Contrabass guitar

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A contrabass guitar is a low-register plucked string instrument in the guitar family. It has six strings, tuned B-E-A-D-G-C (B=B0 - the lowest B on the piano), and usually has a solid wooden body. A recent model was invented by Anthony Jackson, and the first usable one was built by Vinnie Fodera and Joey Lauricella in 1974 at Jackson's request. The contrabass guitar has since given rise to the subtly different six-string electric bass, played by thousands of bass guitarists around the world.

Instruments called contrabass guitars are documented as having existed since at least as early as 1899 - Bohmann 1899 Catalogue: Immediately after the Contra Bass Harp tar, a "Grand Concert Contra Bass Guitar" is listed. It appears to be a large 6-string guitar, perhaps tuned down. <snip> It is not a harp guitar but may instead be a guitar with a large body that is tuned one octave lower than a normal guitar.

The classical contrabass guitar is tuned EADGBE, like the classical guitar but one octave lower. It is popular in Fado bands in Portugal and South America. In this sense, it may actually can be considered as an acoustic bass guitar, for it shares the same low-end range. Although called a contrabass guitar, the fact that it is tuned one octave lower than a normal guitar means that it is in actuality an acoustic bass guitar rather than a contrabass instrument.