The octobass was created in 1850 with the intent of added some serious low end, because apparently the upright bass just wasn't cutting it anymore. The octobass seems like it's partially played by a skillful player, and partially manual labor.
The lowest note clocks in at 16hz, which is so low that your mind simply can't hear the note in its entirety… so it looks like all your extended range guitars have some catching up to do, huh?