ing ▁( from ▁lowest ▁to ▁highest - p itch ed ▁strings ) ▁as ▁the ▁double ▁bass ▁and ▁bass ▁guitar , ▁ 5 -, ▁ 6 , ▁ 7 - ▁and ▁ 8 - string ▁models ▁are ▁also ▁available ▁( though ▁instruments ▁other ▁than ▁four ▁or ▁five ▁strings ▁are ▁un common ). ▁Like ▁the ▁double ▁bass , ▁most ▁E UB s ▁can ▁be ▁pl uck ed ▁(" p izz ic ato ") ▁or ▁bow ed . ▁For ▁a ▁E UB ▁to ▁be ▁bow ed , ▁it ▁must ▁have ▁a ▁cur ved ▁bridge , ▁so ▁that ▁the ▁bow ▁can ▁be ▁used ▁on ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁individual ▁strings . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁production ▁electric ▁u pr ight ▁bass es ▁were ▁developed ▁independently ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 3 0 s ▁by ▁Reg al , ▁V ega ▁and ▁R icken back er . ▁However , ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 4 0 s , ▁neither ▁the ▁trans du cers ▁and ▁or ▁ampl ification ▁equipment ▁which ▁were ▁then ▁available ▁could ▁accur ately ▁reproduce ▁the ▁deep ▁t ones ▁of ▁the ▁bass . ▁This ▁may ▁ ▁have ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁public ▁interest ▁in ▁either ▁the ▁electric ▁u pr ight ▁bass es ▁or ▁Paul ▁T ut mar c ' s ▁bass ▁guitar - style ▁instruments ▁that ▁emer ged ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s . ▁▁▁ ▁In ▁comparison ▁with ▁other ▁electron ically ▁ampl ified ▁string ▁instruments , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁electric ▁viol in , ▁vi ola ▁and