The vihuela, despite a shape that bears a close resemblance to that of a guitar, was strung at the same intervals of a lute, and was especially popular in Spain in the sixteenth century. Unfortunately, only very few original instruments have survived to the present day and these each have quite different characteristics and sizes, and are generally very different from what we see in the iconographic evidence of the period. Between 1535 and 1576 music for vihuela reached its highest point, in this period the publications of dances, fantasies, sacred music and songs represent, with their elegance, completeness and technical accomplishment, one of the high points of sixteenth-century music.

 

Vihuela, from iconography

9/11 ribs flat back

Inspired by an instrument depicted in the beautiful frescoes in the Cathedral of Barcelona, this vihuela is designed for a string length between 60 and 70 centimeters for tuning in F or G. The decorations of the soundboard are made out of fine wood and bone and inspired by the original iconography, the back is flat, in nine or eleven ribs in the same wood of the sides.

String lenght: 60-70 cm

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