The qanbūs (Arabic: قنبوس) is a traditional short-necked lute originating from Yemen that has spread across the Arabian Peninsula. Resembling the oud and possibly descending from the Central Asian barbat, it features six or seven nylon strings plucked with a plectrum. Unique among lutes, it lacks frets. The qanbūs fell out of favor in Yemen during the early 20th century and was largely replaced by the oud by the 21st century. Yemeni migration spread the instrument across the Indian Ocean, influe