Do you want to buy a handpan? Here's all you need to know

Handpans are a relatively new instrument, created in the early 2000s, and they have taken the world by storm with their unique sound and aesthetic. According to Google, it's important to consider several factors before purchasing a handpan, including the cost, material, number of notes, and the manufacturer. This guide aims to explore each of these factors in detail to help you make an informed decision.

1. What is the price of a handpan?

Understanding Handpan Prices

While handpans are handcrafted instruments and considered expensive, they remain accessible. Most handpans cost between $1,500 and $3,000 USD. However, many sellers take advantage of high demand by pricing their instruments above market value, often without offering better quality.

Quality vs. Price

Price doesn't always indicate quality. You could find high-quality handpans for $1,500 USD and mediocre ones for $3,000 USD. Trust your ears and acquire some basic knowledge to discern the value.

2. How do I choose my handpan?

Trust Your Ears and Instincts

Listen to many handpan performances and videos to understand what sound quality appeals to you. Use headphones to catch the subtleties and differences.

Trust Your Head

• Tuning
• Timber
• Sustain
• Balance
• Absence of cross-talk
• Dynamic Range
• Harmonics Precision

These qualities generally define a good handpan. Research and compare before making your purchase.

Try Before You Buy

Whenever possible, try the handpan in person. Visit festivals and forums, or contact manufacturers directly to arrange a visit.

3. How to choose the right handpan material?

Types of Handpan Materials

1. Raw Steel: Cost-effective but needs more maintenance.
2. Steel-coated: Lightweight but susceptible to rust if damaged.
3. Nitrided Steel: Rust-resistant, ideal for percussive players.
4. Stainless Steel: Highly resistant to rust with longer sustain but usually more costly.
5. Ember Steel: A type of stainless steel.

Your choice of material should match your playing style and environment.

4. How to choose the size of my handpan?

Factors to Consider

• Number of Notes: More notes often mean larger size.
• Scale: Larger handpans are better for lower, resonant scales.
• Physicality: Smaller handpans are easier for smaller builds and more portable.
• Travel: Smaller handpans fit better in overhead storage on planes and trains.

5. How to choose the number of notes of my handpan?

Number of Notes

Handpans usually have between 8-10 notes, but some have 20+ notes. More notes provide more options but can increase the likelihood of defects.

Beginner Recommendations

For beginners, 8-9 notes on the top shell and 1 or 2 on the bottom are ideal. Start simple and gradually explore more complex setups.

6. How to find a manufacturer?

Research and Recommendations

Searching for reputable manufacturers is crucial. Check out Master The Handpan's comprehensive list of handpan makers to compare scales, prices, materials, and waiting lists.

7. How to contact a manufacturer?

Contact Methods

Once you have a list of preferred manufacturers, reach out via their contact details on YouTube, Facebook, or their official websites. Ask for opinions on forums like the MasterTheHandpan Community.

With this guide, you're well-equipped to find a handpan that suits your needs perfectly. Take your time, do your research, and trust your instincts.

Chapter 10: Play Areas

A Summary of Accessibility Guidelines for Play Areas

January 2007

The products shown in this guide are only intended to serve as examples to illustrate the accessibility guidelines, and are not intended as endorsements of the products. Other products may be available. The Access Board does not evaluate or certify products for compliance with the accessibility guidelines. Users are advised to obtain and review product specifications for compliance with the accessibility guidelines.

Notational tips for users of screen reading software follow. In this document " indicates inches and ' indicates feet. Some images are paired with visually hidden notes. These annotations are prefaced with begin and end image notes.

Introduction

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a comprehensive civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability. The ADA requires that newly constructed and altered state and local government facilities, places of public accommodation, and commercial facilities be readily accessible to, and usable by, individuals with disabilities. Recreational facilities, including play areas, are among the facilities required to comply with the ADA.

