Indeed, Hailun are decent instruments. The Wendl & Lung 218 Stephen Paulello grand - which i understand to be the same as the Hailun (factory name) branded model - has a fine bass - very pure, with a dark tenor and singing treble. I don't feel it has the dynamic range or power of a Steinway B, nor a Yamaha C6 - but it is a different piano that suits anyone wanting its qualities.
Our Venables & Son pianos are made at the Hailun factory and are based on the Hailun equivalent models, but with unique features to our 'bespoke' specification. Our customers, both private, professional and institutional are very happy with the result. The design and build of a piano need to be good in the first instance. 'Bolting on' upgraded components is simply not enough. For us, the design of the frames, scaling, soundboard & bridge profiles and the characteristic in tone from these strung-backs was particularly appealing. The wet-sand cast frames are quite rare these days and although less efficiently produced than modern vacuum-cast methods due the finishing required, the resulting higher density of these frames helps to fill-out the tone and give more body.
In our pianos from Hailun, the keyboard cloth and felt, keys, hammers, strings and soundboards are of different specification to the standard equivalent models. They are not simply 'own brand'.
Having supplied many new Wendl & Lung pianos, we were impressed with Hailun's build and quality and were delighted that they would make our pianos for us. Our custom-200 grand is based on the Pro.198 model, but we asked for a new frame cast... having revised the scaling in the tenor by experimenting with different hammer shank lengths, we found an optimum strike point giving a fuller, clearer tenor and the cooperation from Hailun and designer Frank Emerson was quite refreshing!
The recent Wendl & Lung models and the new Feurich branded models (superseding W&L) certainly do get our recommendation. We don't keep Feurich (Hailun) as it is somewhat conflicting to offer these alongside our own series. There are many very good pianos we don't stock - not because we don't like them - but because we can't keep everything and we feel a range of 3 very different makes at similar prices with a range of sizes within each make, is a better selection to offer without it getting too confusing! Just like putting Kawai next to Yamaha - both very good, but really, we don't think there is as much of a difference between Yamaha-Kawai as there is between Yamaha-Brodmann-Venables.
To be completely transparent, sure - there are some fine details we would like to see improved, such as cabinet finishing - but I think of all the things one could find fault with in a piano, the cabinet finishing is frankly the least important - when it is already good and the piano in performance terms is very good indeed.
On second thoughts, the specification/material of the Hailun cabinets themselves - rather than the standard of the polish finishing - is particularly high. Upright sides and lids are multi-laminated hardwoods - not mdf or chipboard as found in many more expensive pianos - and this definitely makes the piano's cabinet more acoustically-stubborn, resulting in less dilution of soundboard resonance.
I honestly could not say this 10 years ago... but "made in China" is not a bad thing. It guarantees a low price which in turn could be used to up-spec. the quality and still arrive at an affordable price. I do want to be supporting of European piano production too... but there also needs to be demand from the piano market of a certain specification, origin and acceptance of the realistic price to pay for what it does actually cost to make, distribute and supply a decent piano in Europe without cutting corners. Looking at our sales figures 20 yrs ago, it is true to say that the average upright piano price was £3-8k and baby grands £5-10k, standard grands £10-20k, and it is the same today. Indeed, higher end pianos are considerably higher than they were then - but the standard of lower priced pianos has risen significantly to deal with competition in this market. A case of best price, then best quality within best price.
You may not be surprised to learn how much of a European piano can actually contain components from China - just like a Chinese piano may contain many European parts.
Today, it is certainly important to be open-minded when looking at pianos. Just because the piano isn't made in Germany and the factory hasn't been around for 100years, it does not mean it is not to be seriously considered.
Topic: Hailun and Wendl & Lung