This article seeks to clarify the difference between the Edelweiss G52 – the iconic small piano which we have been building since Edelweiss began in 2008 – and the Edelweiss S132 – a newly released model with the launch of the New Generation in 2024.
Firstly we will start with what is the similarities:
– Both the G52 and the S132 are identical in terms of size – 132cm front to back.
– This makes both of them officially the smallest grand piano in the world.
– Both are designed especially for the home.
– Both are handmade here in Britain in our workshops in Cambridge, UK.
– Both are handmade by the same craftsmen and artisans that build all our Edelweiss Pianos
You can visit our workshops and view both models being made.
So what then is the difference between the two models?
Other than a visual difference with the iconic butterfly lid not available as standard on the S132 – instead being replaced with the unique ‘Spinnaker’ lid design – what other differences are there?
To answer this we will need to retell a story that begins from when we began manufacturing our own pianos back in 2008.
The start of our piano building journey
When we first made the decision to start building our own pianos, under the Edelweiss name back in 2008, the piano industry – once booming industry in Britain and exported to all over the world – had all but died: most of the factories that produced all the essential components had been repurposed for other uses.
Having been restoring pianos since 1975 under the name 1066 Pianos we knew what made up the the DNA of the best pianos in the world.
We had restored nearly every brand of piano, having taken it apart, inspected all of its components and noted the essential construction details before putting it back together again and restoring it to a condition as least as good as it was when a “newly built” piano.
Consequently, when it came to building our own pianos we knew exactly what would be required to achieve what was required, what components would be needed and what processes we were going to follow – we just needed to find the manufacturers of all the parts we required. We wanted to build small pianos that were designed especially for the home, – instruments which harmonize, beautify, and refresh that exclusive space we move and live in every day.
Due to the state of the market at the time with an increasingly large proportion of all piano parts coming from the East – largely due to the acquisition and subsequent relocating of the key manufacturing facilities to China – we realised we would have to source some of the key components from here as there was no other practical alternative.
So we started out manufacturing pianos here in Cambridge UK, using parts sourced from around the world and wherever possible if there was an option – using parts made in British factories.
We visited all the factories around the globe where our piano components were to be made to ensure the exacting quality we require would be met and with a very robust quality control process – although we didn’t like having to source any parts from outside Britain – we were satisfied that based on our experience from our years of restoration and our special designs we could build our own pianos here in Britain to the exceptionally high standards we set ourselves.
Hereby a piano that was hand-made in Britain named Edelweiss was born.
The birth of the G52
We built our first G52 model in 2008.
It was intentionally the smallest acoustic grand piano in the world, semi-circular in footprint with its iconic butterfly lid. We have always championed small pianos designed especially for the home and the G52 epitomised this, being very small and attractive, yet with a beautiful tone, and it soon cemented its place as one of the best small grand pianos on the market.
With the trademark Edelweiss sonorous European sound and the ability for the customer to be able to configure the design to their taste – the brand soon gained traction cumulating in Edelweiss being given the privilege of restarting the Harrods Music Department in 2017, four years after it had sadly been closed ‘for ever’ after 118 years of service – highlighting our emphasis on true British quality.
The Covid effect
When Covid came upon us this made us review the length of our supply chain and we pondered the thought of how attractive it would be if we could actually source all our piano parts – where feasibly possible – from Britain as well as making our piano here in Britain.
We knew this was no easy assignment. The reason why we had to source some of our parts from the East was because they simply were no longer made in British factories.
However, the more we pondered it the more it appealed to us to finally fulfil a long dreamed of ambition to not only build our pianos in Britain but to also source all our parts from Britain factories.
We realised that if we were to succeed, we would need to start from the ground up, firstly designing each part, then creating the manufacturing process, and finally assembling it all together to create what would have to be a truly excellent piano.
So we enlisted the help of Del Fandrich – a world renowned American piano designer – who joined our Research and Development team as a consultant and we started the journey to create the first Edelweiss piano that as well as being handmade in Britain, all its components would also be made in British factories.
The concept of the S132 was born – a piano handmade in Britain from components produced solely in British factories or for the very small amount of components that we couldn’t make in Britain – sourced from Europe.
The one key difference between the S132 and the G52
And hereby lies the one main and important differing factor between the S132 and the G52.
The S132 has all its parts sourced from within Britain, (apart from a very few components), and as a result is a completely new design of piano that does not follow conventional piano building processes.
The G52 has parts that are sourced in larger proportion from outside Britain and it is a conventional piano in terms of design and build process.
This is the key difference between the Edelweiss S132 and the Edelweiss G52.
Does the S132 have a better sound than the G52?
With the necessity of us having to redesign the piano to enable the parts to be sourced from within Britain we had the chance to be able to design and build an entirely new piano that would be able to exceed and defy the usual industry expectations for such a small piano. Therefore our mission to make the S132 the best sounding small grand piano in the world was born with the aim to shatter the market wide known “perception” that a small grand piano – to be small – has to sacrifice sound quality.
Both the traditionally constructed G52 and the advanced S132 have an exceptional sound for their size. The S132, due to its advanced and innovative design will be able to produce a larger and fuller sound when required compared to the more traditional construction of the G52 which come at a higher price.
Summary
Both the G52 and S132 are exceptional pianos that are one of the best in the piano market for their size.
The key difference is that the Edelweiss S132 can produce a larger and fuller sound due to the very advanced technology applied to the build process compared to the G52.
