Inside a Custom Build: The Hailun Crystal Piano
A Simple Question
It began with a simple question from a customer: "Do you build custom pianos?"
Nick L. had something specific in mind. He wanted a piano with a clear crystal case, so you could see everything inside it: the strings, the cast-iron plate, the soundboard and every moving part of the action. He also wanted brass trim, to give the clear case a warm, finished look.
A piano like this has nowhere to hide. Every part of it is on display all the time, so it has to be built well enough to be looked at, not just played.
Choosing the Instrument
Before any work on the case could start, Nick had to choose the piano that would go inside it. He had three Hailun uprights to choose from:
HU121, a compact, well-rounded upright
HU5-P, a professional upright with a fuller, richer sound
HU7-P, Hailun's largest and most powerful upright
Nick chose the HU5-P. It gave him a strong musical base, with a full-size sound, a responsive action and the build quality needed for a piano whose inside is always visible.
Taking Shape at the Factory
The build started at Hailun's factory in Ningbo, China. There, the crystal case was built piece by piece around the working parts of the piano. Photos from the early stages show the plate, soundboard and strings sitting in the open as the clear panels go up around them.
On a standard piano, the wooden case hides joins, brackets and wiring. With a crystal case, every one of those details has to look as clean as the parts that make the sound.
Adding a Self-Playing System
Partway through the project, Nick asked for one more feature: a QRS self-playing system, so the piano could play by itself.
On most pianos, this is routine. On a crystal piano, it raises a new problem, because nothing can be hidden behind a panel. The Hailun team had to run the QRS wiring and parts neatly, so the system works fully without spoiling the view through the case.
The Craftsmanship Inside
The case is what catches the eye, but the playing comes from the piano inside it. Hailun developed its instruments with a team of experts from around the world. They include French piano designer Stephen Paulello, American piano designer Frank Emerson, Japanese voicing expert Ema Shigeru and Viennese piano builder Peter Veletzky. Their work shaped how Hailun designs, builds and voices its pianos. A crystal case puts that craftsmanship on display.
From Case to Concert-Ready
When the case work is finished, the piano goes through the same careful final steps as every Hailun instrument:
Stringing: the strings are installed and brought up to tension.
Action installation: the keys, hammers and moving parts are fitted.
Regulation: hundreds of small adjustments make every key feel even.
Voicing: the tone is refined so the piano sounds as good as it looks.
Only then is the crystal piano ready to go to its owner.
One of a Kind
The crystal piano started with one question and ended as one of a kind. It is a working instrument with every part on view, and it shows how far Hailun's craftsmanship can go when a customer asks for something no one has built before.
Have an idea for a custom Hailun piano? Contact us to find out what's possible.
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