The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board - often referred to as the "Access Board" - has developed accessibility guidelines for newly constructed and altered play areas. The play area guidelines are a supplement to the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG). Once these guidelines are adopted as enforceable standards by the Department of Justice, all newly constructed and altered play areas covered by the ADA will be required to comply. These guidelines also apply to play areas covered by the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA).

This guide is designed to assist in using the play area accessibility guidelines and is divided into the following sections:

• Summary
• Defined Terms
• Where Do the Play Area Guidelines Apply?
• What is a Play Component?
• How Many Play Components Must Be on an Accessible Route?
• What Are the Requirements for Accessible Routes?
• What Other Accessibility Requirements Apply to Play Components? Soft Contained Play Structures

Acknowledgments

The Access Board would like to thank the following manufacturers for their generous assistance: Bob Leathers, Columbia Cascade, GameTime, KOMPAN, Landscape Structures, Little Tikes, Miracle, Olympic Recreation, Playworld Systems, and Recreation Creations. This manual was developed in part through a contract with KOMPAN, Inc., 50 Commercial Drive, Johnson City, New York 13790.

Play Area Terms

Many terms are used throughout this guide to describe the play area guidelines. Familiarity with these terms is important when applying the guidelines. Other definitions are provided in the ADA and ABA Accessibility Guidelines.

ABA

Architectural Barriers Act.

Access Board

An independent Federal agency that develops accessibility guidelines under the ADA and other laws. The Access Board is also known as the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board.

Accessible

Describes a site, building, facility, or portion thereof that complies with the play area guidelines.

Accessible Route

A continuous unobstructed path connecting all accessible elements and spaces of a building or facility. Inside the boundary of the play area, accessible routes may include platforms, ramps, elevators, and lifts. Outside the boundary of the play area, accessible routes may also include parking access aisles, curb ramps, crosswalks at vehicular ways, walks, ramps, and lifts.

ADA

Americans with Disabilities Act.

Alteration

An alteration is a change to a building or facility that affects or could affect the usability of the building or facility or part thereof. Alterations include, but are not limited to, remodeling, renovation, rehabilitation, reconstruction, historic restoration, resurfacing of circulation paths or vehicular ways, changes or rearrangement of structural parts or elements, and changes or rearrangement in the plan configuration of walls and full-height partitions. Normal maintenance is not an alteration unless it affects the usability of the facility (see section on alterations for more details).

Amusement Attraction

Any facility, or portion of a facility, located within an amusement park or theme park, that provides amusement without the use of an amusement device. Examples include, but are not limited to, fun houses, barrels, and other attractions without seats.

ASTM

American Society for Testing and Materials.

Berm

A sloped surface at ground level designed to ascend or descend in elevation.

Clear

Unobstructed.

Composite Play Structure

Two or more play structures attached or functionally linked, to create one integral unit that provides more than one play activity (ASTM F 1487-01).

Cross Slope

The slope that is perpendicular to the direction of travel (see running slope).

Elevated Play Component

A play component that is approached above or below grade and that is part of a composite play structure consisting of two or more play components attached or functionally linked to create an integrated unit providing more than one play activity.

Facility

All or any portion of buildings, structures, site improvements, elements, and pedestrian routes or vehicle ways located on a site.

Ground Level Play Component

A play component that is approached and exited at the ground level.

Play Area

A portion of a site containing play components designed and constructed for children.

Play Component

An element intended to generate specific opportunities for play, socialization, or learning. Play components may be manufactured or natural, and may be stand alone or part of a composite play structure.

Ramp

A walking surface that has a running slope of greater than 1:20.

Running Slope

The slope that is parallel to the direction of travel (see cross slope).

Site

A parcel of land bounded by a property line or a designated portion of a public right-of-way.

Soft Contained Play Structure

A play structure made up of one or more components where the user enters a fully enclosed play environment that utilizes pliable materials (e.g., plastic, netting, fabric).

Use Zone

The ground level area beneath and immediately adjacent to a play structure or piece of equipment that is designated by ASTM F 1487 Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Playground Equipment for Public Use for unrestricted circulation. This is the play surface upon which it is predicted a user would land when falling from or exiting the equipment.

