I have owned this Karl Joseph Schneider 16.5 inch viola for about 2.5 years. I am a retired science teacher with a life-long hobby interest in string instrument acoustics. When I retired from teaching, I began to search for a viola upgrade in the $5000 price range. When I saw the KJSV165 Premier Artist viola in the Shar catalog for $3200, I realized that Shar prices are usually lower than those at local violin shops. This instrument easily exceeded instruments I had tried in the $4000-plus price range. Construction quality is top-notch! I inadvertently posted my 10 month review of this viola under the Shar model number KJSV155. I have continued using Eudoxa A, D, G strings and and the Oliv non-ridgid C string on this instrument. I have also upgraded the very good quality Shar student-grade bridge with custom-fitted Mirecourt Grade A bridges. I work hard on tone-building exercises and end up changing strings about every 6 weeks. The tone quality of this instrument has taken quantum leaps since I've owned it. I play in a community orchestra with a significant number of retired professional musicians and music teachers. Violas in this orchestra range in value up to $20000. People who have tried out my Shar viola are generally surprised at the sound they can produce! It usually takes 10-20 years to bring a violin or viola to acoustic maturity. My musician friends are all amazed at how rapidly the harmonic overtones have continued to develop in this rich-sounding instrument! I think I've ended up with a phenomenal bargain!

I own a Karl Joseph Schneider Antiqued 16 inch viola which was built in 2002. Everything about this instrument exceeds my expectations! The craftsmanship is first rate. I never expected to find a German-made instrument of this quality for such a low list price. I bought mine used. It sounded great when I first got it, but I've been amazed at what my continuing tone building efforts have done for its steady growth in sound quality. I Keep my KJS70V16 strung with Obligato strings; and I successfully purchased a Coda Bow Classic (predecessor of the Coda Bow Diamond GX) with optimal weight for this viola's size and string tension. Most of my violin text books claim that it takes 10 to 20 years for the wood to reach maturity in a violin or viola. If my KJS70V16 viola hasn't reached maturity yet, I can hardly wait to hear it in a few more years!

I have been playing a Karl Joseph Schneider Premier Artist Antiqued 16.5 inch Viola for ten months now, and it continues to exceed my expectations. My KJS viola has been played by several string teachers and professional violists. All have been surprised that Shar markets such a fine instrument for such a low price. Their comments have included the following: Very easy to play. Uniform tone and volume from string to string and note to note. Excellent tone when played in higher positions. Full range of easy to play harmonics. A four or five thousand dollar viola might not produce a better sound!
This Karl Joseph Schneider viola is a German-made instrument which uses a mass produced back, top and neck. The secret to the great sound is that the mass produced spruce top undergoes final carving by a highly competent luthier. I ordered two identical 16.5 inch KJS Premier Artist violas for my home trial. The two violas appeared to have been carved by two different luthiers, but the sound of the instruments was virtually identical! I liked the maple wood grain on one of the two violas so much, that I decided not to order any additional home trial instruments. A big selling point for me was that the necks on these violas are slightly wider than the necks on other 16.5 inch violas I have tried out.
Shar ships these violas with budget synthetic strings. This is a big mistake. These violas beg to be strung with Obligato strings. I have gone one step farther and have been stringing my instrument with Eudoxa non-rigid A, D, and G strings. I have been using Olive non-rigid 218C92 C strings, which are a good match for the A, D, and G Eudoxa strings. On averge, I practice one to two hours a day, including a good deal of time in tone building exercises. After ten months, the tone quality of this instrument continues to get better and better, with no end in sight! Unfortunately, the Eudoxa and Olive gut strings are quite expensive and do not last nearly as long as Obligato strings. It has been genuinely fun to hear how this viola has matured in such a short time. I am very satisfied with my purchase. Professional musicians who occasionally play viola may want to give these instruments a serious look.