The ownership of a piano has long been associated with wealth and social status. Pianos are expensive, take up considerable space, and require significant time and dedication to master. As East Asia’s economies rapidly grew in the latter half of the 20th century, domestic demand for grand pianos, baby grands, and uprights surged. Soon, China became the global hub for piano manufacturing, acquiring European piano companies and mass-producing quality instruments.
Even renowned UK piano makers like Edelweiss, based just outside Cambridge, began relying heavily on parts imported from East Asia, as the necessary skills to produce components locally had largely disappeared.
“About a hundred years ago, the British were quite skilled at piano making,” says Mark Norman, Edelweiss’s creative director and son of the company’s founder. “But today, around 80 percent of the world’s piano parts are sourced from the Far East.”
Edelweiss, like many other piano makers, relied on a steady supply of imported parts. “If the containers of parts arrived regularly, it was a pretty good system,” Norman recalls. “We were planning to visit China to expand our relationship with factories when Covid hit. Our flights were canceled, and we were relieved we hadn’t gone, as we might not have been able to get back.”
The pandemic didn’t just delay business meetings; it brought the global supply chain to a halt. China effectively stopped exporting goods during this period, causing major disruptions for companies like Edelweiss. “We were fortunate that we had just stocked up on parts,” Norman says. “But if China had shut down for two years, or if it happened again, what would we do?”
Fearing this kind of disruption for years, Edelweiss had already begun considering the possibility of manufacturing a piano completely sourced and built in the UK. Norman had previously resisted the idea, believing it to be an almost impossible task.
“The prospect was daunting,” he admits. “But we had to secure a reliable supply chain that wouldn’t expose us to these kinds of problems. Plus, it would be beneficial for our carbon footprint.”
Although Edelweiss had spent decades restoring and building pianos to the highest standards, the company lacked the know-how to produce the piano’s individual parts. To overcome this, they enlisted renowned American piano designer Delwin Fandrich to create a design for a new model, which they envisioned as the world’s smallest grand piano.
“Edelweiss took on a project that few companies, even much larger ones, would consider,” says Fandrich. “Building any piano is a formidable task, but creating one from scratch with a completely new design is even more challenging.”
Once the design was finalized, Edelweiss began reaching out to potential suppliers. “At first, we didn’t tell them what the project was,” Norman explains. “We wanted to gauge their passion for the craft. When you’re working on an instrument, it’s not just a job—it’s about going the extra mile to make it better.”
Encouraged by the enthusiastic responses, Edelweiss decided to move forward, sending out legal non-disclosure agreements to ensure confidentiality before sharing the full project details with their selected partners.
One of the key components of the piano was its frame, traditionally cast in iron—a lengthy and complicated process involving mould-making and adjustments. Unable to find a foundry capable of producing the desired cast iron frame, Edelweiss found a supplier who could cut the frame from steel. The team then experimented with welding and bolting to create a frame that would pass the rigorous stress tests. However, the action mechanism—the system that triggers the hammers to strike the strings—proved too complex to manufacture from scratch.
“You have to test thousands of actions on each key,” Norman explains. “The development process and quality control would be incredibly demanding, and it would be very hard to make a profit. So, for this piano, we’re using a carbon fiber composite action from the USA, which has worked out very well.”
The entire process, from design to finished product, took three years. Norman estimates the cost of development at between £100,000 and £200,000, which he acknowledges is a significant investment.
Despite the costs, Edelweiss now has a unique product that has been well received by pianists and has placed the company in a much stronger position.
“I wouldn’t say we’re bulletproof,” Norman reflects. “But my father was always an innovator, and I think he’d be really proud of what we’ve accomplished.”
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