FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

With a lot of hammering! I still build in a slightly "traditional" way using 4 pneumatic hammers and about 8 different shaping heads for everything, no molds or presses. I am only working with 1mm 430 Stainless Steel at the moment. I use an extremely accurate kiln for heating and cooling. My glue of choice has been Merbenit. Each Veritas Handpan is protected with Pure Sound Wax which is sent with every instrument and available for purchase on my website.

Deposits for custom orders through my website are first come first serve. Each quarter, I will open up a limited numbers of orders for custom Veritas Sound Sculpture handpans, depending on my availability. This deposit is $300 and is non-refundable, so it will be important to read through the Common Questions section before purchasing the deposit so you have a clearer idea of pricing, available scales, range of notes, etc. My hope for this system is to minimize the time spent answering questions for those who may be interested but not ready to commit and still be able to answer most of those questions via the Common Questions section.

Once the deposit has been paid, I will then contact you via email and we can work together to determine detailed cost, shipping, and finalize the layout and scale you are wanting. We will work together to understand how I will build it within the range I feel I can achieve the best sound possible. This is why, again, it will be worthwhile to read through my online FAQ page, as my correspondence will be limited and focused towards the current orders and those who have purchased the deposit. I hope this will give both you and I more time to communicate during the process when needed without me being strained by numerous emails.

Tickets are limited to 2 per order, or 2 per household for now. Since they are so limited and I am offering them more often throughout the year it is possible to order more in the future. For each batch limiting it to 2 is what I feel most fair and comfortable with. I have no way to limit that via my website, so if it is determined that one person has bought more than 2 deposits I will refund them the difference.

Since it has proven extremely difficult to quote time frames for the instrument start dates I have decided to shorten the waitlist but have more opportunities to open it throughout the year. Life can change drastically over the course of a year and having a 1 year waitlist doesn't allow for the unknown setbacks like travel, health (both physical and mental) breaks, rebuilding instruments that don't meet my expectations, repairing damaged instruments, etc. I plan to take on a limited number of instruments every 3 months or so, throughout the year. I will limit the batch number to 10 orders each time the list reopens and plan on those being started after the previous batch of 10 instrument orders are completed.

My hope with these lower numbers of orders is that quoted time frames are more accurate and easier to maintain while also opening the list multiple times throughout the year instead of having it fully booked for the majority of it. These limited orders will also allow me time, space, and inspiration to create a scale of my choice more often, do more R&D, experiment, and provide occasional instruments immediately available on my website.

Currently, I plan to take around 10 deposits every 3 months in order to keep the quoted wait times more manageable and realistic. That number may change pending holiday and travel plans.

While I have tried my best to answer as many potential questions as I can I am sure there will be some questions that are not answered in the Common Questions page. In the event your question isn't already answered there I will do my best to respond as quickly as possible.

I can imagine it must be a little difficult for those who have not met me in person to purchase a non-refundable deposit without speaking with me first. I hope to assure you about my trustworthiness by doing as much research as you can about me in various ways. You are welcome to reach out to online/in-person handpan communities, Googling "Josh Rivera Handpan" for a variety of interviews/blogs/podcasts I have done, and knowing that almost every handpan on my YouTube channel has been a custom built instrument for someone near or far.

I have been heavily involved with the handpan community since receiving my Panart Hang in 2007. I have also been tuning at gatherings and festivals since 2014 and after 4 years working at Saraz I started building my own instruments in 2018. The handpan changed my life in a multitude of positive ways and it has been my goal to honor and pay that forward by crafting Veritas Sound Sculptures to the best of my ability, as if each one is going to be my own. My love for this craft and this community of handpan lovers is infinitely more valuable to me than taking advantage of anyone's trust.

Since I work alone I try and manage my time as best I can. Typically, I reply every 24 hours. I do thorough correspondence every morning and then I spend the rest of the day in the shop. I try to keep notifications off of my phone so I can stay focused while building your Veritas Sound Sculpture.