Application - Where do the play area guides apply?

New Construction

The play area guidelines in this guide apply to all newly designed or constructed play areas for children ages 2 and older. This includes play areas located in a variety of settings: parks, schools, childcare facilities, shopping centers, and public gathering areas. Owners or operators of newly constructed play areas are responsible for complying with these guidelines.

The play area guidelines do not apply to:

• Family childcare facilities where the proprietor resides
• Amusement attractions
• Religious entities

Alterations

The play area guidelines apply to alterations made to existing play areas that affect, or could affect, the usability of the play area. Examples include removing a climbing play component and replacing it with a spring rocker, or changing the ground surfacing.

Alterations provide an opportunity to improve access to existing play areas. Where play components are altered and the ground surface is not, the ground surface does not have to comply with the ASTM F 1951-99 standard for accessible surfaces unless the cost of providing an accessible surface is less than 20 percent of the cost of the alterations to the play components.

If the entire ground surface of an existing play area is replaced, the new ground surface must provide an accessible route to connect the required number and types of play components. Normal maintenance activities such as replacing worn ropes or topping off ground surfaces are not considered alterations.

If play components are relocated in an existing play area to create safe use zones, the guidelines do not apply, provided that the ground surface is not changed or extended for more than one use zone. Replacing the entire ground surface does not require the addition of more play components.

This play area was altered by adding two spring rockers (background). The seat of at least one spring rocker is between 11 inches (280 mm) and 24 inches (610 mm) maximum, and clear floor or ground space and maneuvering space is provided. If the ground surface is replaced in the future, an accessible route would have to be provided to the spring rocker.

Equivalent Facilitation

Designs, products, or technologies can be used as alternatives to those prescribed, provided they result in substantially equivalent or greater accessibility or usability.

Equivalent facilitation is the concept of utilizing innovative solutions and new technology, design, or materials in order to satisfy the guidelines. These alternative solutions provide equal access and take advantage of new developments, but may differ technically from specific guidelines.

Phasing in Play Areas

When play areas are constructed in phases, they must continue to meet the play area guidelines throughout construction. The initial phase area must meet the guidelines, and then at each successive phase the whole play area must be reassessed to assure compliance. "Phased Designs" are play areas developed to be installed in different stages, allowing the play area to grow in a planned manner while accommodating budgets, fund raising, or community approval processes. The play area shown below will be installed in twp phases. As each phase is completed, the entire play area must be reevaluated for compliance.

Play Areas Separated by Age

To reduce the risk of injury, safety guidelines recommend separate play areas for different age groups. In applying the guidelines, play areas designed for different age groups should be considered separately. A play area designed for 2 to 5 year-olds is considered separate from one for 5 to 12 year-olds. Therefore, compliance with the guidelines must be considered for each individual play area.

Geographically Separated Play Areas

Large geographical spaces may contain several play areas within one park setting. Where play areas are geographically separated on a site, they are considered separate play areas. The accessibility guidelines apply to each play area.

What is a Play Component?

A play component is an element designed to generate specific opportunities for play, socialization, and learning. Play components may be manufactured or natural, and may be stand alone or part of a composite play structure. Swings, spring riders (below), water tables, playhouses, slides, and climbers (right) are among the many different play components.

For the purpose of the guidelines, ramps, transfer systems, steps, decks, and roofs are not considered play components. These elements are generally used to link other elements on a composite play structure. Although socialization and pretend play can occur on these elements, they are not primarily intended for play.

When applying the play area guidelines, it is important to identify the different play experiences play components can provide.

Different "Types"

At least one of each type of play component provided at ground level in a play area must be on the accessible route. Different "types" of play components are based on the general experience provided by the play component. Different types include, but are not limited to, experiences such as rocking, swinging, climbing, spinning, and sliding.

"Rocking" is an example of horizontal movement that can be backwards, forwards