are also committed to supporting positive change in our community and beyond. That’s why, every year we are proud to host gatherings, work with non-profit organizations and other qualifying individuals through donations, discounts or events.
