David's Ramblings - How Low Can You Go

     Sylvan Music carries almost every stringed instrument imaginable. But here’s one that just wouldn’t fit!  It’s the Octabass.

    First introduced around 1850 in Paris, it has three strings, and is essentially a larger version of the double bass.  Because of the extreme fingerboard length and string thickness, it requires the musician to play it using a system of hand and foot-activated levers and pedals.  The pitch of the Octabass’s highest string is the same pitch as the lowest note of a modern double bass with a low C extension.  The lowest string is tuned to C, 16.25 Hz, one octave below the lowest note on a piano.

    By the way, you can see an Octabass at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, AZ.  It’s a great museum with an amazing collection of musical instruments from all over the world.  You don’t have to be an ethnomusicologist to be in awe of this incredible collection. 

-David

David Robin got his start in the 1960's Chicago rock n' roll scene and has built up an impressive, lengthy musical resume in the years since. After all these years, his love of the guitar is as strong as ever.