Rebec — Lutherie Encyclopedia

RebecType: instrumentA medieval bowed stringed instrument carved from a single block of wood, an ancestor of the violin with a distinctive nasal tone.## History The rebec is one of the oldest European bowed instruments, descended from the Arabic rebab that was brought to medieval Europe via Moorish Spain and the Crusades. By the 13th century, the rebec was widely played throughout Europe, serving as a primary instrument for dance music, secular entertainment, and, to some extent, sacred music. The instrument was played by both professional minstrels and amateur musicians across social classes. During the Renaissance, the rebec was gradually displaced by the viola da gamba family and eventually the violin, though it persisted in folk music traditions in some regions. The early music revival of the 20th century has brought the rebec back to active performance in medieval and Renaissance music ensembles. ## Construction The rebec is distinctively carved from a single block of wood, creating a continuous body and neck structure (though some examples have a separate neck attached to a shell body). The body is pear-shaped or boat-shaped, narrowing smoothly into the neck without a clear division between the two. The top is a thin soundboard, usually spruce, glued over the carved-out body. The back is rounded like a half-cylinder. Most rebecs have three strings, though examples with one to five strings exist from different periods and regions. The instrument has no frets. It is typically 16 to 24 inches in total length, depending on the register (soprano, alto, or tenor). A tailpiece anchors the strings, which pass over a bridge…