History

Where the instrument came from: a Trinidadian craft carried to Bern, a percussionist’s request in 1999, twelve years of Hang, and the worldwide maker movement that followed.

Files in this section#

File	Questions	Covers
Origins of the Hang	HIS-01 to HIS-07	PANArt before the Hang, the influences, the 1999 to 2001 development, Pang steel
PANArt timeline and the Hang generations	HIS-08 to HIS-15	The four Hang generations, the letters, the end of production, the Gubal, values today
The rise of the handpan movement	HIS-16 to HIS-22	The first independent makers, YouTube, the maker boom, factory instruments, what comes next

Contents#

Origins of the Hang#

ID	Question	Level
HIS-01	Who invented the Hang, and when?	`beginner`
HIS-02	What came before the Hang, and what influenced it?	`beginner`
HIS-03	What did PANArt make before the Hang?	`intermediate`
HIS-04	How did the Hang actually come about in 1999 and 2000?	`beginner`
HIS-05	What does the word “Hang” mean?	`beginner`
HIS-06	What are Pang steel and nitriding, and why did they matter?	`intermediate`
HIS-07	Why did the instrument spread so slowly at first?	`beginner`

PANArt timeline and the Hang generations#

ID	Question	Level
HIS-08	What was the first generation Hang, 2001 to 2005?	`intermediate`
HIS-09	What changed with the second generation Hang in 2006?	`intermediate`
HIS-10	What was the Integral Hang of 2008?	`intermediate`
HIS-11	What was the Free Integral Hang of 2010?	`intermediate`
HIS-12	Why did PANArt stop taking orders and ask buyers to write letters?	`intermediate`
HIS-13	When and why did Hang production end?	`beginner`
HIS-14	What is the Gubal, and what else does PANArt make now?	`intermediate`
HIS-15	Are original Hangs still playable, and what are they worth now?	`intermediate`

The rise of the handpan movement#

ID	Question	Level
HIS-16	Who were the first makers outside PANArt?	`intermediate`
HIS-17	How did the internet and YouTube drive demand?	`beginner`
HIS-18	How many handpan makers are there now?	`beginner`
HIS-19	How did buying one change from lottery lists to instruments in stock?	`beginner`
HIS-20	What changed technically over the first 25 years?	`advanced`
HIS-21	What did affordable factory made handpans change?	`beginner`
HIS-22	Where does the instrument seem to be heading?	`intermediate`

Where to go next#

01 Fundamentals if the terminology in these pages is unfamiliar.
14 Making and tuning for how the craft actually works.
15 Business and legal for the copyright dispute in more detail.

Origins of the Hang

How two Swiss steelpan builders, a Trinidadian instrument, an Indian clay pot and a percussionist’s request produced a new instrument in the year 2000.

PANArt timeline and the Hang generations

Four generations of Hang in twelve years, the letters, the end of production in December 2013, and what an original Hang is worth now.

The rise of the handpan movement

From two makers in Bern to hundreds of workshops worldwide, and from a two year waiting list to next day delivery.