Custom Early Music Rebec Built by George Cassis Approx 1972 Spruce, Maple, Fruitwood

This Rebec was built by hand c. 1970’s in the historically accurate manner by the late George Cassis, an east coast luthier. Mr. Cassis built a number of early music instruments including Viola de Gambas and Barytons. His instruments have been on display in collections of early music instruments at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. One of his Barytons is owned by renowed Baryton performer Roland Hutchinson. Another of his Barytons was featured on a 1981 recording of Haydn Baryton Trios, played by Professor Emeritus in the Humanities at Cornell, John Hsu. One of Mr. Cassis’ Viola de Gambas was also in Professor Hsu’s collection.

The Rebec has a spruce top, maple fingerboard and fruitwood back. It is beautifully inlaid, very light and resonant, and built, as were the historic versions, without the internal sound post. 23” in length, 17” string length. Price: $1200. Comes with black padded gig bag. Sent insured mail.

History of the Rebec:
Popular from the 13th to 16th centuries, the introduction of the Rebec into Western Europe coincided with the Arabic conquest of the Iberian Peninsula. There is however evidence of the existence of bowed instruments in the 9th century in Eastern Europe.
The Rebec was first referred to by that name around the beginning of the 14th century, though a similar instrument, usually called a lyra, had been played since around the 9th century. The name derives from the 15th century Middle French Rebec, altered in an unexplained manner from the 13th century Old French ribabe, which in turn comes from the Arabic rebab.

A distinguishing feature of the Rebec is that the bowl (or body) of the instrument is carved from a solid piece of wood. This distinguishes it from the later period vielles and gambas known in the Renaissance. In the Middle Ages the most common rebec was the soprano, played by resting it on one's shoulder, across the chest, or in the armpit. Rebecs were played mostly for secular music, especially dance music, and their role in the latter continued to the eighteenth century.

Tuning
The number of strings on the rebec varies from 1 to 5, although three is the most common number. The strings are often tuned in fifths, although this tuning is not universal. The instrument was originally in the treble range, like the violin, but later larger versions were developed, so that by the 16th century composers were able to write pieces for consorts of Rebecs, just as they did for consorts of viols.