Octobass
The octobass is an extremely large and rare bowed string instrument that was first built around 1850 in Paris by the French luthier Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume (1798–1875). It has three strings and is essentially a larger version of the double bass – the specimen in the collection of the Musée de la Musique in Paris measures in length, whereas a full-size double bass is generally approximately in length. Usage Because of the extreme fingerboard length and string thickness, the musician plays it using a system of levers and pedals. The levers serve to engage metal clamps that are positioned above the neck at specific positions. These clamps act as fretting devices when the performer presses the levers. It has never been produced on a large scale or used much by composers (though Hector Berlioz wrote favorably about the instrument and proposed its widespread adoption). The only known work from the 19th century that specifically calls for the octobass is Charles Gounod's . In this work, the octobass only appears in the "Benedictus" and the "Agnus Dei" and is specified to be tuned B, E, and B. It typically plays one octave below the double bass. In addition to the Paris instrument,