Steel Drums
Low C Tenor Painted
The lead voice of the steel band. Bright, clear tones across a full chromatic range for melody and solo work.
$1,700.00View in shop
Handcrafted steel drums, Sanford, Florida
The sound of paradise, built by hand.
Master-crafted steel drums forged with 70 years of Caribbean tradition. Where professionals go for pans & tuning.
+1 (407) 451-3921Workshop visits by appointment
Buy a listed pan
Tenors, doubles, cellos and bass sets with set prices. Add one to your cart and check out with PayPal.
Browse the shopTalk about a custom build
Need a specific note layout, a chrome finish, or a full band set? Tell us what you play and we will quote it.
Start a conversationFrom the shop
Handcrafted steel drums
Each pan is sunk, grooved and tuned in Sanford. Painted finishes are listed; chrome is available on any drum.
Steel Drums
Double Tenor Painted
Two pans with extended range and harmonic depth. Suited to chordal accompaniment and counter-melody.
$1,800.00View in shop
Steel Drums
Triple Cello
Three pans covering the rich mid range. The rhythmic backbone of the band, strumming chords with a warm, resonant sound.
$1,850.00View in shop
- Playing and making pans since
- 1956
- Where it started
- St. Croix
- Working shop today
- Sanford, FL
- Under one roof
- Built, tuned, restored
How a pan is made
A hammer, a sheet of steel, and an ear for pitch
Each instrument is individually shaped, tempered, and tuned by master craftsman Tom "Tommy Rey" Reynolds and his son Thomas from their workshop in Sanford, Florida.
- 01
Sinking
The flat head of a steel drum is hammered down into its bowl by hand. This sets the depth and tension every note depends on.
- 02
Grooving and shaping
Each note area is marked and grooved so it can vibrate on its own, then raised and shaped from underneath.
- 03
Tuning
Every note is brought to concert pitch and its overtones balanced by ear. This is the part that separates a pan from a drum.
Services
Already own a pan?
Tuning and restoration for instruments from any maker, plus custom builds when you need something the shop does not list.
Ready to find your sound?
Professional player, school band, or buying a first pan: tell us what you are after and we will point you to the right drum.
Made in Sanford, Florida
The workshop sits in Sanford, north of Orlando, and serves players across Seminole, Orange and Volusia counties and the rest of Central Florida. Drums, accessories and recordings ship anywhere in the United States, and pans from any maker can be brought in for tuning or restoration.
Tropical Hammer Steel Drum Crafters
900 Country Club Rd., Sanford, FL 32773
+1 (407) 451-3921 · info@tropicalhammer.com
Visits by appointment.