Kaplan Forza Viola Set K410

I’ve had these on for about a week now. I was hesitant because they are steel strings and I’ve always used synthetic core strings, but I needed strings that would respond more quickly and with clarity. These do that well without being shrill. My only complaint is that the D string does not blend with the other strings. It is VERY bright and sticks out of the texture.

I really love these strings!! Warm, easy response, long lasting and powerful sound. They work really good on my 1997 viola. I prefer D medium, and C - D heavy. I haven't try A string, because for me the A is always Larsen.

I have a relatively "bright" sounding viola that lacks the classic velvety viola sound. I tried the Kaplan Amo brand before and though I liked the richness of sound they gave to my instrument, the responsiveness was a bit muddy. Despite the muddiness of the Amo strings, I decided to try Kaplan Forza to see if I could keep that warm Amo sound but with better clarity of sound. My experiment was a success! These strings give my instrument (2006 Kiernoziak) the beautiful, rich viola sound I was looking for (more so than either Evah Pirazzi brand) without sacrificing clarity and responsiveness. These strings also settled almost immediately (within a couple of hours). I will buy this set again.

I like Dominant Mediums on my viola, and lately had used Helicores. I find these to be slightly more refined than the Helicores, slightly sweeter sound. They settled in immediately, and while I usually need to use a different A string, so far I am happy with the whole set.