A Giant Among Strings
In 1850, French luthier Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume built the first octobass in Paris, creating one of the largest and rarest bowed string instruments ever made. Measuring 3.48 meters (11 ft 5 in) tall, it dwarfs the standard double bass, which is typically around 2 meters (6 ft 7 in).
The octobass produces sounds so deep that its lowest notes reach frequencies below the typical range of human hearing, yet remain audible through powerful overtones.
Unique Design and Playing Mechanism
The octobass has three strings and is essentially a massive extension of the double bass. Due to its size, musicians cannot press the strings directly; instead, they use a system of levers and pedals to operate metal clamps above the neck, which act as fretting devices.
Its vast range allows it to play one octave lower than a modern double bass, making it a rare instrument with unmatched depth.
Limited Use but Lasting Influence
Composer Hector Berlioz admired the octobass and suggested its widespread adoption, though few composers wrote for it. One notable exception is Charles Gounod’s Messe solennelle de Sainte-Cécile (1855), where the octobass appears briefly in the “Benedictus” and “Agnus Dei.”
Today, only a handful of octobasses exist worldwide, including one at the Musée de la Musique in Paris, another at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, and one in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.
The Rare Survivors and Modern Use
The Montreal Symphony Orchestra is the only orchestra in the world that owns and regularly uses octobasses in performance. Built in 2010 by Jean-Jacques Pagès, their instrument uses gut strings and is tuned A0, E1, B1, with a range extending up to F♯2.
Two privately owned octobasses also exist, including a 1995 model crafted by Pierre Bohr for Italian musician Nicola Moneta, featuring innovative mechanical improvements. Despite its rarity, the octobass remains one of the most extraordinary instruments ever built, capable of producing tones that resonate far beyond ordinary hearing.
Pushing sound below hearing, the octobass towers at 3.48 m (11 ft 5 in).
Built in Paris around 1850 by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, this three-string giant extends the double bass and can produce fundamentals under 20 Hz that are sensed by overtones…🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/y3EwTy42t0
— Fascinating True Stories (@FascinatingTrue) September 10, 2025